A bit of an obligatory hello, with intro.

Hi all from tropical, windless Southland........

We are new to our 28 acres and very new our adopted family of-
two very laid-back alpacas,
4 chickens laying with random precision,
two goats who don't see an reason to stop walking if a fence is their path,
Mango the 6 year old Jersey cow...she likes a scratch under the chin, but has never had a chance to do what Jersey cows do so well.( does that make her a 6 year old heifer?)
6 ewes running with a neighbours "Cecil" and last but not least is Austin the Ram who lives with Mango.

The rest are what came with us and live behind the cat proof fence
Catherine the Siamese
Patrick the Tonkinese
Billy the Mogg
and Andrew the poo eating (read gorging) lab.

So, what do you do with 28 acres?
Our plans so far are educating the goats on the merits staying in one paddock.
More chickens
More cows including a calf for Mango (one way or another)
Less sheep, Lamb is tastier than Hogget especially as the freezer is lamb sized.
more Alpacas (what do they taste like? only joking)
more odds and sods
stop hand feeding everything versafeed, the scrum at the fence is popping the staples.
Find a cheap tractor with every conceivable attachment (do they still make power kerosene?)
Some sort of income...

but most importantly

Have Fun in Paradise!

Welcome to the site CHEESE_IT. With 28 acres you should be able to be almost self-sufficient in meat, milk, eggs, fruit, and vegetables. Are you planning to make your own cheese?
Someone else on here said a while ago that you butcher an alpaca as you would a deer.
I would recommend a diesel tractor over any old kerosene burning dinosaur due to the price of the fuel. When was the last time you saw a kerosene pump at the service station?
Good luck with Mango. If she has never had a calf then to me that makes her still a heifer but opinion is divided on that one. Can you borrow a bull to run with her for a while?

Thanks for the welcome Igor.

Welcome CheeseIt! I was just chatting with a bloke about Southland yesterday morning. He spoke very nostalgically about the area, and expressed his desire to shift there someday (he's a cereal crop farmer here in Canty). He said he spent a couple of months down in some years ago, and fell in love with the area, and commented about the community spirit there. I've been down there a few years back, and quite enjoyed my time there.

Andrea;424019 wrote: Welcome CheeseIt! I was just chatting with a bloke about Southland yesterday morning. He spoke very nostalgically about the area, and expressed his desire to shift there someday (he's a cereal crop farmer here in Canty). He said he spent a couple of months down in some years ago, and fell in love with the area, and commented about the community spirit there. I've been down there a few years back, and quite enjoyed my time there.

We arrived in northern southland on a Thursday,
Saturday we had fresh cake from a neighbours with a hearty welcome
Sunday the same
Monday was slightly different, biscuits
Wednesday the Saturday cake family were ready with a tractor and auger for the cat fence posts....

So that's how its been so far..bloody brilliant!

Most farms around here are massive dairy support units so I guess they are setting me up for the winters return of favours by doing the morning break feeding for them?
Swedes everywhere!

Interesting site you have about your goats Andrea.

I grew up in Northern Southland, now live in Waikato. Whereabouts are you?

Anne;424306 wrote: I grew up in Northern Southland, now live in Waikato. Whereabouts are you?

Lumsden area code.

Yeah, Lumsden was our "main" town. Lived at Longridge North.

Welcome and Lumsden is our "neighbour"