New LSB's to Matatoki

Hi all,
Hubby and I have just purchased a few acres at Matatoki. Where you say? Well its just south of the Kopu bridge, south of Thames.
I have been reading LSB mags for absolutely years now (hubby grumbling about how many boxes we're taking with us but I cant bear to let them go) and now I guess we will get to finally live it instead of reading about it. LSB has helped us with our chooks in the backyard of our suburban 1.4acre, plant crops and share it all with our family. I am ever so grateful for all the advise over the years. But now we are getting into serious business. Chooks - not a dozen - but over a hundred. Sheep/lambs - I know NOTHING about either :eek:. Hubby wants pigs - that's ok - he has experience with them. There is an existing orchard which needs some love, and I am really keen to get a vege garden going.
We would love to talk with other people in the area especially, but also any other 'city' folk passionate about fitting in with the rural setting. Any pitfalls to avoid? Suggestions, advise as always very very welcome.

Hi rotors, and welcome. How neat that you can finally do it. I started with 12 chooks and now close to 80, and chicks to look forward to this spring. If you have over a hundred I think you need a some sort of licence. But you may know that, if you've been around here a while. I wonder what breed of sheep you will choose, we chose Wilties for the easy care, nature and because we weren't interested in the wool. No regrets there. I'd like pigs, but not yet. And I have to be able to afford to feed them. How lucky that you will have some orchard, I wish, I'm a big preserver. Fitting into the rural life is: always waving, always helping and always listening, well that's may experience anyway lol, all the best.

Hi. That's just down the road from where Dad and Mum had a small farm, just opposite the start of the Kopu Hikuai Rd at Kopu. We ran cattle on that swampy country because it was rather too wet for sheep. We did graze some sheep once, but the dog didn't know what they were because he had only ever worked cattle. When we used the commands, he looked everywhere for the cattle but couldn't see that we meant him to round up the sheep. It was really funny to watch.
Pigs eat sheep, so need really good fencing to keep each other apart. Cattle are hugely easier to fence in, don't get foot problems, don't need shearing, eat all sorts of things that sheep would rather die of starvation than eat. If I could, I would only have cattle.

Hello rotors ,welcome to the forum.

Hi Rotors, we will be driving practically past your door in another 10 days or so, off the Whitianga to stay with friends and go along to the scallop festival. Is a lovely part of the world...we are also pretty new to the rural lifestyle having been in the city for the past 20 years. We are very small scale but loving having a bigger veg plot, room for an expanding orchard and a few ducks. Good luck with it all!