[Chookster]

hello guys, i have chickens and quails housed separately but the whole lot are surrounded by electric fencing.  There is more land i am allowed to use which gets rather tall grass and brambles and short of the strimmer and a scythe i wondered if there was any animal i could use on a small holding basis (meaning up to 3 animals) which would help sort out the overgrown and unruly area.

i 've considered goats, pygmy goats, sheep - someone even suggested wild guinea pigs or a miniature horse or donkey.  This is a very very awkward access place and it is a large allotment plot which is next to the end of a street of houses allbeit with long gardens but all the same, i use their alley to get to my allotment so i have to be careful not to upset people. I know i'd have to get a holding number apparently.  Would pygmy goats be the best thing?? i want something that's going to give me  a return rather than just paying out for a 'pet' too.

any ideas???

[Chookster]

forgot to mention - not on a lot of money so was worried about sheep as i heard a lot of problems can occur to them like foot rot etc - would really like to avoid large vets bills!!

[poppies]

forgot to mention - not on a lot of money so was worried about sheep as i heard a lot of problems can occur to them like foot rot etc - would really like to avoid large vets bills!!

my son has sheep and an old farmer told him a sheeps main aim in life is to lay down and die, and they do take a lot of looking after although foot rot can be avoided

 pygmy goats are very friendly,  will eat all the brambles etc, only problem I had was keeping  them in,  they can jump, squeeze through tiny gaps and eat their way through hedges -  oh and steal the chickens food

[scabs]

I'd go with the wild guinea pigs.

[DD.]

I've got some very slightly miffed ones.

[SMD66]

I heard the same as poppies about sheep, they can suffer from 101 different ailments the first symptom of which is usually death!
I am a pig person myself but strong fencing is a must, then they need an ark but they are good at digging up roots.  Hardy too, not vets bills.

[Roughlee Handled]

I would agree with SMD66 get pigs. 
Pig Cost £30-ish
Pig Ark- you can make it your self.
Pig Fencing  (eletric) Can cost a bit.
.....

Have you thought about pigme goats?
http://www.pygmygoatclub.org/






Or if you have space inside for the winter what about Dexters?

http://www.dextercattle.co.uk/

[Aunt Sally]

You can rent goats.  Really !

[SMD66]

I remember that programme on TV Aunty,  'Rent a ghost' 

[Aunt Sally]

No   

We had a member called van connick who had kept goats and rented them out for clearing land. Tis true !

[SMD66]

Did a ruff there, speed reading 

[Chookster]

  oh you lot LOL  what you like.x

well, certainly gives me a lot to think about....  Ihad also heard about the many problems to do with sheep so i think they're out and the land 's prob not suitable for them... pygmy goats i'd considered but will have to think a bit more - i think it's a toss up between the midget goats and pigs. 

Is there a miniature pig breed at all???

[Foxy]

I HAVE to have a pygmy goat!!! OH hates goats though....

[SMD66]

pot-bellied pigs and Kune-Kune, are small, both not particularly bred for eating tho, so would have to be pets more than 'productive' animals.

[too many girls]

if you don't want vet bills (all animals need a vet at sometime) i'd buy a strimmer, petrol one should do the job and it won't ever need a vet