Lifestyle Greenhorn

Lizzy733

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Hello Everyone!

I've been a member over at backyard chickens for quite some time and have gotten pretty adept at handling my little urban flock, but am new to all this ngs ruminant.

My husband and I have now bought a 3.18 HA lifestyle block and are looking to settle late November.

We'd not planned on jumping into livestock right away, but the property comes with sheep! I've been doing a deep dive to find out as much as I can, as quick as I can to support our new flock.

There are 7 two toothers, 3 older ewes, a ram and a wether. There are also lambs as we are at the end of spring.

We've not been able to physically see the property aside from video from our friends in the area that scoped out the property in our stead, so I don't know how many exactly.

They look to be a mixture of Romney and Arapawa. (We're in New Zealand, Northland).

My husband has a background in horticulture and has worked in production greenhouses, cultivation, and integrated pest management... Etc. There has already been extensive hort work onsite with a fully planted orchard, greenhouses, veggie plots all irrigated which will be keeping us busy as well.

I've always had an interest in behavioral sciences and animal husbandry, though this is not my field of work. I've been raising chickens for 3 years and have been volunteering at our local bird rescue organization for the last year, so have a good understanding of avian medical care. (Tube feeding, subcutaneous injections, wound care etc...)

Time to skill up on ruminants too!

I had planned on branching out into quail and turkey, possibly adding kune kune and a few dairy goat a bit later on. For now though, the priority is sheep!

Happy for any suggestions, tips, and words of wisdom for moving from managing a quarter acre with a chicken run and veggie plot to rolling paddocks and a valley of native bush.

Pleasantly Optimistic,
Lizzy

Our little slice of heaven to be...
received_379018273954934.jpeg
 

Baymule

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Finnie

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Hi! Welcome from the Crossroads of America! (That’s Indiana)

How exciting to move to the country and jump right in. I can’t wait to follow your progress. You could start a journal in our Member’s Journal section: https://www.backyardherds.com/forums/members-backyardherds-journals.18/

Now I’m off to calculate how big 3.18 HA is. 😂

Ahhh, just under 8 acres. About the size of Baymule’s property. Twice mine.
 

Lizzy733

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Yes, very much looking forward to this. It's not an impulse move, though getting away from our current lockdown is a perk.

I'm from Mississippi originally, but always lived in urban areas. The property's a bit rough at the moment accomodation-wise. There are 3 shipping containers under that span frame (40 footers) being used as bedrooms\kitchenette. Will need a lot of renovation work to make it more livable, we think. It's essentially a Bach at the moment, or rough holiday home. We plan to build a proper home eventually.

The site is over a cave system with glow worms (open for day tramps) and has a lot of character, with native bush and kiwis XD. - No cats or dogs thanks to this, so will be relying on treat-training the flock to move them. My chickens have always been very receptive to treat-training, even my skittish broody-raised wyandotte.
 

Mini Horses

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The picture is of some lovely property! Are the shipping containers under the white structure in upper left? You mention caves...are they part of the property ownership? I'm intrigued. ;) is no dogs due to the caves? Do you mean they have tours?

So I have goat herd, no sheep, but some things are same. Your ability to handle these sheep will depend a great deal on their current handling. Are they used to people among them or just there and grazing? If being tended, that person would be best to give you an intro as to what the flock finds normal, to what they respond, work from there.
 

Lizzy733

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The picture is of some lovely property! Are the shipping containers under the white structure in upper left? You mention caves...are they part of the property ownership? I'm intrigued. ;) is no dogs due to the caves? Do you mean they have tours?

So I have goat herd, no sheep, but some things are same. Your ability to handle these sheep will depend a great deal on their current handling. Are they used to people among them or just there and grazing? If being tended, that person would be best to give you an intro as to what the flock finds normal, to what they respond, work from there.
I'm hoping to get a proper handover. We are in lockdown and can't leave our region for house viewings or pre-settlement checks, but can to move house permanently. The rules are a bit all over the place at the moment. We have friends in the region that did the initial viewing and took some vids and photos for us

I'm hoping alert levels will drop to allow the pre-check before settle, but we'll have to wait and see.

There are 3 40' shipping containers, which are set up as bedrooms\accomodation. We'll be living pretty rough at first and yeah, it's all under the bug frame. The property is on a mountain ridge over the caves - cave entrance is just down the road. I don't think there'll be any openings on our property specifically.

The old boy that owns it is living up there now, so would assume they get some hands-on, but seemed pretty skittish when our mates walked out into the field in one if the videos. They might just be shy to strangers tho.
 

Alaskan

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No cats or dogs thanks to this, so will be relying on treat-training the flock to move them. My chickens have always been very receptive to treat-training, even my skittish broody-raised wyandotte.
Easy to do with any animals.

My grandfather had his cattle trained to come when he honked the truck horn, or when he just called out. He would stand there and call for them, and they would come running.

It will take a bit of time, since usually animals are scared or shy of new people.

Glow worm caves are cool ..... but I worry that the tourist traffic will make property management a bit harder. Might need to lock everything up. Lock up gates, etc.

You have general animal management down, ;) so great there.

I would suggest you look up the top 10 plants growing in your pastures. Once you have an idea of what is growing, you can manage better. Some plants can be grazed short than others without damage.... that kind of thing.

Welcome to the forum, sounds like you will have so much fun.


Oh.... there is a hotel in Anchorage that is built out of shipping containers. The rooms are nice.
 

Lizzy733

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Easy to do with any animals.

My grandfather had his cattle trained to come when he honked the truck horn, or when he just called out. He would stand there and call for them, and they would come running.

It will take a bit of time, since usually animals are scared or shy of new people.

Glow worm caves are cool ..... but I worry that the tourist traffic will make property management a bit harder. Might need to lock everything up. Lock up gates, etc.

You have general animal management down, ;) so great there.

I would suggest you look up the top 10 plants growing in your pastures. Once you have an idea of what is growing, you can manage better. Some plants can be grazed short than others without damage.... that kind of thing.

Welcome to the forum, sounds like you will have so much fun.


Oh.... there is a hotel in Anchorage that is built out of shipping containers. The rooms are nice.
We're down a private gated drive. There's a land access covenant around tour operators to gain access to the caves, but they have to give notice before coming onto your land and arrange it in advance. I don't think our property specifically will get much traffic. The land access is for the whole subdivision -24 lots or so.
 

Alaskan

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We're down a private gated drive. There's a land access covenant around tour operators to gain access to the caves, but they have to give notice before coming onto your land and arrange it in advance. I don't think our property specifically will get much traffic. The land access is for the whole subdivision -24 lots or so.
Ah, not so bad then.

How do you get water, if a cave is below you?
 

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