Does anyone have a small holding?
Aug 14th 2007, 8:41 am
#1
BE Forum Addict
Thread Starter
Joined: Jul 2003
Location: Cairns
Posts: 3,918
Does anyone have a small holding?
Hey, 
just wondered if anyone here has a small holding / small acreage / hobby farm - specifically with animals - chooks, ducks, goats, pigs etc?
We're considering buying small acreage within the next 2 years and it would be great to hear your experiences, particularly re: land size and animal husbandry experience.
We (not me, but other half) has husbandry experience but he works full time, and the animals are my bright idea (and long awaited dream...) so I will be expected to muck in and do a fair bit. Obviously being knowledgable will help!
What I'd really like to know is: do your animals cost you mega $$$ in vets fees & feed / have you attracted snakes with the chook pen / time spent with animal care /is it the best thing you've done / do you regret it and are selling asap???!!!
Thanks in advance.
just wondered if anyone here has a small holding / small acreage / hobby farm - specifically with animals - chooks, ducks, goats, pigs etc?
We're considering buying small acreage within the next 2 years and it would be great to hear your experiences, particularly re: land size and animal husbandry experience.
We (not me, but other half) has husbandry experience but he works full time, and the animals are my bright idea (and long awaited dream...) so I will be expected to muck in and do a fair bit. Obviously being knowledgable will help!
What I'd really like to know is: do your animals cost you mega $$$ in vets fees & feed / have you attracted snakes with the chook pen / time spent with animal care /is it the best thing you've done / do you regret it and are selling asap???!!!
Thanks in advance.
Aug 14th 2007, 9:07 am
#2
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Joined: Sep 2006
Location: 'stralia
Posts: 2,383
Re: Does anyone have a small holding?
Can I please suggest that Arkon should respond to this question? 
Aug 14th 2007, 9:29 am
#3
BE Forum Addict
Thread Starter
Joined: Jul 2003
Location: Cairns
Posts: 3,918
Re: Does anyone have a small holding?
Dear God no!!!! (Only kidding Arkon!!!
)No alpacas involved here, just a few chooks / couple of piggies / pair of goats (all to be kept as pets, BTW - no later BBQ required...
)
Aug 14th 2007, 10:17 am
#4
Ex BE ***** Addict
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 3,770
Re: Does anyone have a small holding?
All I'd say is be carefull what you wish for. If you don't keep at least 2 cattle an acre then you are going to have to slash the fields about every 2 weeks from October to April.
Slashing is fun the first time, maybe even the second time, but it quickly turns to mind numbing bordom. You need a tractor for a start and I'd say any more than 10 acres your going to need one. Slashing takes about 8 hours for a 5-8 acre field, and costs me about $40 in Diesel. If you don't slash not only does it soon stop looking like telly tubby land, but you will attract snakes, foxes, dingos and even more spiders. Not to mention ticks.
Chickens are fine except it's cheaper to buy your eggs at the supermarket and the chicken shed attracts rats like the pied piper, which in turn attract snakes....
Oh and did I mention you are bound to want to let your little pets out to roam around? Well they like nothing better than wandering around your house and before you know it your up to your ears in do doo's when you step out the door. Oh and foxes and dingo's really like chickens.
Vet's fees. Costs me about $100 a month on average, this isn't a cost that the typical australian gets as they are nowhere near as 'nice' to animals as the typical brit animal lover. They will let an animal die by and large than spend money at the vets. (talking from a rural perspective here, might be different in a city)
A castration cost me about $110, the farmers use 2 bricks or some metal rings. Penecillin is about $30 a bottle, then there is the 5 in 1 vacines and vitamins plus drenches, needles etc.
Grass doesn't actually grow all year and for about 4 months or so you need to supplementary feed your animal, this can be quite expensive. A bail of hay is about $50 and doesn't last too long. You can plant winter feed but this needs more time and money on the tractor plus the bags of seed are very expensive.
