Can a goat and some hens clear an overgrown allotment?

RacyRed

There are allotments available in my village and I'm thinking of taking one on. I've absolutely no experience, have limited energy and would appreciate some advice please.

The allotments are on the north facing slope of a fairly steep hill. Many of them are used as paddocks for horses. A few are used for growing food and keeping poultry. I'm possibly going to be offered a choice of empty plots, all of which have been neglected for years.

There is no water supply on the allotments so growing vegetables there is not a sensible option for me, I can use my garden for that. Because of the water problem I'd wondered about using the allotment to grow fruit trees and keep hens and maybe a goat. There is not much of a fox problem here (hill country). I'm hoping that collecting rainwater from the hen house and shed will sort out most of my water needs once the fruit trees are established.

My 1st concern is clearance. Once I've got the general junk cleared and got down to the weeds I think I may have some options.

1. Full clearance, rotivating then seed with grass/herbs and plant up with fruit trees - I'd probably have to pay someone to help me with that as it would probably be beyond me to do a large plot myself.

2. Cut everything back then just let the hens get at it and see what happens after a couple of years, with me going round getting rid of the stuff the hens don't deal with. I may be able to borrow other animals from neighbours to help with this.

3. Spread black plastic on the whole plot for a year, then seed and introduce the hens and trees once the grass and herbs are established.

Or maybe there is another way of doing this I've not thought of yet? I've wanted an allotment for over 30 years and would really appreciate any suggestions that would save me from making too many mistakes.

Thanks:)

Wookey

A goat will lower it all for you, if you can borrow one with the intention of getting one for yourself later you can see if one plot will sustain a goats needs.

RacyRed

Wookey wrote: »

A goat will lower it all for you, if you can borrow one with the intention of getting one for yourself later you can see if one plot will sustain a goats needs.

Thanks, it is a huge plot. I'm off to check up on goat's needs.

I've changed the title of this thread as writing the first post has clarified the question I'm really asking for me.

janejustjane

Goats are actually quite picky eaters. If you tether one it will eat everything within range that it fancies and then be very unhappy and make a lot of noise.

Chickens are excellent at clearing ground. The best way is to get a moveable ark and move them around over the whole plot. They need to be shut in at night.

Pigs are very good for clearing ground, I mean the ordinary Landrace and Large White, I'm not sure about the smaller or fancier varieties. They will clear anything including brambles and nettles, but you need an electric fence.

A rotovator, covering the whole thing with carpet, using a good weed killer, or any combination of the above methods would work.

LEJC

Is the allotment a council or private run one...I ask this as the council that we rent ours from are very strick about the keeping of livestock on the land...its a no no for us....therefore it just became a few weeks of chopping back and weeding out our patch.

RacyRed

LEJC wrote: »

Is the allotment a council or private run one...I ask this as the council that we rent ours from are very strick about the keeping of livestock on the land...its a no no for us....therefore it just became a few weeks of chopping back and weeding out our patch.

Hi,

It is council, but they do allow livestock in our area. Some of the allotments are used for stables/paddocks even. I asked when I enquired, as keeping chickens and growing fruit are what I want to do with it, and was told it was not a problem as long as anything kept is secure and not causing a nuisance.

RacyRed

janejustjane wrote: »

Goats are actually quite picky eaters. If you tether one it will eat everything within range that it fancies and then be very unhappy and make a lot of noise.

Chickens are excellent at clearing ground. The best way is to get a moveable ark and move them around over the whole plot. They need to be shut in at night.

Pigs are very good for clearing ground, I mean the ordinary Landrace and Large White, I'm not sure about the smaller or fancier varieties. They will clear anything including brambles and nettles, but you need an electric fence.

A rotovator, covering the whole thing with carpet, using a good weed killer, or any combination of the above methods would work.

Thanks :T

Hmmm, I don't know if I can borrow pigs and an electric fence might be a problem. I'm replacing some carpets soon so that might be a possibility.

