[Lizmar]

 I live in Ireland.  Moved here nearly 3 years ago, just outside Waterford.  I came from London to find the 'good life' and now I feel adjusted to Irish life, enough to get started.  I have about 2 acres (yes not a lot) one area I grow vegetables another I have 4 fruit trees and then I have a field which is about an acre and I keep down with a petrol lawnmower - not great for the back.  I want to keep some animals of some sort NOT FOR MEAT!! and am not sure which.  I would love goats, but everyone even my next door neighbour - the real farmer seems to have reservations.  I have a concrete bottomed stable and good fencing.  I also have a mad Jack Russell called Colin, so no sheep I'm afraid! - what does everyone think I should do?

[jameslindsay]

Hello. I have 7 pygmy goats and 4 Dairy goats and would not want to live without them. They are incredibly friendly and affectionate, make very little noise and don't ask for much other than food, water, shelter and affection. They are however escape artists and can jump quite high fences so this would have to be considered. I just last week got 2 4 week old Toggenburg boys and they are so amazing - go get yourself some goats, good luck and enjoy.

[Hilarysmum]

I wondered why not for meat?  Unless of course you are a vegetarian/vegan.  I was going to suggest ducks or geese for keeping grass down and for eggs. 

[northfifeduckling]

If you don't want animals for meat or produce and goats and sheep are out of the question - how about a pony or a rescued donkey?

[gavo]

Hello from up North,

I'd go for a couple of Golden Guernsey's for the unusual factor or Angora's for spinning.

Cheers

Gavin

[ballingall]

I'll jump on the bandwagon wanting you to get goats. Even if you don't want to use them for meat, you could always get a milking goat too, and provide household milk too. Milking goats are more work though. But still, very enjoyable, so much more intelligent than sheep.

The suggestion of a rescue donkey isn't bad either- we've wondered about getting one too. Not sure we have enough space though.


Beth

[Castle Farm]

If you start a 'rescue center' for the donkeys/goats/old ponies and the like you will tie yourself down,spend money and get nothing back.
If you want to be taken seriously in a rural community ask the locals what they would do with the land and I would start with your neighbour.
It is so easy to be landed with a load cast offs and rejects that demand feeding and money spent on their welfare.
As for twice daily milking of goats, unless your into drinking the milk or have a market for it it's a time trap.

It is difficult to advise without knowing much more information..mainly.

The amount of time you have to commit.
Budget.
Aspect and condition/quality of land.
Water table.
Any buildings.
Distance to town and customers.

First and formost you need to find a market for anything you may produce...if thats the way you intend to use your land.
Trying to produce what is already in a full market is pointless.
Suggestions (depending on commitment).

Cut flowers..niche market, but getting stronger due to cost of importation.
Foliage...as above.
www.sarahraven.com is chargeing £45 for 50 stems of sweetpeas.
www.seedsbysize.com

Rare and tradition poultry.
I have a lot of orders from Ireland for my eggs and even have buyers traveling over to buy stock birds.
Quality breeds will sell anywhere and there is always a market.

The best of luck with your new life..it's not all mud and misery.

[jameslindsay]

If you start a 'rescue center' for the donkeys/goats/old ponies and the like you will tie yourself down,spend money and get nothing back.


What about the love that these animals would give back in return for being "useless", surely that is way more important than anything else? I rescued 2 rather old goats 9 months ago and let me tell you they were close to death through NEGLECT when they arrived. Now they are totally different animals and the vets are amazed at their transformation. Personally we spent over £1000 in vets bills to get them to how they are today and I do not grudge a penny. These 2 are now happy and loving goats - no longer do their ribs stick out through their bodies and they can now walk without being in constant pain. I believe these 2 know what we have done for them and the look on their faces every time they see us is just wonderful. I make no apologies for the dedication we have for our pets but I fail to see how anyone can say "you get nothing back".

I will climb off my soap box now.

[Rosemary]

The title of the post is about becoming a smallholder not a rescue centre. The two are not the same, at least not in my book. To me, smallholding is about being productive and useful - not that love isn't useful, but you know what I mean. Given all the issues about food security and food miles etc etc shouldn't we be trying to make the most of the land we have available for food production or something similar?

[Castle Farm]

Sorry to have hit a nerve James..I am aware that neglected animals and birds need people like yourself to give them a quality of life they deserve and I commend you for it.
When I bought Castle Farm the previous owner had left a cat here in a terrible condition..massive vets bills.. and I ended up with a little blind cat that needs alot of care and attention..She still has a quality life I hope.
I am luck enough to have enough income to sustain a few 'passengers' but some people don't and need their land to repay setting up costs and filling it up with sad cases isn't viable..unless you hold the begging bowl out to other people.