Rates.. you pay council rates plus rural rates with levies to things like 'How to make a less pink pig research', Also each year you have to declare your land details and animal holdong otherwise get your butt fined.
Water... Chances are if you have a bit of land your plastic Australian made water pipe travels a few km around your land, when you spring a leak the cost is yours, noone will come and fix it and it's about $1.30 a kilo liter. Also they can be a git to find. I've had as many $800-$900 quarter water bills as I have normal $110 bills.
On the plus side....yes there is one or two..
You can play music outside as loud as you like. It's possible to live like a hermit and never see a soul.
Hope that helps.....
Aug 14th 2007, 10:28 am
#5
Banned
Joined: Apr 2003
Location: Angle vale Sth Australia
Posts: 5,353
Re: Does anyone have a small holding?
Can't resist, specially woman talking about my smallholding..
All I'd say is be carefull what you wish for. If you don't keep at least 2 cattle an acre then you are going to have to slash the fields about every 2 weeks from October to April.
Slashing is fun the first time, maybe even the second time, but it quickly turns to mind numbing bordom. You need a tractor for a start and I'd say any more than 10 acres your going to need one. Slashing takes about 8 hours for a 5-8 acre field, and costs me about $40 in Diesel. If you don't slash not only does it soon stop looking like telly tubby land, but you will attract snakes, foxes, dingos and even more spiders. Not to mention ticks.
Chickens are fine except it's cheaper to buy your eggs at the supermarket and the chicken shed attracts rats like the pied piper, which in turn attract snakes....
Oh and did I mention you are bound to want to let your little pets out to roam around? Well they like nothing better than wandering around your house and before you know it your up to your ears in do doo's when you step out the door. Oh and foxes and dingo's really like chickens.
Vet's fees. Costs me about $100 a month on average, this isn't a cost that the typical australian gets as they are nowhere near as 'nice' to animals as the typical brit animal lover. They will let an animal die by and large than spend money at the vets. (talking from a rural perspective here, might be different in a city)
A castration cost me about $110, the farmers use 2 bricks or some metal rings. Penecillin is about $30 a bottle, then there is the 5 in 1 vacines and vitamins plus drenches, needles etc.
Grass doesn't actually grow all year and for about 4 months or so you need to supplementary feed your animal, this can be quite expensive. A bail of hay is about $50 and doesn't last too long. You can plant winter feed but this needs more time and money on the tractor plus the bags of seed are very expensive.
Rates.. you pay council rates plus rural rates with levies to things like 'How to make a less pink pig research', Also each year you have to declare your land details and animal holdong otherwise get your butt fined.
Water... Chances are if you have a bit of land your plastic Australian made water pipe travels a few km around your land, when you spring a leak the cost is yours, noone will come and fix it and it's about $1.30 a kilo liter. Also they can be a git to find. I've had as many $800-$900 quarter water bills as I have normal $110 bills.
On the plus side....yes there is one or two..
You can play music outside as loud as you like. It's possible to live like a hermit and never see a soul.
Hope that helps.....
All I'd say is be carefull what you wish for. If you don't keep at least 2 cattle an acre then you are going to have to slash the fields about every 2 weeks from October to April.
Slashing is fun the first time, maybe even the second time, but it quickly turns to mind numbing bordom. You need a tractor for a start and I'd say any more than 10 acres your going to need one. Slashing takes about 8 hours for a 5-8 acre field, and costs me about $40 in Diesel. If you don't slash not only does it soon stop looking like telly tubby land, but you will attract snakes, foxes, dingos and even more spiders. Not to mention ticks.
Chickens are fine except it's cheaper to buy your eggs at the supermarket and the chicken shed attracts rats like the pied piper, which in turn attract snakes....
Oh and did I mention you are bound to want to let your little pets out to roam around? Well they like nothing better than wandering around your house and before you know it your up to your ears in do doo's when you step out the door. Oh and foxes and dingo's really like chickens.
