Nice people thread part 4 - sugar and spice and all things

PasturesNew

lostinrates wrote: »

On thursday I noted the ''smell of death'' again, this time in the garden room. Have JUST managed to find the source.....a dead hedgehog, squashed behind the radiator ....yuck. And I thought I'd noticed more slugs ...we've had very few up until last week....

At first I thought you were telling us your place is haunted

lostinrates

tomterm8 wrote: »

Very expensive money pit. I'd say goats are the second most expensive animal you can have, after horses. And with horses it is often possible to get your money back.

Basic economics: in order to have the animals, you need to fence them, and goats are very good escape animals. They need serious fencing. On top of the 4k an acre, you are looking at maybe 1k or more for fencing an acre, plus feed, plus all the time...

Honestly, can't think of any activity that is more guaranteed to work at a loss.

I'm considering a couple of goats for bramble maintainance. Around the pond. Its already fenced. I thought I might get a couple of pygmies, on the basis they are shorter and there fore might not climb stock fencing as well as proper ones.

I like goats. They are quite doggy. But until the goat meat market takes off in Uk the market is very overcrowded as it is for them as a ''profit'' thing. Like alpacas...you breed them you sell them....but besides the fleece....which there are plenty of people selling, what do you DO with them??? The geldings/whethers are even expensive IMO.

tomterm8

That was the reason we chose Hebridean sheep. Because it is rare bread lamb, you can sell the meat for three to six times the amount you get for goat. I can imagine people actually making a living on it. Although it would be a hard way to make one - ours are used for scrub grazing.

lostinrates wrote: »

I'm considering a couple of goats for bramble maintainance. Around the pond. Its already fenced. I thought I might get a couple of pygmies, on the basis they are shorter and there fore might not climb stock fencing as well as proper ones.
.

Pygmies are very good at escaping. And they will do it just to have a chat with your horses / see what you are doing.

lostinrates

tomterm8 wrote: »

That was the reason we chose Hebridean sheep. Because it is rare bread lamb, you can sell the meat for three to six times the amount you get for goat. I can imagine people actually making a living on it. Although it would be a hard way to make one - ours are used for scrub grazing.



Pygmies are very good at escaping. And they will do it just to have a chat with your horses / see what you are doing.

aha, ok, no to pygmies. I've taken care of pygmies before, and prefer ''proper goats''. I don't mind them coming to find me or being with the horses but not keen on them being on the road.

I think our brambles would be tough going for even tough sheep. and sheep would be a lot of extra work where as goats fit in ok along side horses.....no more work than a horse, same sort of stuff...bar feet which we do anyway. Many yard have a couple.....for fun. Ours would be for a purpose. In fact, most big goats I've known have pretty well respected stock fencing and one top strand of electric.

vivatifosi

Can one of you farming types tell me the difference between a sheep and a goat?

Before you laugh me off the forum, I don't mean our big woolly sheep vs a wiry goat. You know you go to the Caribbean or somewhere else and they look way more similar.

I know I will regret asking this question:o, but its something I have to know. Because in my mind I'm thinking "lir, can't you get some scrawny, non-fence climbing Caribbean type sheep that would live on any old vegetation". Are they like similar animals, like chimps and gorillas? (Thinks I should have sooo FGI'd this).

tomterm8

vivatifosi wrote: »

I know I will regret asking this question:o, but its something I have to know. Because in my mind I'm thinking "lir, can't you get some scrawny, non-fence climbing Caribbean type sheep that would live on any old vegetation". Are they like similar animals, like chimps and gorillas? (Thinks I should have sooo FGI'd this).

They are different species. So they can't mate together. And their teeth function differently, so sheep can't graze as tough scrub as goats.

Plus, goats don't need to be shorn, whereas sheep do.

Hebridean sheep are very similar in appearance to goats, and are the sheep of choice for conservation grazing. They are able to handle scrub that is almost as tough as goats. And they are very good at escaping, but not as good as Pygmy goats. Basically, Hebridean sheep are the equivalent of Caribbean type-sheep bread for British conditions. But still not as good at scrub clearance as goats.

misskool

silvercar wrote: »

Youngest is ready for his driving test (allegedly). So we book online and the first available date is mid October! Then instructor tells us about some software that costs £20 that continually checks for cancellations and texts you when they become available. Clever idea!

He can go to the next test station? We have a choice of 2/3 around here.

thanks all, went to a&e and it's a small cut in the inner eyelid. antibiotic cream for 5 days. which is exactly what i said it would be and could have bought at chemist. but sorted now.

And done for the weekend i think, which is a bit sad as a bit more brush to clear

silvercar

misskool wrote: »

He can go to the next test station? We have a choice of 2/3 around here.

I suggested that but he doesn't want to. Anyway I think their queues would be just as long.

misskool

silvercar wrote: »

I suggested that but he doesn't want to. Anyway I think their queues would be just as long.

well, stop the mum ferry and he'll be listening then.


sorry, how do i find a minor injuries unit? is it listed somewhere? if only i looked on mse before traipsing off to a&e in the next town along.

tomterm8

misskool wrote: »

sorry, how do i find a minor injuries unit? .

http://www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/AboutNHSservices/Emergencyandurgentcareservices/Pages/Minorinjuriesunit.aspx

edit: a more direct link seems to be http://www.nhs.uk/servicedirectories/Pages/ServiceSearch.aspx