I used to keep a small Apiary here Jackie of 10 hives. But the
decline in crops meant that the bees were moving further afield for
pollination. It has now got to the point that I have no active hives
on my place other than for the flowers I grow myself. The chickens
ate a lot of them also!

You need about 1 hive per acre and then have to move them around
with the cropping season to be beneficial to both you and the
farmer. Just plonking them in the garden with nothing to do isn't a
good thing, the bees will swarm on you and you could lose the lot to
another farmland or large garden. A spare hive helps here if you can
get a Queen as the swarms can be gathered and given to you for
nothing if they are caught. Good Queens don't come cheap!

But no-one should ever be deterred from trying something new!

I agree with Jackie though, you really need to "Swat-Up" on the
Bees, they take a fair bit of looking after really, so yes go and
talk to other Beekeepers first.


Cheers
John.



--- In smallholding@..., "Jackie Bridgen"
<jackiebridgen@...> wrote:
>
> join your local bee club - they are usually friendly and
informative, and
> will answer all your questions. You can also keep bees on someone
else's
> land. Farmers are often more than willing to let you put a hive on
headland
> or corners, since bees are so essential to pollination.
>
> Jackie
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Richard Cook" <richardscook@...>
> To: <smallholding@...>
> Sent: Saturday, December 22, 2007 12:09 AM
> Subject: Re: [SmallHolding] Re: Chicken houses
>
>
> > What have been your experiences with the 3 hens Steve? I
presume you
> > keep them in your garden?? I'm really keen to get into bee-
keeping
> > myself, but I have my reservations as someone once told me that
they
> > need a really long, clear run-in to the hive?? I've not been
able to
> > prove or disprove this one yet, I'm afraid
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Steve Simpson wrote:
> >>
> >> I'm very keen on the micro-holding concept. I have 3 hens and
was
> >> considering some of the low space, free yield farming types. For
> >> instance is
> >> keeping bees viable? What about a peignoir?
> >>
> >> Any other ideas for a small space smallholder?
> >>
> >> By the way, I have a 15 x 40 feet!!
> >>
> >> On 21/12/2007, Richard Cook <richardscook@...
> >> <mailto:richardscook%40googlemail.com>> wrote:
> >> >
> >> > Thanks for the advice John - much as I suspected really:
goats = hell
> >> > !! I forgot to include my garden measurements: it's about 20m
x 18m.
> >> > Not that that matters much now. I think I've pretty much
decided it's a
> >> > no-go, at least until we have a "back garden" like yours!! It
would
> >> > have been a bit of a long way off anyway, but I thought it
would be
> >> > wise
> >> > to enquire while I had the chance. Hopefully the chickens
will arrive
> >> > over the weekend, and we can get to grips with them.... then
a decent
> >> > garden harvest next year... maybe some bees the year after...
and by
> >> > then, who knows where we'll all be!
> >> >
> >> > Thanks again!
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > John wrote:
> >> > >
> >> > > It all depends Richard!
> >> > >
> >> > > First of all how big is the Garden?
> >> > > Are you on an estate where you would be allowed to keep a
Goat?
> >> > >
> >> > > I for instance have an actual back garden of just over 5
acres and
> >> > > we kept 6 goats on it but even they struggled to keep all
the grass
> >> > > down. We've even had some 80+ chickens out on it but they
tended to
> >> > > soil the grass for grazing as they were free ranging!
> >> > >
> >> > > We got rid of the goats in the end and put out Geese, now
that was
> >> > > an experience in itself! They ruined the place in no time