Vet's fees. Costs me about $100 a month on average, this isn't a cost that the typical australian gets as they are nowhere near as 'nice' to animals as the typical brit animal lover. They will let an animal die by and large than spend money at the vets. (talking from a rural perspective here, might be different in a city)
A castration cost me about $110, the farmers use 2 bricks or some metal rings. Penecillin is about $30 a bottle, then there is the 5 in 1 vacines and vitamins plus drenches, needles etc.
Grass doesn't actually grow all year and for about 4 months or so you need to supplementary feed your animal, this can be quite expensive. A bail of hay is about $50 and doesn't last too long. You can plant winter feed but this needs more time and money on the tractor plus the bags of seed are very expensive.
Rates.. you pay council rates plus rural rates with levies to things like 'How to make a less pink pig research', Also each year you have to declare your land details and animal holdong otherwise get your butt fined.
Water... Chances are if you have a bit of land your plastic Australian made water pipe travels a few km around your land, when you spring a leak the cost is yours, noone will come and fix it and it's about $1.30 a kilo liter. Also they can be a git to find. I've had as many $800-$900 quarter water bills as I have normal $110 bills.
On the plus side....yes there is one or two..
You can play music outside as loud as you like. It's possible to live like a hermit and never see a soul.
Hope that helps.....
mm
Aug 14th 2007, 10:29 am
#6
Ex BE ***** Addict
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 3,770
Re: Does anyone have a small holding?
I'll be sure to look you up when I need a box then. Oh and have I just posted anything that's not true then?
Aug 14th 2007, 10:57 am
#7
Banned
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 47
Re: Does anyone have a small holding?
Hey,
just wondered if anyone here has a small holding / small acreage / hobby farm - specifically with animals - chooks, ducks, goats, pigs etc?
We're considering buying small acreage within the next 2 years and it would be great to hear your experiences, particularly re: land size and animal husbandry experience.
We (not me, but other half) has husbandry experience but he works full time, and the animals are my bright idea (and long awaited dream...) so I will be expected to muck in and do a fair bit. Obviously being knowledgable will help!
What I'd really like to know is: do your animals cost you mega $$$ in vets fees & feed / have you attracted snakes with the chook pen / time spent with animal care /is it the best thing you've done / do you regret it and are selling asap???!!!
Thanks in advance.
just wondered if anyone here has a small holding / small acreage / hobby farm - specifically with animals - chooks, ducks, goats, pigs etc?
We're considering buying small acreage within the next 2 years and it would be great to hear your experiences, particularly re: land size and animal husbandry experience.
We (not me, but other half) has husbandry experience but he works full time, and the animals are my bright idea (and long awaited dream...) so I will be expected to muck in and do a fair bit. Obviously being knowledgable will help!
What I'd really like to know is: do your animals cost you mega $$$ in vets fees & feed / have you attracted snakes with the chook pen / time spent with animal care /is it the best thing you've done / do you regret it and are selling asap???!!!
Thanks in advance.
Aug 14th 2007, 10:59 am
#8
Banned
Joined: Apr 2003
Location: Angle vale Sth Australia
Posts: 5,353
Re: Does anyone have a small holding?
Can't resist, specially woman talking about my smallholding..
All I'd say is be carefull what you wish for. If you don't keep at least 2 cattle an acre then you are going to have to slash the fields about every 2 weeks from October to April.
THEN KEEP SHEEP ,never slashed yet
Slashing is fun the first time, maybe even the second time, but it quickly turns to mind numbing bordom. You need a tractor for a start and I'd say any more than 10 acres your going to need one. Slashing takes about 8 hours for a 5-8 acre field, and costs me about $40 in Diesel. If you don't slash not only does it soon stop looking like telly tubby land, but you will attract snakes, foxes, dingos and even more spiders. Not to mention ticks.
Chickens are fine except it's cheaper to buy your eggs at the supermarket and the chicken shed attracts rats like the pied piper, which in turn attract snakes....
I HAVE NEVER BOUGHT EGGS FROM A S/ MARKET ,I sell or give away more eggs than i could ever use...............
