My house wants its fields back

[LadyArowana]

I love your picture but wonder if an annotated version of the land registry / ordnance survey might look a bit more professional.

The sales particulars have it, I have snagged it off the web and sent it to your e.mail.

 

[LadyArowana]

Chris has his doubts too. He says before I can have deer I must have pigs, and before I can have pigs I have to swell my hen flock to 20, dispatching the cockerels along the way, and shoot, skin and eat 5 rabbits. I'm trying to negotiate the terms.

Oooooh, time for a puppy.

 

[Schoolmarm]

I agree re using scale map as then there will be no argument about position of fencing.

 

[AMc]

Thanks AMc, the issue of kids feeding the deer had occured to me. Locally deer are kept behind 6 feet fencing with an electric fence set back a bit from that - maybe a good idea.

I'd prefer to see that arrangement reversed but I'm sure some people would object to the deer hanging around at the bus stops and the kids never eat their greens

 

[JoceAndChris]

:lol: I agree about the kids.

Lady A -too kind of you, and thanks to everyone for the gentle pointer about sending something more professional looking.

 

[Schoolmarm]

I don't think it needs to be more professional, just less likely for misinterpretation.

 

[Penners]

shoot, skin and eat 5 rabbits

I reckon he pinched that bit from the SAS training manual: "Survival Behind Enemy Lines".

 

[Penners]

Chris has his doubts too. He says before I can have deer I must have pigs, and before I can have pigs I have to swell my hen flock to 20, dispatching the cockerels along the way, and shoot, skin and eat 5 rabbits. I'm trying to negotiate the terms.

Oooooh, time for a puppy.

Milady, I'm unclear as to whether that statement meant "oh, I would love to have little fluffy companion to cuddle", or "mmmm, I'm hungry."

 

[Schoolmarm]

:lol: :lol:

 

[LadyArowana]

Chris has his doubts too. He says before I can have deer I must have pigs, and before I can have pigs I have to swell my hen flock to 20, dispatching the cockerels along the way, and shoot, skin and eat 5 rabbits. I'm trying to negotiate the terms.

Oooooh, time for a puppy.

Milady, I'm unclear as to whether that statement meant "oh, I would love to have little fluffy companion to cuddle", or "mmmm, I'm hungry."

Just becuase I have spent a long time in the orient doesn't mean I have been converted to the idea of succulent puppies, and as you already know I prefer to wear my snakes rather than put them into soup :lol: . I was hoping that Joce could negotiate for a dog while all the other livestock was under consideration. Secretly I agree with Moo and can't see her being hard hearted enough to dispatch anything except a few rats. I'm still voting for alpacas which can be sheared rather than minced!

Mmm venison pie.

Pull the other one, Joce. Can you really see yourself eating one of those appealing Bambiesque creatures?
You know you'll give them all names to go with their delightful personalities, and will end up with a sort of retirement home for geriatric quadropeds.

 

[Schoolmarm]

I agree Alpacas are perfick. No deaths to make money, live 20 years, cute and fluffy.

I think dogs may be too dirty for how beautiful Beacon cottage has ended up.

 

[worms]

All your deer appear to be stags! I would recommend you purchase a hind or two as well or the breeding regime may be short lived!

 

[Gareth Hughes]

All your deer appear to be stags! I would recommend you purchase a hind or two as well or the breeding regime may be short lived!

Don't encourage her! we've had enough news reports from the egg front line without Bambi rearing its ugly head (and tasty flesh) for all eternity.

 

[DaveBrigg]

I liked your deer illustration. The one below is on sale for £23, and that's just a facsimile. However, if you really want to explore deer art, look here http://www.dba-oracle.com/t_make_deer_butt_alien.htm (Not for the easily offended or members of Greenpeace.)

 

[FamilyWiggs]

look here http://www.dba-oracle.com/t_make_deer_butt_alien.htm

:lol: but rather an unusual page to find on the website of what appears to be a firm of very staid IT consultants !

 

[JoceAndChris]

Ooh I wish I hadn't clicked on that link - horrible!

Bambi rearing its ugly head

How can you say such a thing?

http://www.virginmedia.com/movies/movieextras/top10s/christmas-keep-kids-quiet.php?ssid=4

Anyway I know you all LOVE my chicken updates.


The question of which livestock to keep is unresolved to be honest and every species has its pros and cons. Alpacas, for example,are pretty horrfically priced
http://www.atkinsalpacas.co.uk/listing.htm (I haven't found a supplier of live deer yet but the dead weight is £150 per carcass which gives some indication of how much cheaper they are)
However deer present some rather serious difficulties if I intend to farm them, apparently contrary to appearance they can be violent and one needs to approach a rutting stag either not at all or in full body armour.

 

[Moo]

A couple of real townie suggestions:

Would it be possible to populate your field with girls only, and involve a borrowed stag only when you want to breed some more?

Should one of your girls give birth to a male baby, have it gelded before it got big enough to be dangerous.

 

[JoceAndChris]

Good idea, I think, though shame about no antlers.

They still can be pretty fierce apparently at calving time.

http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/ais7.pdf

"In the close confines of the handling area stock handlers risk being butted or kicked by stags and large hinds. Deer may also rear up and strike downwards with their front hooves in a scissor-type kick. Design the handling system so that large mature stags can move through without direct contact with the stock handlers. Provide body shields and safety helmets for the stock handlers when handling small stags and known aggressive hinds. Safety footwear with steel toecaps will also be required where there is a risk of injury to the feet."

A field of fluffy spotty antlered stags and hinds that never get killed for meat and reproduce themselves in a restrained and dignified manner would be my ideal.

 

[LadyArowana]

A field of fluffy spotty antlered stags and hinds that never get killed for meat and reproduce themselves in a restrained and dignified manner would be my ideal.

I think you need a fact finding trip to Nara in Japan. Lots of lovely well mannered deer, although I guess they have been training them for quite a while. A stag that got grumpy probably saw the sharp side of a samurai sword and never repeated the offense! The temples have a nice sideline in selling "biscuits" to feed the deer with and all manner of deer related souvenirs...................... possible business plan! http://www.ehow.com/how_5212303_feed-freeroaming-deer-nara-japan.html

 

[JoceAndChris]

Kawaiiii! I'd love to go to Nara.

But we have very nice deer here too, here's me in Burghley Park with a nice young buck.

It does beg the question of whether all these tame deer are castrated, as Moo suggested.