Redwing Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 (edited) There is a paddock behind our house that we have been eyeing up for some time but we didnt actually know what we would keep on it (apart from more chickens obviously!) we vaguely thought goats or a donkey but then you would need two donkeys and so it went on..... We went to the royal show today and fell in love with some Shetland sheep, we met with a local breeder who gave us lots of information and after discussing it in the car on the way home decided we would quite like to buy three sheep (as you do!) The chap who owns the empty field directly behind doesnt want to rent it out it would have been ideal because we cold have put a gate through from our garden There is a paddock behind that with three stables that is vacant so we have left a message on the answer machine of the man that owns that Fingers crossed! Edited August 17, 2009 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Falkor Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 The field directly behind your garden would have been ideal but the other option sounds good too! Fingers crossed for you!! I know of some baby alpacas if you are in the market! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClaireG Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 Oooh exciting My Mum used to have 6 pet sheep when my parents had a farm and my sister and I had a pet lamb. Everything here crossed for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mostin Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 Hope you get an answer soon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clootie Posted July 11, 2009 Share Posted July 11, 2009 The field directly behind your garden would have been ideal but the other option sounds good too! Fingers crossed for you!! I know of some baby alpacas if you are in the market! Did you say baby alpacas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chickvic Posted July 11, 2009 Share Posted July 11, 2009 Wow - hope you can get sheep Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cooks Posted July 11, 2009 Share Posted July 11, 2009 wow how cool would that be! I am with Em on the baby Alpaca Idea though... they are just too cute for words! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted July 11, 2009 Share Posted July 11, 2009 You'll have to come and see our Shetlands first Tasha - you'll have your hands full!!! Go and have a read over on River Cottage - people think they will be easier to look after as they are small.....they can be very feisty! Turning them is sort of easier.....but then they won't stay put and they just get up and run away. We have to play 'One Man and His Dog' with ours......Carl is the dog........ It's taken us a couple of years to sort out 'coping strategies' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted July 11, 2009 Author Share Posted July 11, 2009 We havent had a call back but if we do get the land I would love to take you up on that offer Lesley, thank you I must admit we thought smaller would be easier and also that getting them young would mean they would be used to being handled as they grow up after reading the RC forum I am now very worried perhaps we need to do some more research in to breeds I think we may also need to re-fence part of the land as sheep seem adept at escaping We would love Alpacas but the lowest price I have seen has been £350 It would be lovely to get the land as we could use a stable for growers and build some chicken pens. There are no other paddocks in the village so everything hinges on the land. We know that motorcycles use it for scrambling sometimes so it cold actually be already rented out and just not used for livestock Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted July 11, 2009 Share Posted July 11, 2009 sounds great but I would get some piggies instead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted July 11, 2009 Author Share Posted July 11, 2009 sounds great but I would get some piggies instead OH says you in biiiiig trouble Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted July 11, 2009 Share Posted July 11, 2009 ha ha Go on! Get some Kune Kune piggies, fluffy just like sheep and not so daft Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClaireG Posted July 11, 2009 Share Posted July 11, 2009 A few Khune Khune or Gloucster Old Spots would be lovely Tasha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 What the heck - just get them all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plum Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 Best of luck with the paddock. How exciting for you are you giving up work to look after all your flock? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom123 Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 I knew it when you asked me for any magazines with bits about sheep in! Good Luck! My friend has 8 shetlands in his orchard and they are adorable. I have popped 2 magazines with articles about sheep in and i pulled an article out of another magazine about the the shepherd's year for you They were sent of yesterday with the shade Good Luck Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted July 12, 2009 Author Share Posted July 12, 2009 Thanks Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 Ooh! Go for it. I'd love sheep. If it was me and I was getting some, I'd go for the youngest lambs you can get, still on the bottle and bottle feed them so that they get used to humans and become really tame, it makes things like foot trimming and worming a lot easier. There are 4 lambs at the farm that were all bottle fed and they're always the first to the gate when anyone drives up We have halters and sometimes try to use them when moving them, but I think it can get a bit far You could maybe try getting some cade lambs and they could be free (but hard work for quite a few weeks) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted July 15, 2009 Author Share Posted July 15, 2009 Well the man called back today about the field, it is available and he is happy to rent it long term and happy for us to have sheep not horses But... He won't rent us half of it so we have to rent both paddocks (we only wanted the bit with stables on) and we need to maintain everything ourselves including maintaining and repairing the fencing as well as topping etc.. fair enough I suppose but its a big old field so may cost a bit to sort out We are going up there later to assess the state of the fencing, ground and stables and will make a decision from there as we have to be sensible Then we have to broach the subject of chicken runs with him! but it could be good news, fingers crossed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mostin Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 Whooooooooooo hooooooooo, does this mean you could have cockerels and breed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lewis Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 Make sure you get some photos If you do get the field, do you know roughly when you'll be getting the sheep? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 I am very excited for you! Imagine the possibilties.......(you could get some piggies after all... ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 How exciting - I hope it's feasible . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moochoo Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 Oooooh how exciting. I hope it's good news when you go and see it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted July 15, 2009 Author Share Posted July 15, 2009 Ok we are back Its much bigger than we realised There is a brick built building split in to two stables and a tack room its solid and the roof is good but its a bit run down, only one door works! there is a lean to attached to the building with a corrugated iron roof and a stable door (in the loose sense of the term!) ideal for storing hay but currently housing some unused chicken coops (yes you heard right!) on the other side of the stables is a pig shelter and pig pen (Chelsea!) but its all overgrown The field is split in to two with some posts and half the field is fenced with post and rail, ok for horses not for sheep as its only got the upper rail in places the other half of the field (with the stables on) is fenced on two sides very well so we would need to fence the small third side and long fourth side which might be do-able and we could worry about the other half next year there is no water supply and no electricity but the last tennant had some sort of leisure battery operated lighting system there are three horse box lorry containers on site two converted for storage and the third.......wait for it.... is a giant hen house!! complete with pop hole, perches and nest boxes We are going to have a think about it as some money needs to be spent Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