Free
> >> > > ranging!
> >> > >
> >> > > Space is the question, Goats need to eat a lot of grass and
herbs if
> >> > > you intend milking, BUT they also eat anything they can get
to grips
> >> > > with, Tins, rubbish and the washing on the line if you
don't keep
> >> > > them under control. Forget Flowerbeds if they are not
enclosed in a
> >> > > compound for instance! Anchors? Some of the goats we had
you would
> >> > > have needed the anchors off the QEII to keep them in!...Lol
> >> > >
> >> > > If they escaped you could be in serious trouble with your
neighbours!
> >> > >
> >> > > They really need to be in a controlled environment also
consider who
> >> > > would look after them if you wanted to go away for instance?
> >> > >
> >> > > The way things are going nowadays, you could end up needing
to get a
> >> > > license to keep rabbits in your garden!
> >> > >
> >> > > There are Laws now for keeping animals and I would check
these out
> >> > > with DEFRA before I'd do anything, unless someone here can
give an
> >> > > alternative opinion?
> >> > >
> >> > > Cheers
> >> > > John
> >> > >
> >> > > --- In smallholding@...
> >> <mailto:smallholding%40yahoogroups.co.uk>
> >> <smallholding%40yahoogroups.co.uk>
> >> > > <mailto:smallholding%40yahoogroups.co.uk>, Richard Cook
> >> > > <richardscook@> wrote:
> >> > > >
> >> > > > Just curious... how practical is it to keep a goat in a
back
> >> > > garden?
> >> > > > We're getting four long-awaited chickens for Christmas,
and we've
> >> > > built
> >> > > > a movable house and run so that we can minimise the
damage to the
> >> > > > grass. But if we got a goat as well in the future, would
that be
> >> > > too
> >> > > > much for the grass to bear??
> >> > > >
> >> > > >
> >> > > > welliless wrote:
> >> > > > >
> >> > > > > -Hi Karen, well Hubby is right, especially when they
get in the
> >> > > veg
> >> > > > > garden. But then, think of the milk and meat and skins.
And the
> >> > > fun
> >> > > > > when you take them for walks. When my children were
small, they
> >> > > used
> >> > > > > to squat beside our goats as I was milking, all with
mouths wide
> >> > > open
> >> > > > > for me to aim jets of milk there. Then would hold out
their cups
> >> > > for
> >> > > > > filling as soon as I had filtered it. You can't get
fresher than
> >> > > > > that. They could all milk by the time they were about 4.
> >> > > > > Happy days!
> >> > > > > -- In smallholding@...
> >> <mailto:smallholding%40yahoogroups.co.uk><smallholding%
40yahoogroups.co.uk>
> >> > > <mailto:smallholding%40yahoogroups.co.uk>
> >> > > > > <mailto:smallholding%40yahoogroups.co.uk>, "Karen"
<karence@>
> >> > > wrote:
> >> > > > > >
> >> > > > > > Hi
> >> > > > > >
> >> > > > > >
> >> > > > > >
> >> > > > > > Thank you, I was thinking of bantams at first, but
small eggs,
> >> > > and
> >> > > > > > relatively shorter lives so I have read. Looking
forward to our
> >> > > > > own eggs.
> >> > > > > >
> >> > > > > >
> >> > > > > >
> >> > > > > > Don't get me started on goats, I love them, my
husband says
> >> > > they
> >> > > > > are devil
> >> > > > > > creatures!!!
> >> > > > > >
> >> > > > > >
> >> > > > > >
> >> > > > > > Regards
> >> > > > > >
> >> > > > > > Karen
> >> > > > > >
> >> > > > > >
> >> > > > > >
> >> > > > > >
> >> > > > > >
> >> > > > > > From: smallholding@...
> >> <mailto:smallholding%40yahoogroups.co.uk><smallholding%
40yahoogroups.co.uk>
> >> > > <mailto:smallholding%40yahoogroups.co.uk>
> >> > > > > <mailto:smallholding%40yahoogroups.co.uk>
> >> > > > > [mailto:smallholding@...
> >> <mailto:smallholding%40yahoogroups.co.uk><smallholding%
40yahoogroups.co.uk>
> >> > > <mailto:smallholding%40yahoogroups.co.uk>
> >> > > > > <mailto:smallholding%40yahoogroups.co.uk>]
