[Antz]

Hi all.
I have used this great site as a source of information for a while and thought it was time to return the favour, sign up and try and give some of my (limited) knowledge to others.
A bit about us, my partner has always kept horses (currently has 4 stabled down the road) my only previous animal experience was the family dogs while I was growing up.
Three years ago we bought a pub on the outskirts of a town, houses one side and unspoilt farmland and fields (for now) on the other. With the pub came 3 overgrown former paddocks and an area of woodland.
We started with a couple of pygmy goats to deal with the sprawling mass of brambles etc and somehow we now have three pygmy goats, a cashmere X pygmy, four Alpacas, a shetland pony, a suffolk X sheep and two shetland ewes.
Originally the lambs were used for the restaurant but the current ones are purely pets. I also grow a few herbs for the kitchen and hope to add a few simple veggies soon.
Keep up the good work.
Many thanks
Antz.

[doganjo]

Hi Antz, welcome to the forum.  A long time ago my late partner and I almost bought a hotel on Skye.  We didn't think we could do the catering oursleves so asked his brother to come in with us - he was all for it but his girlfriend at the time put the kaibosh on it - 'I'm not moving to that cold wet godforsaken place' said she. I often wonder where we would be now if he had ditched her then instead of 4 years later. Ah well. life goes on - what part of the country are you in, or are you outside the UK?

[Rosemary]

Hi and welcome from Carnoustie 

[CameronS]

hel on welcome from fife 

[Antz]

Thanks for the welcome.
I'm originally from North Yorkshire but now living in Gloucestershire.

[Coley]

And hello from Northumberland, it is a good little forum isnt it? where did you get the Alpacas from? my wife absolutely adores them and I have been thinking of trying to get a breeding pair.

[Coley]

Hi Antz, welcome to the forum.  A long time ago my late partner and I almost bought a hotel on Skye.  We didn't think we could do the catering oursleves so asked his brother to come in with us - he was all for it but his girlfriend at the time put the kaibosh on it - 'I'm not moving to that cold wet godforsaken place' said she. I often wonder where we would be now if he had ditched her then instead of 4 years later. Ah well. life goes on - what part of the country are you in, or are you outside the UK?

Skye is a lovely place, my favourite part of Scotland, do you know the Edinbane hotel, used to be famous for lock ins and music

[lill]

Hi Antz and welcome from wet central scotland

[Cinderhills]

Hi and welcome from North Yorkshire. 

[Hilarysmum]

Welcome from a sunny and dry (too dry) Brittany.  Have you thought of pigs?

[Antz]

Hi Cole,
We bought the Alpacas from a breeder outside of bristol, they are all wethers so were cheap, about 2-300 each I think. I think rather than a breeding pair you might be better with just females and take them to stud as and when. Entire males need to be kept separately.

[Coley]

Studs for Alpacas may be hard to find around here

[Antz]

You'd be surprised how many they are, we found ours on here.
http://www.alpacaseller.com/AnimalSearchSimple.php?Amend=0&PHPSESSID=5tjalmsnpm11jb0jjrlj0vt8p4

[Hatty]

Hi and welcome from South Yorks 

[Coley]

Err, didnt realise that Alpacas are the rolls royces of the cloven hoofed brigade I think Im will ask SWMBOd if she fancies a rabbit