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Ride on Lawnmowers
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judith



Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 22789
Location: Montgomeryshire
PostPosted: Wed Apr 20, 05 12:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Give the man a break . Sheep and goats will wreck everything in sight - would you want all your favourite trees and shrubs to be ring-barked? It isn't a pretty sight. And wildflower meadows still have to be cut down after they have flowered.

Anyway, ride-on mowers are fun!

 
Bugs



Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 10744

PostPosted: Wed Apr 20, 05 12:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

But, but, but...so much lawn! What about fruit trees and asparagus beds and shrubs and things.

Anyway, he keeps pigs, he's teetering on the edge...I bet he really wants sheep

(PS High Green Farm, I'm not having a go, I'm just jealous - you don't strike me as the lawn type so there must be a reason behind it!)

 
tahir



Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45676
Location: Essex
PostPosted: Wed Apr 20, 05 12:49 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Not being mean, just saying that there's plenty of low maintenance food producing ideas for that acre out there....

 
judith



Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 22789
Location: Montgomeryshire
PostPosted: Wed Apr 20, 05 12:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

How about guineapigs? They are apparently very tasty, and would keep the lawn down without doing too much damage.

 
Bugs



Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 10744

PostPosted: Wed Apr 20, 05 12:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

That's the spirit, Judith

 
tahir



Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45676
Location: Essex
PostPosted: Wed Apr 20, 05 1:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

How do you keep them in, don't they burrow?

 
judith



Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 22789
Location: Montgomeryshire
PostPosted: Wed Apr 20, 05 1:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

No, I don't think they burrow. I was thinking of 8 x 4 guineapig tractors. Perhaps 10 beasts per tractor. 20 tractors to the acre. Move these every day to keep the grass nibbled and the ground sweet.
Probably needs a bit more thought, but do you think it is a goer?

 
Bugs



Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 10744

PostPosted: Wed Apr 20, 05 1:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I think it has possibilities...but I'm not sure HGF will think moving 20 guinea pig cages a day is a good trade off against a Sunday morning's mowing

Geese?

 
tahir



Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45676
Location: Essex
PostPosted: Wed Apr 20, 05 1:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I think they'd be good on the BBQ, bit like big chicken wings.

 
judith



Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 22789
Location: Montgomeryshire
PostPosted: Wed Apr 20, 05 1:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Guineapig poo is a lot nicer than geese poo. Mrs HGF might not be keen.

 
Silas



Joined: 29 Oct 2004
Posts: 6848
Location: Staffordshire
PostPosted: Wed Apr 20, 05 2:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Ugh!

The things some people will eat!

 
High Green Farm



Joined: 30 Nov 2004
Posts: 349
Location: Mid-Suffolk
PostPosted: Wed Apr 20, 05 4:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Bugs wrote:
But, but, but...so much lawn! What about fruit trees and asparagus beds and shrubs and things.

Anyway, he keeps pigs, he's teetering on the edge...I bet he really wants sheep

(PS High Green Farm, I'm not having a go, I'm just jealous - you don't strike me as the lawn type so there must be a reason behind it!)


I would love sheep! But it has taken a lot to get to pigs this year, and Mrs HGF still needs convincing (though I have this afternoon bought 13 sheep hurdles from Ebay, so perhaps next year!)

It's not really one large lawn.....

I have three areas of "grass" that I cut each week. The "lawn" which is the bit in front of the house, which is for the kids to play on, and run around on, and for us to enjoy as well. Then there is the "orchard", which we are in the process of planting up, but the two areas merge together and when (note: when not if), we get sheep they will go on the fields behind the house. We will be making as much use of the orchard as we can, but the grass still needs cutting, and the front gardens etc are the one area that we can let the kids play in that does not require a complete change of clothes each time they go there! Still need to maintain an area that is poo free!

Then there is another small section that would be ideal for a ram, but one thing at a time!

Would love geese but Mrs HGF will need even more convincing on them.

But anyway, anyone know anything about John Deere's!

 
High Green Farm



Joined: 30 Nov 2004
Posts: 349
Location: Mid-Suffolk
PostPosted: Wed Apr 20, 05 4:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Also forgot to say that at times I'll want to go over the paddocks either for weed control, rather than spraying, or to cut down when we have too much grass....yes I know I need sheep!

 
oldhibberd



Joined: 09 Mar 2005
Posts: 118

PostPosted: Wed Apr 20, 05 10:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Hmm, sheep are destructive, stubborn stupid wooly keebabs! I'm fed up having to try and keep the neighbour's sheep from devouring my garden, they eat everything that's NOT grass!!

 
Kirstie



Joined: 01 Apr 2005
Posts: 94
Location: Scotland
PostPosted: Thu Apr 21, 05 8:21 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

We have a Westwood ride on tractor, absolutely fantastic and it collects the grass as well as rolling, will do an acre easily, I also cheated with the brambles in my future vegetable patch and took off the collecting box and rode over them with the grass cutter on high, obviously wearing protective clothing, I couldn't believe the difference it made. You can also get attachments to help you prepare for hay etc, especially if you have sheep needing fed it saves quite a lot of money.

 
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