Best Poultry and livestock for smallholding

fordcapri2000

Last week we had our offer accepted on a smallholding in Suffolk, fingers crossed we will be in before Xmas .

We have just short of three acres plus the option of renting a further two acres, which we probably will not be doing as three is plenty for us.
I know this is a greenfingered board, but I thought I would find plenty of people on here with an interest in livestock and poultry as well.

I am particularly interested in various breeds of hens which I have done a little research into. But I am also interested in pigs, goats, geese, maybe even sheep, but not all and probably the smaller breeds of pigs interest me the most, but I am open to suggestions.

Any thoughts on breeds?

COOLTRIKERCHICK

CONGRATS!!!


well done on getting your smallholding, fingers crossed all goes well until you get the keys..


might be worth you coming over onto the daydream thread..


re- the animals, I think its aq personal choice on what breeds you go for. why do you want to go for the smaller breeds of pigs? are they just for pets, or will you be producing your own meat?


Before you get the keys to your place, why don't you find out where your local livestock/poultry markets are, and use this time to go to them on sale day to get used to things, and also get used to being round the livestock, and talk to the local owners... this way, when you do get your place, you will have good idea what prices livestock goes for in your area, and what breeds are popular etc, this will also give you a bit of foundation, so if and when you start breeding you will know which breeds are potentially financially viable..


Exciting times ahead... we have had our place just over 2 years..


hope you know owning a smallholding is a great money pit lol

lostinrates

fordcapri2000 wrote: »

Last week we had our offer accepted on a smallholding in Suffolk, fingers crossed we will be in before Xmas .

We have just short of three acres plus the option of renting a further two acres, which we probably will not be doing as three is plenty for us.
I know this is a greenfingered board, but I thought I would find plenty of people on here with an interest in livestock and poultry as well.

I am particularly interested in various breeds of hens which I have done a little research into. But I am also interested in pigs, goats, geese, maybe even sheep, but not all and probably the smaller breeds of pigs interest me the most, but I am open to suggestions.

Any thoughts on breeds?

You might want to join us on the Daydreamers thread on this board?

What is your soil like in Suffolk? Three acres can be super or not very much at all. I would struggle where I am with sheep and pigs for rotation on just three acres for example, with my heavy soil and wet weather, my guess is over there you'll do better.


How do you want to keep them? Do you have aspirations for free range? Low chem/ organic or more traditional rearing. These sort of things will influence what breeds you want too. Temperaments and what 'handles' methods better.

I like feathered leg chook breeds and have a large concrete yard and lots of barns they can prowl in where they enjoy wet weather happily not having to wade through grass if they don't want to. It was harder when we free ranged on grass. Similarly, we used to have better fox protection, and while I miss my Cochins, this is not the place for them, heavy flightless birds free ranging would last a few minutes.

Geese are fab, but very very messy. If you are farming them great, and they are great people for pets, but they make a LOT more work then hens, for not much reward unless you eat/ sell them.


The main question is what are you wanting to DO with the animals? . What's your experience?

fordcapri2000

Thanks for the advice, will try that board as well:)

Only livestock I have ever had is four rescued battery hens which I managed to get back to a colourfull and healthy state within weeks.
Apart from that and playing on my Grandads smallholding as a kid I have zero experience.

Speckledy, Sussex, Goldline and white leghorn are just a few of the hens I have been looking at, geese I am really unsure about.
Pigs are at the moment top of my list unless I can be talked out of it, and yes we will be butchering them once they get to the right size. I have few problems with killing an animal as long as it has had a good happy life, and that it will if I have my way.

Also have a lot of apple and pear trees, am hoping they will be a nice treat for the pigs, unless that is not a good thing to do.

Anyway I am going to a food festival thingy in Ludlow soon, maybe I can pick up some advice there as well

COOLTRIKERCHICK

I def think the best thing to do is go to agri show and to livestock/poultry markets...


and do some reading/research on pigs....


before we had our smallholding, I used to have chickens, ducks etc, and was always at the poultry auctions, agricultural show etc, getting the 'feel' of that type of life style..


I love pigs, they are brilliant and full of character, BUT you got to interact and handle them from young.. as if you get a rogue one.. they are nutters, and you don't want to be messing with one like that lol.. there was one at the auction last Friday.. a fully grown boar... they even tied the gates closed too, and put a notice up not for anyone to go near lol..

RAS

I would contact you local small holder's association http://www.suffolksmallholders.co.uk/ and join the day dreamers.

Davesnave

Buying a smallholding and joining the Daydreamers brought me to where I am now - semi-bankrupt - but the two actions are not necessarily related.

My advice, as always, is move slowly. For example, I needed fencing when I moved in, and there was someone nearby only too willing to give me details of a local "who only charges £30 an hour."

Luckily, I held off for a while. The guy who put in my fences charged only £14 /hour and had no objection to my supplying all the materials. This ensured I had the best quality fence.

On my plot, the previous owner kept pigs in the orchard, but this meant protecting the trees, so much extra fencing. They will certainly uproot ordinary sized apple/plum trees, given the chance.

rhosynbach

congratulations we have roughly 20 acres its a lot of hard work..
maybe start slowly get 1 weaner pig for rearing and fattening first and see how you get on with it, I know some people who adore pigs and others who cant get on with them, we had them at home but when i got married oh could not abide them..
also do you want hens for eggs or to breed and sell the youngsters, as we have 40 odd free range hens that are egg layers warrens/ light sussex/marans and hybreds but we also keep pure bred hens to sell the chicks orpingtons/ silkies/ polish/cochins/ appenzellers/auraconas. we also use the silkies to hatch eggs and rear the chicks..
we also have ducks aylsburys for meat and khaki cambells for the eggs. also fruit trees are good you can make jam, pie fillings to freeze apple sauce etc so think about planting a few more and some fruit bushes ,

COOLTRIKERCHICK

I would strongly advise not to have just one pig, they are social animals, and do like company, to try them out have 2