[Hilarysmum]

Perhaps this should be a new topic, however has anyone else experienced "rescuing" animals getting them back into good condition only to see the person who dumped them go out and spend a fortune buying a new pedigree whatever?   

[sellickbhoy]

I think castle Farms post is on the right track - it's hard to say what you should do given the lack of information

are you wanting it to be a commercial venture bringing in an income (however small!) or is it a lifestyle thing?

if you go with livestock, you are gonna be tied to the place - unless you are able to get someone to look after it for you when you are away.

then you have to ask how often you are gonna be away - can you rely on the person(s) to cover that often?

i'd start off with what you are comfortable doing

if you are looking for a "market" to offer a product/service to - then you need to find out whats missing and when you find what's missing - is it something you want to do

so, hard to say what you should do, however, i moved out to a house in the country last year, i've started growing my own fruit and veg and i'll be getting chickens soon, if i had space i'd certainly look into a few pigs. its been a complete lifestyle change for me and i love it. if I thought i could make a living from it, i'd go for it 100% - sadly i still like the creature comforts a well paying job brings!!! but i'm sure it won't be long before i can't keep up with the technology and I become obsolete.

i'd encourage you to pursue it!

[Lizmar]

Thank you everyone for their thoughts and ideas and apologies for just hitting you with very little info about what I want. Of course I would like the dream - self sufficiency, income and roses round the door, but i live in Ireland now and if nothing else it's real gritty here and the like of the locals tell it as it is.
I live at the top of a hill where the wind always blows and you can see the weather coming from miles off.  Water comes and goes though the farmer assured me that he knows a plumber that could put me a small well in that would never be dry, unlike the mains water that goes off everytime we have rain!! - it goes brown so people complain - its easier for them to turn it off while it settles!!!!
I don't want to rescue animals, lovely though it sounds, I believe if you have them they would prefer to work for me, anyway I'm too soft - hence no meat. How can I eat something I have named, unless I call him 'Chop' or 'Steak'.
You have all made me return to my first thought - GOATS. 

The idea of poultry especially rare breeds is very interesting though.  I live amongst many farms and close to a small town with farmers markets and small shops - not a local egg or chicken to be seen. I have a book on building a small holding with coups etc in - can I make one? Hey yes (independent female talking!!) There again I have the problem of Colin (the Jack Russell)who would eat most of them, but so would foxes so they would have to be made safe in any case - I could use him to test the security. 


I feel I can do this - still won't give up the job, but can dedicate as much time as needed.  May even change my job to work from home - so many thoughts and opportunities - can you hear the excitement?

Thank you Thank you

[sellickbhoy]

sounds like you have an identified an opportunity with the local market - eggs/chickens

I think chickens are a good starting point for anyone considering getting "livestock"

they are small, manageable, you get an almost immediate "return" on your investment - in the form of eggs and a longer term plan to supply chickens, fertilized eggs/chicks

and whilst you have to be there every day to let them out, feed, water, check them over, clean them out and put them back to bed at night, they aren't especially demanding of your time - and there is not as much paperwork involved in keeping birds (compared to larger stock)

a coop is easy to build - you'll manage it no bother! And once you build your run, if colin can't get in - foxes can't get in.

i'd also start small and build up - you have space to grow corn - which will give you your own feed for the birds - and then straw bedding. And when you clear out the coop the bedding and chicken poop goes on the compost heap and is used to improve the soil for the following years growing!! a perfect circle!!

don't name the birds - though if you are going to do eggs, you'll have them for longer and could have a couple of "pets" that you could name (personally i'm going for Chicken Tikki and Garlic Chilli Chicken and such names for mine - but i've no problem killing one!)

you should sort the water problem out though - whatever you do you need a supply of water - whether its veg or animals.

if you want to do the self sufficiency thing a well and wind turbine would be good - sounds like you are in the right spot for a turbine. at the very least one that can power the egg incubator and heat a greenhouse/polytunnel in winter to give you a longer season.

[Lizmar]

Thank you.  I think I have a plan!
Have to laugh about the polytunnel though.  When I say wind, that is on a good day. Nothing stays put here always ends up in the valley, even my stable flew down the field last year and is now tethered to the ground!  The farmer next door is a butcher, so may have to ask him to come and sort the chickens - hey, he may even buy some!