The moveable ark for the chickens is interesting, but would that rule the hen house roof out as a source of water? Or did you mean using the ark a sort of daytime run for them, seperate from their overnight house?

Mojisola

I wouldn't trust a goat on an allotment site. When it's eaten everything it wants on your plot, it'll find some way of escaping! You won't be popular with your neighbours then.

The same applies to free-range chickens - unless you're planning quite a high fence, some will escape. It's surprising how much damage a chicken can do to a vegetable plot, especially if there's a lovely seedbed to scratch in.

Talk to the other poultry-keepers about how they manage their birds. If what they're doing works, you can copy them. Make friends with someone who will check your birds if you're not able to get up there. Plan how they will be cared for when you're on holiday or ill.

Any livestock needs to be checked every day, even chickens. For their safety, a mobile ark may be best. They will need food provided - they won't find enough in a confined space. Water and feed should be checked on the daily inspection.

If you want to plant fruit trees, you don't need to clear the whole plot. Use a strimmer to reduce the weeds that are there. Dig generous holes for your fruit trees and add compost/manure/fertilizer. It's best to reduce the competition from weeds around the new trees so lay carpet, thick layers of pinned-down cardboard or weed-suppressing membrane around each tree - about a metre square.

The young trees will need some watering until they're established.

Keep strimming the rest of the allotment to keep the weeds down. That will be fine to put chickens on if you decide to have some. The chickens will enjoy a mixed sward rather than mainly grass.

janejustjane

The type of ark we used was triangular with a wooden covered in area at one end which served as a house. This could be secured at night. These had bars at each end for lifting but tended to be very heavy. They come in various sizes. At one time we used to make and sell these, but I'm sure there are similar ones on the market now. Or you could have a moveable wire ark for the daytime and a house for night time with a roof you could collect water from. It's a long time since I've kept chickens but I would agree with the previous poster about aditional food and water, and the need to check on them every day.

redsam

I have an allotment plot in Bristol - we are allowed to keep chooks, bees, rabbits, but no goats or other animals so if you can have a goat or a pig I am thorough jeleous.

You need to make sure your chickens have a regualr supply of clean/fresh water which you can almost daily, as they will kick mud and alsorts into the water! They are really easy to keep, an coup/ark is really expensive instead get yourself the cheapest smallest shed you can (our we got for free), they need air to circulate around them, they are naturaly forest animals. Take a window out and replace with chicken wire/mesh with a flap you an prop open in summer and close in the winter. Also get hold of some jeys fluid to clean put once year and some REAL wood preserving stuuf (the name escapes me at this momment) not the substitute stuff you can get from DIY store - you will need to go to a farm supplier like Country Wide or Mole Valley Farmers - when i remember the name...it kills red mite etc paint and jeys fluid the shed once year. Also having the extra hight helps keep mites and bug of the chooks.

The chooks will dig up everything including the roots of new fruit trees! (i know from experience!) so bricks etc will stop them. Lots of greens to eat ontop of mixed layers and corn (which is like chocolate to chooks!)

They all have personalities but you have to remember egg chooks are not suitable for the plate as they just dont have enough meat on them. they DONT lays eggs everyday and the older they get the less eggs they produce!

We (husband to be and I) are really lucky with the size of plot we have...got fruit trees, soft fruit, permanent beds of herbs and other permanent veg and then 8 beds which we rotate plus shed and greenhouse! We get loads of veg and my chest freezer if full and make loads of chutney and everything else gets given to friends!

good luck with the plot - the 1st year is the hardest but regular work (little and often) works best for us, you dont have to be plotting all day everyday/weekend to see the benefits!

sairy2005

Goats get lonely if they are alone. You really need to have two. They will also escape if at all possible so need to be tethered. They would need to be housed at night and they cant stand rain so you would have to be around to put them into the house.
They are also hopeless at clearing ground as they just trample on the stuff nearest to get to the more succulent bits further away.
I used to keep goats and although they were lovely I would not recommend them for what you want to use them for. It would not be fair to them or you.