Oh and did I mention you are bound to want to let your little pets out to roam around? Well they like nothing better than wandering around your house and before you know it your up to your ears in do doo's when you step out the door. Oh and foxes and dingo's really like chickens.
I DONT HAVE LITTLE PETS, KELPIE X BLUE HEELERS X 3 TAKE CARE OF ALL FOUR AND TWO LEGGED PESTS, AND
Vet's fees. Costs me about $100 a month on average, this isn't a cost that the typical australian gets as they are nowhere near as 'nice' to animals as the typical brit animal lover. They will let an animal die by and large than spend money at the vets. (talking from a rural perspective here, might be different in a city)
I AGREE TO A POINT ,A BULLET IS CHEAP BUT WHEN ROXY WAS RUN OVER BY MY NEIGHBOURS DAUGHTER, I PAID A $1000 TO FIX HER FRONT LEG
[DOG THAT WAS]
A castration cost me about $110, the farmers use 2 bricks or some metal rings. Penecillin is about $30 a bottle, then there is the 5 in 1 vacines and vitamins plus drenches, needles etc.
A BIT FANCIFUL, WHY DAMAGE VALUABLE STOCK, RUBBER C-RINGS ARE CHEAP,IF WE WANT HEALTHY STOCK WE HAVE TO MAINTAIN THEM.
Grass doesn't actually grow all year and for about 4 months or so you need to supplementary feed your animal, this can be quite expensive. A bail of hay is about $50 and doesn't last too long. You can plant winter feed but this needs more time and money on the tractor plus the bags of seed are very expensive.
I ASSUME YOU MEAN LARGE ROUND,FOR 50 BUCKS, PLANTING IS WHAT FARMING IS ABOUT NO SHORT CUTS HERE ........
Rates.. you pay council rates plus rural rates with levies to things like 'How to make a less pink pig research', Also each year you have to declare your land details and animal holdong otherwise get your butt fined.
JOYS OF LIVING IN NSW.....
Water... Chances are if you have a bit of land your plastic Australian made water pipe travels a few km around your land, when you spring a leak the cost is yours, noone will come and fix it and it's about $1.30 a kilo liter. Also they can be a git to find. I've had as many $800-$900 quarter water bills as I have normal $110 bills.
MOST WATER PIPE IS MADE IN CHINA, YOU HAVE TO BURY IT OR UV RAYS WILL KILL IT, I GO FOR THE MORE EXPENSIVE ,PVC MORE TIME CONSUMING BUT LESS MAINTENANCE
On the plus side....yes there is one or two..
You can play music outside as loud as you like. It's possible to live like a hermit and never see a soul.
NOW YER TALKING........
Hope that helps.....
All I'd say is be carefull what you wish for. If you don't keep at least 2 cattle an acre then you are going to have to slash the fields about every 2 weeks from October to April.
THEN KEEP SHEEP ,never slashed yet
Slashing is fun the first time, maybe even the second time, but it quickly turns to mind numbing bordom. You need a tractor for a start and I'd say any more than 10 acres your going to need one. Slashing takes about 8 hours for a 5-8 acre field, and costs me about $40 in Diesel. If you don't slash not only does it soon stop looking like telly tubby land, but you will attract snakes, foxes, dingos and even more spiders. Not to mention ticks.
Chickens are fine except it's cheaper to buy your eggs at the supermarket and the chicken shed attracts rats like the pied piper, which in turn attract snakes....
I HAVE NEVER BOUGHT EGGS FROM A S/ MARKET ,I sell or give away more eggs than i could ever use...............
Oh and did I mention you are bound to want to let your little pets out to roam around? Well they like nothing better than wandering around your house and before you know it your up to your ears in do doo's when you step out the door. Oh and foxes and dingo's really like chickens.
