Agri Vehicles Insurance from Greenlands

Author Topic: how much land??  (Read 2494 times)

jacob and Georgina

  • Joined May 2010
how much land??
« on: September 21, 2010, 10:21:02 pm »
we currently have 6 dogs and 6 chickens but are desperate for more animals so, our house is on the market and we are looking to move to the countryside in south devon as at the minute we are on the outskirts of a town so land is not available. We would love to have lots more chooks,ducks, 6-10 sheep, a couple of pigs and a paddock for 2 horses. also a large veg patch. I have been trying to think of how much land i would need, my calculations suggest that i will need at least 10 acres. Would you agree? do i need more or can i make do with less? This may well be a "how long is a piece of string" question but i will be curious to hear what different people manage with!   :farmer: ???

ballingall

  • Joined Sep 2008
  • Avonbridge, Falkirk
Re: how much land??
« Reply #1 on: September 22, 2010, 12:12:33 am »
Lots of people will tell you this, but get as much land as you can afford. I think you are probably right to look for about 10 acres with what you want to keep. Unless of course you mean two very small horses (Shetlands?) which might mean you could get away with a bit less. You could maybe manage with about 8, but you would have to focus then on resting land, rotating etc, which would be easier with that extra 2 acres.

Beth

TheCaptain

  • Joined May 2010
Re: how much land??
« Reply #2 on: September 22, 2010, 03:17:06 pm »
We have 10 acres on which we keep 3 ponies, 10 sheep, 4 GOS pigs, 15 Turkeys and 29 chickens and we cope well with that.  Partitioned off about 8 acres in the late-spring/early-summer for hay of which we got approx. 500 bales to see us through the winter as the land gets boggy down the bottom.  hope that helps...

jacob and Georgina

  • Joined May 2010
Re: how much land??
« Reply #3 on: September 22, 2010, 06:44:53 pm »
very usefull thanks for the replies! how long will i have to keep animals off the land for if i want to make hay??

lazybee

  • Joined Mar 2010
Re: how much land??
« Reply #4 on: September 22, 2010, 07:07:00 pm »
I agree it's best to buy as much land as you can, as it makes the management so much easier. I cut my own hay (800 this year  ;D ;D) I take the horses off my hay fields at the end of February. we have 30 acres here about 10 acres of it is oak woods.........free fuel 8) it's still a pain deciding what's best from year to year. Good luck with your search, I hope you find what you're looking for. You could always move to France  ;D

Anke

  • Joined Dec 2009
  • St Boswells, Scottish Borders
Re: how much land??
« Reply #5 on: September 22, 2010, 08:50:55 pm »
We have nine acres ourselves, and rent an additional 12 or so from (non-smallholding) neighbours. At the moment we have about 15 - 20 breeding ewes, 6 goats, raise weaners (3 or 4) during the summer and just under 50 poultry (we rear our own replacement layers, so about 15 of them are young males destined for the coq au vin pot). I am trying to increase the numbers of ewes, but as I am the "only" fulltime farm worker here, I am at the limit of what I can look after. (also large p/tunnel, veg garden and 2 young children).

It really depends what you can afford (you can always rent out additional land that you cannot use in any particular year - we have had cattle co-grazing with our ewes/lambs this summer and it has been great), and how much time/money you have to look after it. Also depends on the quality of the land.

Also keep some money aside to buy machinery, repair buildings/fences etc, buy a trailer etc etc etc.

jacob and Georgina

  • Joined May 2010
Re: how much land??
« Reply #6 on: September 22, 2010, 08:58:21 pm »
renting additional land is something we have considered and would almost sertainly look to do, thanks anke

 

Forum sponsors

FibreHut Energy Helpline Thomson & Morgan Time for Paws Scottish Smallholder & Grower Festival Ark Farm Livestock Movement Service

© The Accidental Smallholder Ltd 2003-2024. All rights reserved.

Design by Furness Internet

Site developed by Champion IS