Sheep... Should I let them graze on my laaaannnd??
Discussion
Morning,
Bit of a long one here, but would really appreciate any feedback from PH'ers who have experience of sheep!
Myself and a couple neighbours have acquired a 1 acre field at the back of our properties, the boundary of the field is at the end of my garden some 26m from my back door. We have planted a selection of 50 apple trees to create an orchard, with a decent sized communal area in the middle for us to fart about in.
Anyway, now its warming up the grass is starting to grow and we need to consider our options to maintain the field going forward.
Option 1 - Pay a friend (landscape contractor) £1000pa to mow it every fortnight and keep on top of the hedges etc.
I prefer this option. Will keep the field in great shape with tidy & clean grass year round. Dont have to deal with a farmer and his sheep. Dont have to worry about my dog getting out and pissing the sheep off. Can use the field whenever we want.
Option 2 - Allow local farmers from the village to stick their sheep in there to graze and pay somebody else to chop the hedges back.
I dont know enough about this? How many sheep would a farmer stick into a 1 acre field? How long would the sheep stay in before they ate all the grass? I assume a farmer would want to see an electric fence etc? Would we be able to charge the farmer for the use, or would they expect it free? Would the farmer want access daily to see his sheep? (p.s the trees have tree guards and we have access to a water in the field).
A chap I know has said that they'll attract a load of flies and as its so close to the house it could be off putting (any truth in this?)
As I said above I prefer the idea of mowing, its easier and I am not worried about the cost. But I am getting the vibe my neighbours want to see sheep in there - but appear to be completely clueless about what this involves.
Interested to hear of any experiences, many thanks.
Bit of a long one here, but would really appreciate any feedback from PH'ers who have experience of sheep!
Myself and a couple neighbours have acquired a 1 acre field at the back of our properties, the boundary of the field is at the end of my garden some 26m from my back door. We have planted a selection of 50 apple trees to create an orchard, with a decent sized communal area in the middle for us to fart about in.
Anyway, now its warming up the grass is starting to grow and we need to consider our options to maintain the field going forward.
Option 1 - Pay a friend (landscape contractor) £1000pa to mow it every fortnight and keep on top of the hedges etc.
I prefer this option. Will keep the field in great shape with tidy & clean grass year round. Dont have to deal with a farmer and his sheep. Dont have to worry about my dog getting out and pissing the sheep off. Can use the field whenever we want.
Option 2 - Allow local farmers from the village to stick their sheep in there to graze and pay somebody else to chop the hedges back.
I dont know enough about this? How many sheep would a farmer stick into a 1 acre field? How long would the sheep stay in before they ate all the grass? I assume a farmer would want to see an electric fence etc? Would we be able to charge the farmer for the use, or would they expect it free? Would the farmer want access daily to see his sheep? (p.s the trees have tree guards and we have access to a water in the field).
A chap I know has said that they'll attract a load of flies and as its so close to the house it could be off putting (any truth in this?)
As I said above I prefer the idea of mowing, its easier and I am not worried about the cost. But I am getting the vibe my neighbours want to see sheep in there - but appear to be completely clueless about what this involves.
Interested to hear of any experiences, many thanks.
KrazyIvan said:
Option 3 would be to get a dozen lambs yourself.....about October time you send them off to a butcher and you've all got lamb chops to go with your cider (the only reason to have an orchard) 
I like the idea of all this, but the problem is that I dont have enough time as it is. I have enough on my plate (could do with some lamb though), without the hassle of having to rear and keep an eye on the lambs. I much prefer the idea of having a well groomed field that costs me nothing in labour that I can simply let the kids run around.
Making freinds with a good local farmer is always a good idea.
Pick a good one who keeps a clean and tidy farm and if it was me I'd let him use it for free in return for the odd favour. They have all the great machinery.
Sheep are pretty gentle on the land but they do need decent fencing.
Choose wisely with the farmer - out neighbour here is a diamond but at the last place both of them were total t
ts.
Pick a good one who keeps a clean and tidy farm and if it was me I'd let him use it for free in return for the odd favour. They have all the great machinery.
Sheep are pretty gentle on the land but they do need decent fencing.
Choose wisely with the farmer - out neighbour here is a diamond but at the last place both of them were total t
ts.Vanordinaire said:
What is the land classed as?
It's illegal to keep livestock on land unless it's registered as a field.
No decent farmer would do this as he'd be risking fines/loss of grants.
PS, about 3 sheep to the acre and about £30 per acre annual grazing. Is it worth it?
No idea on the land classification - assume its a field. Planners said it had to be turned back into an Orchard as it was in a previous life...It's illegal to keep livestock on land unless it's registered as a field.
No decent farmer would do this as he'd be risking fines/loss of grants.
PS, about 3 sheep to the acre and about £30 per acre annual grazing. Is it worth it?
