[EllieB]

Hi, I'm new here. We've just bought a country house that has only about 1.5 acres of land divided into 5 small paddocks.

Although I'm excited about the prospect of having a bit of land, apart from trying our hand at growing some fruit & veg, having space to exercise the dog and already having a handful of hens on one paddock, we really don't know what we want to do with the remaining land. I had all sorts of pipe dreams before we arrived about starting a dog home boarding business, or keeping donkeys, or goats, or a pony...but now we're here, I'm conscious that it's not a lot of land so I'm being much more cautious about things and don't want to rush in to things and get them wrong.

However, we realise we need to think about how to keep the grass down before it gets too tall!

We've thought about a ride-on mower but at present we have nowhere to put one plus they're not cheap to buy.

Would keeping a couple of sheep and rotating them around the paddocks be feasible or practical for this amount of land? Would they graze the land sufficiently? I have zero experience of sheep and how much care or upkeep they require (though I have read that there are sheep that don't require shearing - a good start!).

Any advice you can offer would be much appreciated!

[Dans]

Once you've taken your chickens and veg patch into account how much land are you looking at? In winters/springs like we have just had you may find yourself very short of grazing. Being divided into smaller areas will help, but make sure you don't get too many.

We got 6 primitive sheep (Castlemilks) for our holding (2.5 acres but about 1.5 for the sheep). They struggled to keep up with the grass the first year but we hadn't divided things up. The second year, with the land separated into 5 areas we kept on top of it nicely. We lambed getting 6 lambs, and culled 3 ewes at weaning. 9 sheep on land (1 group of 3 ewes and 3 ewe lambs and a second group of 3 ram lambs) and we are struggling for grass this Spring. We'll be sending the ram lambs away late summer and trying to be sensible about who we breed from, possibly selling two ewe lambs. It's very easy to run out of grass, or at least that has been my experience so far!

If you're not wanting to breed then a couple of wethers or ewes might be ok for you.

Dans

PS congratulations on getting your holding.

[SallyintNorth]

Always get three or preferably five with herd animals if you can.

If you eat meat, my suggestion would be to get three or five lambs from your local farmer each year, fatten them on your lovely grass over the summer, send them to the abattoir in October and eat delicious home-grown meat all winter while the land rests.

[Marches Farmer]

However, we realise we need to think about how to keep the grass down before it gets too tall!

We've thought about a ride-on mower but at present we have nowhere to put one plus they're not cheap to buy.

Sheep + hurdles + foot trimming kit + shearer + dagging shears + wormer + pour-on + annual vaccine (clostridial diseases) + drinker + feed trough + hay through Winter + vet's bills + knackerman when sheep die.  Are you sure a ride-on mower isn't cheaper?

[Backinwellies]

However, we realise we need to think about how to keep the grass down before it gets too tall!

We've thought about a ride-on mower but at present we have nowhere to put one plus they're not cheap to buy.

Sheep + hurdles + foot trimming kit + shearer + dagging shears + wormer + pour-on + annual vaccine (clostridial diseases) + drinker + feed trough + hay through Winter + vet's bills + knackerman when sheep die.  Are you sure a ride-on mower isn't cheaper?

Sally's idea avoids a lot of these expenses.

[Marches Farmer]

However, we realise we need to think about how to keep the grass down before it gets too tall!
We've thought about a ride-on mower but at present we have nowhere to put one plus they're not cheap to buy.

Sheep + hurdles + foot trimming kit + dagging shears + wormer + pour-on + drinker + vet's bills + knackerman when sheep die.  Are you sure a ride-on mower isn't cheaper?

Sally's idea avoids a lot of these expenses.

Not that many if you're going to be a good shepherd - see revised list above for rearing store lambs (assuming they've had both doses of vaccine).

[EllieB]

Always get three or preferably five with herd animals if you can.

If you eat meat, my suggestion would be to get three or five lambs from your local farmer each year, fatten them on your lovely grass over the summer, send them to the abattoir in October and eat delicious home-grown meat all winter while the land rests.

Thanks, Sally, that's definitely a thought for us.

[EllieB]

However, we realise we need to think about how to keep the grass down before it gets too tall!

We've thought about a ride-on mower but at present we have nowhere to put one plus they're not cheap to buy.

Sheep + hurdles + foot trimming kit + shearer + dagging shears + wormer + pour-on + annual vaccine (clostridial diseases) + drinker + feed trough + hay through Winter + vet's bills + knackerman when sheep die.  Are you sure a ride-on mower isn't cheaper?

I absolutely see your point

[EllieB]

Once you've taken your chickens and veg patch into account how much land are you looking at? In winters/springs like we have just had you may find yourself very short of grazing. Being divided into smaller areas will help, but make sure you don't get too many.

We got 6 primitive sheep (Castlemilks) for our holding (2.5 acres but about 1.5 for the sheep). They struggled to keep up with the grass the first year but we hadn't divided things up. The second year, with the land separated into 5 areas we kept on top of it nicely. We lambed getting 6 lambs, and culled 3 ewes at weaning. 9 sheep on land (1 group of 3 ewes and 3 ewe lambs and a second group of 3 ram lambs) and we are struggling for grass this Spring. We'll be sending the ram lambs away late summer and trying to be sensible about who we breed from, possibly selling two ewe lambs. It's very easy to run out of grass, or at least that has been my experience so far!

If you're not wanting to breed then a couple of wethers or ewes might be ok for you.

Dans

PS congratulations on getting your holding.

Thanks, Dan. The paddocks are approx 0.3-0.4 of an acre each. The hens (only a handful) will share a paddock with a poly tunnel (fenced off), so about 1.4 acres left in the remaining 4 paddocks (all adjoining and interconnected and with stock fencing).

[nimbusllama]

Always get three or preferably five with herd animals if you can.

If you eat meat, my suggestion would be to get three or five lambs from your local farmer each year, fatten them on your lovely grass over the summer, send them to the abattoir in October and eat delicious home-grown meat all winter while the land rests.

I think Sally's post sums up the situation perfectly.  I think we should encourage EllieB to get her sheep, and give her useful positive advice!  Most of us have felt the urge to keep livestock, and this forum should endorse this.

[Marches Farmer]

Tim Tyne's Sheep Book for Smallholders being the first port of call ....?