Easy Care Sheep

[steven182]

Basically looking for some farmers opinions on these sheep.

Background story: My brother has found a pretty nice 7.5 acre peice of land that he wants to buy and build on but found out it is green belt or something so he can only build on it if he has a farm. so he started looking for easy to care for animals that could live on the land in order for him to build his house there and carry on with his day job whilst wifey looks after said animals. Apparantly he can do this with as little as 2 sheep. so he found these Easy Care Sheep that do not need shearing or help with lambing, you basicaly leave them to it and rotate them around different areas of land, and with 7.5 acres of it he should have plenty.

the thing is the sheep sound too good to be true if you know what I mean and we are just wondering what the downside is to these sheep?

so any farmers in the house?!

ETA: link to website; http://www.easycaresheep.com/

Edited by steven182 on Sunday 12th October 23:21

[mrsxllifts]

Does the covenant or whatever it is state that it has to be a farm with livestock? Could it be arable? A chilli farm? Much easier to look after than sheep and no tail rot!

[steven182]

mrsxllifts said:

Does the covenant or whatever it is state that it has to be a farm with livestock? Could it be arable? A chilli farm? Much easier to look after than sheep and no tail rot!

well apparantly these sheep do not get that tail rot business. and the deal with animals is that you need to live near them, if it is arable you do not need to live near them so you can't build on the land.

[Simpo Two]

How about renting it out to a horse owner? You collect the rent, they worry about Dobbin.

[Uncle Fester]

Historically rabbits were farmed, but free range is best. Not many farms are rabbit free.

However, your brother is sticking his neck out. The local authority is likely to take a dim view. He could end up getting refused and losing money in a falling market.

[stainless_steve]

steven182 said:

mrsxllifts said:

Does the covenant or whatever it is state that it has to be a farm with livestock? Could it be arable? A chilli farm? Much easier to look after than sheep and no tail rot!

well apparantly these sheep do not get that tail rot business. and the deal with animals is that you need to live near them, if it is arable you do not need to live near them so you can't build on the land.

Dream on,sheep/livestock need constant looking after,wifes father bought some easy care sheep(can't remember the name,but will find out ),no foot rot tail rot ect.He had that much trouble with them he sold them all after 12 months.This is someone who kept livestock all his life

[steven182]

Simpo Two said:

How about renting it out to a horse owner? You collect the rent, they worry about Dobbin.

Hmm this could work!

[steven182]

stainless_steve said:

Dream on,sheep/livestock need constant looking after,wifes father bought some easy care sheep(can't remember the name,but will find out ),no foot rot tail rot ect.He had that much trouble with them he sold them all after 12 months.This is someone who kept livestock all his life

Exactly what we are thinking. he has phoned a few breeders and they all speak extremely highly of them. but ofc it is like talking to a used car salesmen they will say anything to sell the product. Also struggling to find anything on the internet saying these are bad sheep then again I have no clue where to look...

[mrsxllifts]

He also needs to look in to the time frame of things. Down here (Silly Sussex) you have to prove the farm is viable for a certain length of time (used to be five years but not sure now) before council will even look in to allowing building permission being granted.

[welshbikerduck]

steven182 said:

Basically looking for some farmers opinions on these sheep.

Background story: My brother has found a pretty nice 7.5 acre peice of land that he wants to buy and build on but found out it is green belt or something so he can only build on it if he has a farm. so he started looking for easy to care for animals that could live on the land in order for him to build his house there and carry on with his day job whilst wifey looks after said animals. Apparantly he can do this with as little as 2 sheep. so he found these Easy Care Sheep that do not need shearing or help with lambing, you basicaly leave them to it and rotate them around different areas of land, and with 7.5 acres of it he should have plenty.

the thing is the sheep sound too good to be true if you know what I mean and we are just wondering what the downside is to these sheep?

so any farmers in the house?!

Not a farmer but lived on a small holding.

Firstly, he is misunderstanding the land, if it is agricultural then he can build a farmhouse, but it has to be a self sufficient farm. So buying 2 sheep with 7.5 acres and claiming it is a working farm will not work, he wont get planning permission.