I DONT HAVE LITTLE PETS, KELPIE X BLUE HEELERS X 3 TAKE CARE OF ALL FOUR AND TWO LEGGED PESTS, AND
Vet's fees. Costs me about $100 a month on average, this isn't a cost that the typical australian gets as they are nowhere near as 'nice' to animals as the typical brit animal lover. They will let an animal die by and large than spend money at the vets. (talking from a rural perspective here, might be different in a city)
I AGREE TO A POINT ,A BULLET IS CHEAP BUT WHEN ROXY WAS RUN OVER BY MY NEIGHBOURS DAUGHTER, I PAID A $1000 TO FIX HER FRONT LEG
[DOG THAT WAS]
A castration cost me about $110, the farmers use 2 bricks or some metal rings. Penecillin is about $30 a bottle, then there is the 5 in 1 vacines and vitamins plus drenches, needles etc.
A BIT FANCIFUL, WHY DAMAGE VALUABLE STOCK, RUBBER C-RINGS ARE CHEAP,IF WE WANT HEALTHY STOCK WE HAVE TO MAINTAIN THEM.
Grass doesn't actually grow all year and for about 4 months or so you need to supplementary feed your animal, this can be quite expensive. A bail of hay is about $50 and doesn't last too long. You can plant winter feed but this needs more time and money on the tractor plus the bags of seed are very expensive.
I ASSUME YOU MEAN LARGE ROUND,FOR 50 BUCKS, PLANTING IS WHAT FARMING IS ABOUT NO SHORT CUTS HERE ........
Rates.. you pay council rates plus rural rates with levies to things like 'How to make a less pink pig research', Also each year you have to declare your land details and animal holdong otherwise get your butt fined.
JOYS OF LIVING IN NSW.....
Water... Chances are if you have a bit of land your plastic Australian made water pipe travels a few km around your land, when you spring a leak the cost is yours, noone will come and fix it and it's about $1.30 a kilo liter. Also they can be a git to find. I've had as many $800-$900 quarter water bills as I have normal $110 bills.
MOST WATER PIPE IS MADE IN CHINA, YOU HAVE TO BURY IT OR UV RAYS WILL KILL IT, I GO FOR THE MORE EXPENSIVE ,PVC MORE TIME CONSUMING BUT LESS MAINTENANCE
On the plus side....yes there is one or two..
You can play music outside as loud as you like. It's possible to live like a hermit and never see a soul.
NOW YER TALKING........
Hope that helps.....
Aug 14th 2007, 11:16 am
#9
Ex BE ***** Addict
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 3,770
Re: Does anyone have a small holding?
Nearly forgot, I know of the perfect place for you..... Climate the best in Oz according to the locals.
Aug 14th 2007, 11:16 am
#10
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jun 2007
Location: Carramar in Perth's northern suburbs
Posts: 1,129
Re: Does anyone have a small holding?
Hey,
just wondered if anyone here has a small holding / small acreage / hobby farm - specifically with animals - chooks, ducks, goats, pigs etc?
We're considering buying small acreage within the next 2 years and it would be great to hear your experiences, particularly re: land size and animal husbandry experience.
We (not me, but other half) has husbandry experience but he works full time, and the animals are my bright idea (and long awaited dream...) so I will be expected to muck in and do a fair bit. Obviously being knowledgable will help!
What I'd really like to know is: do your animals cost you mega $$$ in vets fees & feed / have you attracted snakes with the chook pen / time spent with animal care /is it the best thing you've done / do you regret it and are selling asap???!!!
Thanks in advance.
just wondered if anyone here has a small holding / small acreage / hobby farm - specifically with animals - chooks, ducks, goats, pigs etc?
We're considering buying small acreage within the next 2 years and it would be great to hear your experiences, particularly re: land size and animal husbandry experience.
We (not me, but other half) has husbandry experience but he works full time, and the animals are my bright idea (and long awaited dream...) so I will be expected to muck in and do a fair bit. Obviously being knowledgable will help!
What I'd really like to know is: do your animals cost you mega $$$ in vets fees & feed / have you attracted snakes with the chook pen / time spent with animal care /is it the best thing you've done / do you regret it and are selling asap???!!!
