[randyrat]

Hi to everyone......
We stumbled across this site when looking for ideas....we have access to about 4 acres of sound meadow land with a stream border, a small barn and tractor, and a few rusted lumps of farming machinery.
At the mo' all that goes on in the field is an annual harvest of meadow hay, producing a couple of hundred quid for fence upkeep, tractor servicing etc.
Now, I am completely completely as green as grass as regards doing anything useful with it......so perhaps this is the right place to come for inspiration.
So far I have considered: Pigs, Sheep, Chickens,pheasant, Bees, or turning some of it over to crop production. Our working budget is about nothing, but we could maybe stretch to a couple of hundred pounds at a pinch.
Any suggestions welcome...we have a few good friends who will lend muscle in return for beer....in the meantime we will scour the forum pages....Thanks in advance.....and....HHHEEELLLOOOOOOO!!!

[doganjo]

Welcome to the forum, Randyrat!  Love the name!

My late husband and I had 21 acres in Aberdeenshire and just let it out to a neighbour for cattle and hay.  Wish we had gone down the route you are about to take.  We did try 700 free range day old to 13 weeks chickens but that ended up in a loss of £50 so we didn't do a second batch.  Now I am down here I just have a large expanse of grass and shrubs (about an acre) with a wee burn at the front so I just have ducks and chickens.  When they start to lay they will pay for their food - but not mine, so I'm a fake smallholder.  I'm going to try growing my own veg next year though so I'm climbing the ladder 

Good luck and enjoy all the great advice and repartie you'll find on here.
Annie

[garden cottage]

welcome randyrat, what a great opportunity you have, we rent 4 acres just down the lane which is a decent size field to get started. I think if your on a tight budget start small with just a few livestock but do your homework, some very wise people on here that are happy to help you out. think vegetables or crops grown for livestock would be a good route to keep your feed costs down maybe a couple of weaner pigs for meat, these would need to be fenced in a smaller area with strong fences. anyway best of luck 1000s of things you could do...................neil

[charente]

Bonjour,
Just read your message and your set up is spookerly similar to ours here in France. We've had our place a year and a bit and have also come up with all sorts of cunning plans from camping to ostrich farming. Before you decide you should start with sussex chickens 1 cock and 8-10 hens in one roost, let them out in the day to forrage your land, they will come back at sunset, lock them away then let them out in the morning,repeat until you or some eats them. They are very easy, give pleasure and eggs. Watch out for loose dogs in the day they love chicken as much as fox at night. Fresh water and maize in their roost and nesting boxes is about all they need. I have lots more info if you want.

cheers Charente

[Hilarysmum]

Pigs, chickens, veggies, sounds like heaven

[carole]

Hello and welcome

Carole

[pigsatlesrues]

Hi from Normandy!

Kate 

[randyrat]

Thanks all.....I think we'll probably kick off with some chickens and see where that takes us. The wife fancies a few beehives, so we'll do a bit of research into that area too.
Top site by the way........
Randyrat

[Rosey]

Welcome from Lincolnshire. Be warned, what starts out as a few hens ends up a fulltime job! we started with four hens now have sheep, 45 hens four ponies two working dogs and if my mate gets his way a cow!

[Fluffywelshsheep]

hello from fws am in central belt too not got any animals (except step kids and husband) and a little bit of land next to the house where i attempt to grow veg and fruit.

At the mo trying to encurrage wildlife
Linz