A rule of thumb is to allow 1 head per acre so if he has 7.5 acres he can have 7/8 sheep. There is a workaround, tho how accurate it is i am not completely sure. But i have heard people of saying they want to start a mushroom farm which can be self sufficient on about an acre or so, but as i say i have only had this from a friend of a friend of frineds uncle so it may be untrue.


If he thinks he has stumbbled onto something like buying 7.5 acres of agricultural land then turning it into development land he is going to be disapointed. agricultural land is cheap for a reason and unless the land is right next to development land it is never going to be built on. otherwise property developwers would buy a 200 acre farm and build an entire town on it and make a killing.

Edited by welshbikerduck on Sunday 12th October 22:45

[stainless_steve]

steven182 said:

stainless_steve said:

Dream on,sheep/livestock need constant looking after,wifes father bought some easy care sheep(can't remember the name,but will find out ),no foot rot tail rot ect.He had that much trouble with them he sold them all after 12 months.This is someone who kept livestock all his life

Exactly what we are thinking. he has phoned a few breeders and they all speak extremely highly of them. but ofc it is like talking to a used car salesmen they will say anything to sell the product. Also struggling to find anything on the internet saying these are bad sheep then again I have no clue where to look...

Let me know the name of them,will ask my farmer mates for you.Don't hold your breath though

[littlegreenfairy]

What about chickens?

[Timmy35]

This thread must be a p*ss take surely?

Okay seriously as others have said a loophole that large would be so attractive it would exist for about 2min flat.

as for easy-care sheep..... did someone tell him this down the pub or something?

Sheep are fun, get the right sheep and your a lucky man.....we have 800 of the buggers. But easy? Nope sheep are not easy, there sole aim in life is to die in as sillier manner as possible.

[Penny-lope]

Timmy35 said:

.....we have 800 of the buggers.

How come the figure keeps going up Timmy, ever time you post

[chris_w666]

You need Timmy35 I think he was a sheep farmer (or at least grew up on one). Being a city type though it seems he avoids PH at weekends because he would have sod all to do at work if he did visit.

ETA:Feck me he lives.

Edited by chris_w666 on Sunday 12th October 22:57

[eharding]

littlegreenfairy said:

What about chickens?

I like your thinking - they don't need shearing or help with lambing either. If it turns out the easy-care chickens were also self-basting and gluttons for breadcrumbs mixed with sage and thyme, I think the whole concept may be a winner.

[mrsxllifts]

eharding said:

littlegreenfairy said:

What about chickens?

I like your thinking - they don't need shearing or help with lambing either. If it turns out the easy-care chickens were also self-basting and gluttons for breadcrumbs mixed with sage and thyme, I think the whole concept may be a winner.

We have 15,000 of the clucking funts and they are not easy. Right royal pain in the arse for bugger all return doesn't matter whether its egg layers, roaster, or soupers!

[Glassman]

littlegreenfairy said:

What about chickens?

What about beehives?

[/vicreevesinthestyleofaclubsinger]

[welshbikerduck]

mrsxllifts said:

eharding said:

littlegreenfairy said:

What about chickens?

I like your thinking - they don't need shearing or help with lambing either. If it turns out the easy-care chickens were also self-basting and gluttons for breadcrumbs mixed with sage and thyme, I think the whole concept may be a winner.

We have 15,000 of the clucking funts and they are not easy. Right royal pain in the arse for bugger all return doesn't matter whether its egg layers, roaster, or soupers!

Wow, how do you remember all their names?

[steven182]

stainless_steve said:

steven182 said:

stainless_steve said:

Dream on,sheep/livestock need constant looking after,wifes father bought some easy care sheep(can't remember the name,but will find out ),no foot rot tail rot ect.He had that much trouble with them he sold them all after 12 months.This is someone who kept livestock all his life

Exactly what we are thinking. he has phoned a few breeders and they all speak extremely highly of them. but ofc it is like talking to a used car salesmen they will say anything to sell the product. Also struggling to find anything on the internet saying these are bad sheep then again I have no clue where to look...

Let me know the name of them,will ask my farmer mates for you.Don't hold your breath though

http://www.easycaresheep.com/