[Bigwig]

Hello to all fellow eccentrics. The consensus amongst friends and family are that we a bit mental. In our fifties, just purchased a smallholding in Ireland, moving there next month with our three dogs and three horses. My experience of farming is of big game in Africa and chickens and horses here. Lordy, where do we start.... We have a big barn, outbuildings two polytunnels and a few acres. Any gems of wisdom that you can share.....?

[Treud na Mara]

Well I would start with a few chickens straight away as there's nothing so nice as your own fresh eggs. And then do a lot of thinking and walking the ground and talking over what you want to achieve - money-making, self sufficiency whatever. I would also take advantage of the polytunnel and get some things growing even if it's just a few tomatoes and maybe some peppers but definitely things you know you like and will want to eat. Don't worry about starting from seed this year just get whatever you can find locally and get it growing!
Good luck with whatever you decide. And keep reading on here - you'll find fantastically good advice and ideas and help when you have questions. OH and I are 60 and 59 and I wish we'd been able to do what we are 10 years ago!
Welcome to the world of small holding and a life like no other.

[Rosemary]

Hello and welcome from  Carnoustie 

[Fleecewife]

Treud na Mara's advice is good - take your time and think carefully.  It's all too easy to think "oh I'll have a few sheep, and some cows, and a couple of goats, and a handful of pigs and....."  I would advise getting just one type of livestock, and hens are a good one to start with, just while you find your feet and settle in with your horses.  Stocking rates are important and easily misjudged when you are new to it all.  Also, smallholding is far more work than you think it's going to be, and every job takes longer than you expect, and you get more tired than you think is reasonable.
As you add in a couple more types of livestock, or decide to stick with what you have, you will learn about those animals and their needs, feeding them, housing them and possibly slaughtering them.  If you get several types at once you will know a little about everything but not a whole lots about them all.
As you settle in you will get to know local people, local etiquette, local conditions, local breeds, where the slaughterhouse and feed store are and establish yourself with a good vet practice.  Some folk I know have a different vet for their horses from the one for their livestock, and even again a different one for their pets.  We are lucky to use the same one (and we don't have horses, much though I would love to)

Forget about holidays in the sun, and long lies in the morning.

[Bramblecot]

  Welcome!  Don't look back, just leap in and join in whatever is happening locally, but don't be in a hurry to buy stock .  Fill up the poly tunnels instead - for the first year at least.  Good luc.

[shygirl]

Stocking rates are important and easily misjudged when you are new to it all.

especially if your place hasnt been grazed for a few years. its easy to overestimate how much stock to get if the grass is up to your knees.
exciting stuff.
what estate agent do you recommend for finding a farm in ireland?

[Lesley Silvester]

  and welcome from  Shropshire.

[Bigwig]

Thank you to one and all. This is all really good stuff and sound advice which I will most certainly heed. My initial plan is something along the lines of - a) Get the polytunnels re-covered and functional ( they were wrecked in the winter storms). Question is what to grow in them?? What are the best autumn crops?. b) Re-configure the barn to take about 7 or 8 stables. c) Build the outside sand arena so that we can start to have 3 or 4 liveries and generate some income. d) Create a secure area for the hens and ducks, and maybe geese. e) Get a herd number and small herd of sheep, say 10, to qualify for EU subsidies. f) Get two or three Alpacas to look after the chickens and keep the foxes at bay g) Open to suggestions lol....

In answer to shygirls question about Estate Agents, then my experience has been that they are all much of a muchness, and don't expect high levels of competency, because you will not get it. The property websites such as daft.ie are great sources of info, but it's vital to get over there and walk the land. You get amazing value for money at the moment because prices have fallen off a cliff since 2007, and are now down about 70% on their peak. We got 16 acres of good land with 4 bedroom house, barns, outbuildings, tunnels etc, mostly in excellent condition in a beautiful setting for less than a one bedroom flat in Bristol. But things are turning round, and now is probably the time to buy.

[plumseverywhere]

Welcome from Worcestershire     
I'd love to move to Ireland, lucky lucky things!!   We moved into our smallholding almost 5 years ago. Husband has NO interest in livestock at all and see's it as a major source of stress but he is very supportive considering. He tends to make the plum wine, cut hay etc

We moved here with chickens and then then bought in goats (HUGE learning curve with more downs than ups) we let someone graze their sheep on our land (NEVER again - only our own stock now due to witnessing things I never want to see again!)  so following year we bought some sheep.  Year after we raised chicks for the first time so in essence we did one thing a year and despite daughter nagging me to buy some ducks or geese, various people offering me other livestock I'm now saying no as we've reached a plateaux for a bit where I feel comfortable.

I think walking the land for a bit is a great suggestion as it allows you to gauge what could work. Visit other farms/smallholders locally to see what issues, problems and levels of demand there are locally for by products etc.  Most of all enjoy it 

[Possum]

Fencing!


It might sound boring, there is nothing more exhausting and worrying than realising that one or more of your animals isn't where it ought to be.   You also get a bad reputation with neighbours and fellow farmers if your stock keeps escaping. Electric fencing is good for dividing your land for different animals, but you really need good stock fencing around your boundaries. It will seem expensive if you get a contractor to do it, but is worth every penny.

[benandjerry]

Hello & Welcome

[Bigwig]

Thanks for the kind welcomes and useful tips. Wholeheartedly agree with Possum's comments about the fencing. The farm I had in Africa had a 2.1M high fence all around it, which despite that, I witnessed one of my Elands jump it from a standing start, and one of the giraffes plough through it and break it's neck. So yes, I'm a big believer in stout fencing........

Plumseverywhere...I am intrigued about the plum wine thing.... Any chance of a recipe and instruction sheet?