Agri Vehicles Insurance from Greenlands

Author Topic: Easiest animals to keep?  (Read 29926 times)

Orinlooper

  • Joined Aug 2015
Easiest animals to keep?
« on: June 06, 2020, 06:21:43 am »
Which are the easiest animals to keep to eat the grass and brambles?


bj_cardiff

  • Joined Feb 2017
  • Carmarthenshire
Re: Easiest animals to keep?
« Reply #1 on: June 06, 2020, 07:55:31 am »
Its not a straightforward question I'm afraid. It will depend on your land and how much input you wish to do?

Sheep are good at grazing steep land, but not good in wet/boggy land and will get stuck in the brambles.

Goats are great for clearing brambles, but will also strip bark and kill trees. They will need shelter too and won't do well in wet conditions. You will also need excellent fencing.

Pigs are great at clearing ground, but don't really like scratchy brambles, they will also need very strong fencing and shelter.


Fleecewife

  • Joined May 2010
  • South Lanarkshire
    • ScotHebs
Re: Easiest animals to keep?
« Reply #2 on: June 06, 2020, 12:39:38 pm »
I assume that by 'easiest' you mean 'requiring the least input'.  Every single animal used as livestock will need care, treatments - routine and emergency - , veterinary care, extra feed, housing and so on and so on.  Please be aware that when you take on livestock, there are no shortcuts or easy options.  For that you need machinery.
"Let's not talk about what we can do, but do what we can"

There is NO planet B - what are YOU doing to save our home?

Do something today that your future self will thank you for - plant a tree

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harmony

  • Joined Feb 2012
Re: Easiest animals to keep?
« Reply #3 on: June 06, 2020, 12:45:49 pm »
A machine  :coat: but where's the fun in that!

macgro7

  • Joined Feb 2016
  • Leicester
Re: Easiest animals to keep?
« Reply #4 on: June 06, 2020, 12:52:30 pm »
Which are the easiest animals to keep to eat the grass and brambles?
Meat rabbits! I fattened rabbits on just brambles before as an experiment.
Growing loads of fruits and vegetables! Raising dairy goats, chickens, ducks, rabbits on 1/2 acre in the middle of the city of Leicester, using permaculture methods.

Fleecewife

  • Joined May 2010
  • South Lanarkshire
    • ScotHebs
Re: Easiest animals to keep?
« Reply #5 on: June 06, 2020, 01:13:37 pm »
A machine  :coat: but where's the fun in that!

Oh machines can be the best fun, or the worst.

But what is not fun is realising that your animals are not in the best of health and are suffering because you failed to factor in the time and money and space needed to keep them properly.
"Let's not talk about what we can do, but do what we can"

There is NO planet B - what are YOU doing to save our home?

Do something today that your future self will thank you for - plant a tree

 Love your soil - it's the lifeblood of your land.

smallholder147

  • Joined Aug 2020
Re: Easiest animals to keep?
« Reply #6 on: August 08, 2020, 11:54:14 am »
I am sorry but I don't think that there is any animal for those duties and responsibilities which is easy to handle.
I just can say that for eating grass and brambles goats are a good solution. But of course they need care.

violetgarlic

  • Joined Aug 2020
Re: Easiest animals to keep?
« Reply #7 on: August 10, 2020, 06:55:34 am »
I think there are can be difficulties with different kind of animals. It depends on amount of your free time, patience, etc  ;D

arobwk

  • Joined Nov 2015
  • Kernow: where 2nd-home owners rule !
Re: Easiest animals to keep?
« Reply #8 on: August 10, 2020, 06:22:12 pm »
Please excuse me for sticking my nose in (since I don't keep livestock), but Scartlet.Dragon is obviously right:  hardy, potentially native or other semi-wild breeds of animal will almost certainly be the animals requiring least oversight (but not "no over-sight").  If the preferred animal doesn't get on well with brambles, then mechanically cut.  You might need to repeat mechanical cutting, but animals will then gradually win the battle in a confined area. 
Stock numbers will also need to be fine-tuned to the grazing potential available throughout the year to minimise the need for supplementary feeding.
Fencing:  the larger the animal the more likely they will accept a hedge as their boundary, but, as even I know, goats and sheep will simply see a hedge as something they need to get to the top of !
« Last Edit: August 11, 2020, 11:15:16 pm by arobwk »

Orinlooper

  • Joined Aug 2015
Re: Easiest animals to keep?
« Reply #9 on: December 31, 2020, 08:14:15 pm »
Which are the easiest animals to keep to eat the grass and brambles?
Meat rabbits! I fattened rabbits on just brambles before as an experiment.

This is very interesting yes I think rabbits maybe the answer to my question as the easiest animals to keep

Thanks so much now I’m very interested

Did you let them run wild in runs or did you cut the bramble yourself to feed them?

macgro7

  • Joined Feb 2016
  • Leicester
Re: Easiest animals to keep?
« Reply #10 on: January 02, 2021, 08:49:04 am »
No, I kept them i cages and brought all their feed in.
Growing loads of fruits and vegetables! Raising dairy goats, chickens, ducks, rabbits on 1/2 acre in the middle of the city of Leicester, using permaculture methods.

Orinlooper

  • Joined Aug 2015
Re: Easiest animals to keep?
« Reply #11 on: January 02, 2021, 02:46:15 pm »
No, I kept them i cages and brought all their feed in.

Could you set them up to love wild and thrive?

macgro7

  • Joined Feb 2016
  • Leicester
Re: Easiest animals to keep?
« Reply #12 on: January 02, 2021, 05:14:36 pm »
I could set them free, but guaranteed theyxwould not survive the night.
We are in the city. I see foxes every single night. And most DAYS.
Today saw one at 11am. Had run and make sure the chickens are locked in their run.
Growing loads of fruits and vegetables! Raising dairy goats, chickens, ducks, rabbits on 1/2 acre in the middle of the city of Leicester, using permaculture methods.

Backinwellies

  • Global Moderator
  • Joined Sep 2012
  • Llandeilo Carmarthenshire
    • Nantygroes
    • Facebook
Re: Easiest animals to keep?
« Reply #13 on: January 03, 2021, 07:29:01 am »
Orinlooper  I have to write what I think here.  There are no animals that you can 'keep'  and not care for .... there are laws agains this .... try reading all the welfare codes     https://www.gov.uk/guidance/animal-welfare  they are written for pet animals too.

There are no animals that are get rich quick schemes .... animals take time effort and money.  Most smallholders with livestock, have a very expensive hobby not a money making business.  They do it because they love working with animals ... if you dont then dont have any.

Please stop asking in different topics about this the answer will be the same.
Linda

Don't wrestle with pigs, they will love it and you will just get all muddy.

Let go of who you are and become who you are meant to be.

http://nantygroes.blogspot.co.uk/
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Orinlooper

  • Joined Aug 2015
Re: Easiest animals to keep?
« Reply #14 on: February 18, 2021, 12:31:37 pm »
Orinlooper  I have to write what I think here.  There are no animals that you can 'keep'  and not care for .... there are laws agains this .... try reading all the welfare codes     https://www.gov.uk/guidance/animal-welfare  they are written for pet animals too.

There are no animals that are get rich quick schemes .... animals take time effort and money.  Most smallholders with livestock, have a very expensive hobby not a money making business.  They do it because they love working with animals ... if you dont then dont have any.

Please stop asking in different topics about this the answer will be the same.

I'm talking about animals who would live off the land anyway and I just encourage them.

Rabbits for example are on my small holding anyway


Years ago wild pigs lived on this land and I would love them to return, I would do everything I could to help them thrive in the wild

 

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