[castlegate]

Hi, I live a few miles from Linlithgow in the picturesque but windy Bathgate Hills. We have just under an acre with 3 cats, 11 laying hens and my veg garden. I have also recently been given the use of my neighbours walled veg garden and small paddock.

I'm keen to get some livestock, would love goats but with working full time I'm not sure I'd keep up with the milking! Think sheep may be a less labour intensive option? It would be great to hear from anyone local and general recommendations for the paddock. It's approx 1 acre of grass/weeds that's been getting cut a couple of times each year.

Carol 

[pigsatlesrues]

I am sure someone will correct my math if I am wrong, but I am sure that an acre will not be enough grazing for sheep.  There is a ratio I was told - 1 cow is the equivilant to six sheep, and they would need 1 hectar of grazing. 

I think you would need to rethink what livestock you could get.  How about some weaners?  I am biased I know, and they would require more work, but boy oh boy you will enjoy the pork!

Welcome to the forum, and please keep us posted with what you end up doing.

Kate 

[hexhammeasure]

If you are really keen to get livestock and want to raise meat for the freezer you could get a couple of in lamb ewes and raise your own lambs then sell the ewes at the end of the year. 1 acre will cover all your needs for this and you won't need to feed hay all winter. or you can buy a couple of ewes with lambs at foot but thats a tad more expensive. 2 or 3 will fit in an acre comfortably

[garden cottage]

or geese, happily graze the grass, low cost to rear.

[Rosemary]

We have three sheep on an acre and so far, it works OK. They are much more work than weaner pigs though.

[ballingall]

Hello! You must be pretty local to us.  You can have a few sheep on an acre, with no problems. Our little field is only about 1/2 an acre, and we graze about 10-14 goats on it from April to October. They do get fed quite a fair bit of concentrated food and hay as well though.

Beth

[Hilarysmum]

If its anything like horses the bigger the concentration of animals to an acre the more you need to worm.

Pigs well fenced in, feed twice a day.  You could comfortably have two weaners on half an acre bring to weight, kill out then put the next two on the other half acre. 

Less work than sheep or goats in my opinion, as long as you have really good fencing.

Good luck whatever you do I am sure it will be great fun.

HM

[carole]

Hello from me too, I think my sheep are easier this time of year than the pigs, they do not do so much muddy paths, but hey ho, did I sleep through the summer months?

Welcome

Carole

[bigchicken]

Welcome I,m new to this forum to and would recomend Shetland sheep small thrifty good mothers come in a variety of colours and they taste great.