Birds, bees, rabbits...goats? Do you keep livestock on your allotment?

[Nikki Arnold]

With growing interest in smallholdings, chickenkeeping and beekeeping, plus growing concerns surrounding food and environmental stability, it's not surprising that hives and coops are starting to make a comeback at the allotment. So, if you keep livestock at the plot, or are thinking about it, we'd love to hear from you! Share your thoughts (and tips) here....*




*Please note answers may be edited and printed in the November issue of GYO

[alldigging]

We've got bees on our allotment! We consulted plotholders and neighbours to the site and everyone has been really keen! Half the neighbourhood has been to have a look at the hives!

[sowitgrowit]

I would love chickens and bees if I had a bigger plot (and if they were allowed). Do people REALLY keep rabbits on an allotment? That's baffling - I'd love to hear from someone that does!

[Pinfold Plotter]

Nothing myself (unless you count my army of slugs and the rabbits that are determined to try and set up home), but next door's sheep got in last year and "weeded" for me. I now know that sheep don't like leeks, but will eat pretty much everything else!

[alldigging]

On Edge Lane allotments in Manchester they even have a pony!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/elacm/
"We have a training area for schools, a donkey, welsh cob pony, ducks, geese, peacocks, rabbits, chickens, racing pigeons, eggs for sale and fresh fruit and veg, a community orchard and soon to be a cook and learn kitchen. Oh and not to forget the bees hopefully. "

[roitelet]

I don't have a lottie just a big garden here in France and we keep chickens and rabbits. The present count is about 30 rabbits and 15 hens and 4 cocks. Some are destined for the pot and some we hope to sell live (rabbits). We keep 2 female rabbits and one male for breeding. The male a lovely lop ear spends most of his time in the chicken run and we think that he thinks he is a dog by the way he behaves. Apart from their obvious use the rabbits prduce a wonderful lot of rich manure which then grows super veggies.

[WendyC]

We're not allowed to keep animals. I think it is something to do with the fact the plots are small.

[Nicos]

I live in rural France - and having livestock is the norm here.
We have 18 chooks ..eggs, eggs and more eggs!
5 geese ( Xmas/New Year dinner for us and our friends)
9 bunnies- ie mommy and daddy ( Petunia and Percy are our pets) and their young uns for selling live or for meat.

All are behind an electric fence to keep our 5 local foxes away.

We try to give our livestock as natural as life as possible- more so perhaps as we need to keep everything especially clean in that environment so they never need antibiotics/medication which are often needed with the more intensive 'farming' of livestock.
We regularly encourage our local French neighbours to follow the 'environmentally enriched environment' which we adhere to.
It's really a relief to see people changing their techniques in caring for their livestock!

It's always sad to 'cull' any bird/animal for the table, but at least we know they have been cared for - and cuddled daily- until their end.

Back on our UK allotments we never had livestock- although we could have had hens, geese,rabbits and pigs.
I really wish we had taken up the challenge with them...such a waste of experience!

[bubblewrap]

The only livestock I have on my plot is frogs

Joking aside we are not permitted to have livestock on the site.

[alldigging]

The councils legal man told us councils can't stop you keeping hens and bees on allotments. No matter what their tenancy agreement says. It's enshrined in the 1950 allotment act.

[hamamelis]

I don't yet, but I'm hoping to get bees sometime.
Various people already have bees, chickens and geese on site.
Someone did have rabbits and guinea pigs too, before the RSPCA took them away after the owner didn't come down to the site for two days when it was below freezing, leaving them stuck in a hutch with a frozen water bottle...