Thanks in advance.
We had 15 chooks at one stage on our current 5 acre block at Carramar; chook pen had mesh wire below the ground so as to keep out Mr Fox.......... all to no avail though! One by one over a 2 year period Mr Fox has systematically killed all our chooks.
In Namibia I used to carry a Smith & Wesson snub-nose revolver; came in handy several times when thwarting off packs of rabid baboons; and the odd hyena who wandered into our field camp to see what they could nick. Wish I still had the hardware over here to fix up Mr Fox.
Keeping chooks was okay but by the time you take into consideration the cost to erect the chook pen, cost of feed, etc etc....... the eggs which granted were very fresh........ cost about 10 bob each!!!
Much cheaper to buy a dozen down at Coles. It was sad to see the chooks go in such a way........ especially as visitor's kids were fond of them and had given them all a name!!!!!
Now the chook pen houses 3 motorbikes, a lawn mower, a whipper-snipper; and various other odds and sods.
We have no chooks at present; but our current block houses 5 kangaroos which are very tame and even come up to our verandah. We have a resident ostrich on our block too ........... or is it an emu??? It's a bloody big bird which I think is far too big to fly........ it doesn't half give our visitors a fright when it scurries out of the bush once disturbed by their headlights.
Good luck with whatever sort of rural block you buy (remember..... don't leave it too long before you buy)....... it's all good fun and I'm sure you will enjoy it.
Aug 14th 2007, 5:56 pm
#11
Banned
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 47
Re: Does anyone have a small holding?
In the UK fox hunting is against the law but in some parts of OZ like Tasmania not only is it legal but the Governement pays you a reward if you kill a fox.
Aug 14th 2007, 9:12 pm
#12
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 10,375
Re: Does anyone have a small holding?
Hey,
just wondered if anyone here has a small holding / small acreage / hobby farm - specifically with animals - chooks, ducks, goats, pigs etc?
We're considering buying small acreage within the next 2 years and it would be great to hear your experiences, particularly re: land size and animal husbandry experience.
We (not me, but other half) has husbandry experience but he works full time, and the animals are my bright idea (and long awaited dream...) so I will be expected to muck in and do a fair bit. Obviously being knowledgable will help!
What I'd really like to know is: do your animals cost you mega $$$ in vets fees & feed / have you attracted snakes with the chook pen / time spent with animal care /is it the best thing you've done / do you regret it and are selling asap???!!!
Thanks in advance.
just wondered if anyone here has a small holding / small acreage / hobby farm - specifically with animals - chooks, ducks, goats, pigs etc?
We're considering buying small acreage within the next 2 years and it would be great to hear your experiences, particularly re: land size and animal husbandry experience.
We (not me, but other half) has husbandry experience but he works full time, and the animals are my bright idea (and long awaited dream...) so I will be expected to muck in and do a fair bit. Obviously being knowledgable will help!
What I'd really like to know is: do your animals cost you mega $$$ in vets fees & feed / have you attracted snakes with the chook pen / time spent with animal care /is it the best thing you've done / do you regret it and are selling asap???!!!
Thanks in advance.
Were not selling cause we cant keep farm life, selling because some of the neighbours act like farm life
2 acres isnt big enough for privacy if the land has neighbors on most boundnaries + ride ons, tennis courts etc 
Anyway check the zoning, local laws and yes animals here do attract snakes and flies but think thats just part of the package.
Last edited by jad n rich; Aug 14th 2007 at 9:15 pm.
Aug 14th 2007, 9:23 pm
#13
BE Enthusiast
Joined: May 2005
Location: QLD
Posts: 797
Re: Does anyone have a small holding?
[QUOTE=arkon;5186791]
A castration cost me about $110,
A castration cost me about $110,
Aug 14th 2007, 11:54 pm
#15
Banned
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 47
Re: Does anyone have a small holding?
The cost of land in rural OZ is alot cheaper then rural UK, the further away from the cities the cheaper the land usually.