Nah, I dont think its worth it. I am ultimately looking for ammo to sell "Option 1 - Mow it" to my neighbours. But want to remain open incase I am just being a grumpy git about the sheep.
Saleen836 said:
Is it £1000pa to have it mowed etc per owner or overall cost split between the 3 owners?
If the latter it's really a no brainer, letting sheep graze is all well and good but any kids/grandkids wont be able to play without sheep sh*t everywhere.
£1000pa overall. So we would be splitting the cost...If the latter it's really a no brainer, letting sheep graze is all well and good but any kids/grandkids wont be able to play without sheep sh*t everywhere.
Problem I have is that I am one resident at 30yrs old with 2 young kids and the others are 55-65. These older residents just like the idea of seeing Livestock in there for some reason. I personally see it as unnecessary hassle...
Saleen836 said:
Did you have a look here before planting?
https://www.gov.uk/countryside-stewardship-grants/...
We didnt pay for them, so no idea. Was planted by the guy who built our houses as part of the planning app... (i.e you can build these nice houses along this edge of the field, provided you put the rest of the field back into an Orchard.)https://www.gov.uk/countryside-stewardship-grants/...
Option 1 currently. Sheep will eat your apple trees. They use any method to climb up including using fencing to reach the leaves. An acre field is not great for sheep, too small for a flock and with DEFRA rules any movements etc. have to be registered and inspected. We made a deal with our local sheep lady to munch down our field after our horse passed away. We now get about 20 "tegs" who visit for about 3 weeks twice a year to clear the long grass, our neigbours with similar 1 acre fields do the same. Buy a tractor mower and have fun mowing it yourself??
P700DEE said:
Option 1 currently. Sheep will eat your apple trees. They use any method to climb up including using fencing to reach the leaves. An acre field is not great for sheep, too small for a flock and with DEFRA rules any movements etc. have to be registered and inspected. We made a deal with our local sheep lady to munch down our field after our horse passed away. We now get about 20 "tegs" who visit for about 3 weeks twice a year to clear the long grass, our neighbours with similar 1 acre fields do the same. Buy a tractor mower and have fun mowing it yourself??
I thought the same, surely 1 acre would only require a handful of sheep, therefore making it more hassle than its worth for a farmer who has to register said movements - what do you mean by "inspection"? I was under the impression it was at the farmers discretion - or do we need to get a ticket for the land or anything? Tractor Mower - I quite like the idea of this. However I dont think the others will go for it, plus also not sure whether they will want to stump the cash up. I assume a decent mower is going to be a few K?
Sheep are no hassle. Never noticed fly infestations with them (better than horses in that respect), and I find the bleating restful. Though sticking a horny ram in there in mating season will make quite a racket..... Sheepst is fine, doesn’t smell in the slightest.
It’s a small space, I doubt a farmer will want anything to do with it unless they already have sheep adjoining. If your neighbours want stock, why not let them get a few lambs in - bring them on for a few months and then eat them. Even if you only get a few lamb chops out of it (because they’re doing all the work), that’s better than paying out £333 a year...
t is fine, doesn’t smell in the slightest. It’s a small space, I doubt a farmer will want anything to do with it unless they already have sheep adjoining. If your neighbours want stock, why not let them get a few lambs in - bring them on for a few months and then eat them. Even if you only get a few lamb chops out of it (because they’re doing all the work), that’s better than paying out £333 a year...
rxe said:
It’s a small space, I doubt a farmer will want anything to do with it unless they already have sheep adjoining. If your neighbours want stock, why not let them get a few lambs in - bring them on for a few months and then eat them. Even if you only get a few lamb chops out of it (because they’re doing all the work), that’s better than paying out £333 a year...
This.... 1 acre is tiny and will not support many sheep. Unless the guy has a field next door and can run a larger flock across 2 joined fields its not going to be worth the effort for him.
You can pick up a couple of lambs very cheaply, they wont need much looking after, and then run them into the local slaughterhouse later in the year.
I was told you can't now have a sheep or goat as a pet. You need to register and keep records. Our local sheep farmers are still happy to use your land and move animals.
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/sheep-and-goat-keepers...
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/sheep-and-goat-keepers...
Of course if you put sheep on it, the grass will grow more from the sheep muck, it's sticky stuff and gets all over your footwear, as to buying lambs yourself, well you no nothing about sheep, if you have one poorly and it dies you're quickly out of pocket, and as one chap across from me found out, sheep stripped the bark off his fruit trees and now they look like no apples or plums this year.
And I'm not sure now if you can keep lambs without being registered, and if you could get them slaughtered without all the tags and paperwork required.
I'm not having a go at you personally, but trying to be realistic
And I'm not sure now if you can keep lambs without being registered, and if you could get them slaughtered without all the tags and paperwork required.
I'm not having a go at you personally, but trying to be realistic
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