> >> > > > > > On Behalf Of welliless
> >> > > > > > Sent: 19 December 2007 23:08
> >> > > > > > To: smallholding@...
> >> <mailto:smallholding%40yahoogroups.co.uk><smallholding%
40yahoogroups.co.uk>
> >> > > <mailto:smallholding%40yahoogroups.co.uk>
> >> > > > > <mailto:smallholding%40yahoogroups.co.uk>
> >> > > > > > Subject: [SmallHolding] Re: Chicken houses
> >> > > > > >
> >> > > > > >
> >> > > > > >
> >> > > > > > Hi Karen
> >> > > > > > Yes we use some rabbit housing for hens to nest and
roost in.
> >> > > > > > Obviously they need to be out during the day and need
to be
> >> > > able to
> >> > > > > > stand up straight, so no big breeds, also rabbit
cages make
> >> > > great
> >> > > > > > broody coops too.
> >> > > > > > Good luck with your plans, nothing like a warm fresh
egg for
> >> > > > > > breakfast. Beaten only by milk, warm and fresh from
the goat.
> >> > > > > >
> >> > > > > > --- In smallholding@...
> >> <mailto:smallholding%40yahoogroups.co.uk><smallholding%
40yahoogroups.co.uk>
> >> > > <mailto:smallholding%40yahoogroups.co.uk>
> >> > > > > <mailto:smallholding%40yahoogroups.co.uk>
> >> > > > > > <mailto:smallholding%40yahoogroups.co.uk> , "Karen"
<karence@>
> >> > > > > wrote:
> >> > > > > > >
> >> > > > > > > Okay, next year I'm getting chickens which I am
very excited
> >> > > > > about.
> >> > > > > > > However, I don't have a chicken coop as of yet, I
do have two
> >> > > > > > fairly newish
> >> > > > > > > rabbit hutches, one is already raised off the
ground and I'm
> >> > > > > hoping
> >> > > > > > to do
> >> > > > > > > the same with the other one and then with some
carpentry
> >> > > skills
> >> > > > > > (borrowed
> >> > > > > > > from goodness knows where;-)) we hoping to
amalgamate the two
> >> > > > > > hutches so
> >> > > > > > > that one becomes the nesting area - are we mad? Has
anybody
> >> > > used
> >> > > > > > hutches
> >> > > > > > > before with any success? Would you recommend just
getting a
> >> > > coop
> >> > > > > > > straightaway and if I did, which type to go for?
The choice
> >> > > is
> >> > > > > > huge.
> >> > > > > > >
> >> > > > > > >
> >> > > > > > >
> >> > > > > > > I did quite like the idea of the Vplas hutches, but
they
> >> > > seem to
> >> > > > > > have gone
> >> > > > > > > now a long time ago and you can't seem to get the
hutches, so
> >> > > > > maybe
> >> > > > > > they
> >> > > > > > > weren't great anyway.
> >> > > > > > >
> >> > > > > > >
> >> > > > > > >
> >> > > > > > > Look forward to your comments.
> >> > > > > > >
> >> > > > > > >
> >> > > > > > >
> >> > > > > > > Karen
> >> > > > > > >
> >> > > > > > > x
> >> > > > > > >
> >> > > > > > >
> >> > > > > > >
> >> > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been
removed]
> >> > > > > > >
> >> > > > > >
> >> > > > > >
> >> > > > > >
> >> > > > > >
> >> > > > > >
> >> > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >> > > > > >
> >> > > > >
> >> > > > >
> >> > > >
> >> > >
> >> > >
> >> >
> >> >
> >> >
> >>
> >> --
> >> Regards
> >>
> >> Steve Simpson
> >> Senior Network Engineer / I.T. Consultant
> >> Steve Simpson Consultancy Ltd.
> >> Tel: 07780 922396
> >>
> >> This message is sent in confidence for the addressee only. It
may contain
> >> confidential or sensitive information. The contents are not to
be
> >> disclosed
> >> to anyone other than the addressee. Unauthorised recipients are
> >> requested to
> >> preserve this confidentiality and to advise us of any errors in
> >> transmission. Thank you. Steve Simpson Consultancy is
registered in
> >> the UK;
> >> No. 5716326. VAT Reg. 883 6700 95
> >>
> >> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
> >
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> >
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