In a normal pre- and post-coronavirus world, getting your first smallholding can be the start of an exciting new adventure, and pigs are often high on the wishlist. However, it is worth trying to reign in your enthusiasm a little before making any big decisions about livestock, particularly if your nearest neighbours are not farming folk.
A few sheep in your fields are unlikely to raise too many eyebrows, but pigs can be a bit more of an emotive subject. Those unfamiliar with pigs often have preconceptions about them; the most frequently heard are that they are noisy, smelly, dirty and make a mess of any land to which they have access. For the most part, these are valid points, so your job as a newcomer to pig-keeping will be to allay their fears and do everything you can to ensure that your new acquisitions will not cause a rift that could be hard to put right. It may be tempting to take the “It’s my land and I’ll do what I want with it” view, but, as anyone who has endured a neighbour dispute will tell you, it can dominate your everyday life.
FIRST THINGS FIRST
You may think that it’s nobody’s business but your own, but it’s worth having a chat with any near neighbours about your plans for the land, in the same way as it can be beneficial to discuss any major building work.
Invite them over for a friendly cup of tea and explain where your pig paddock will be, how it will be fenced and the kind of housing you have in mind. If there are any serious concerns about the visual appearance of the paddock when viewed from next door, fence panels or a fastgrowing willow hedge outside the stock fencing might be a solution, with the added benefit of acting as a windbreak and sound deflector.
Esta historia es de la edición June 2020 de Country Smallholding.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición June 2020 de Country Smallholding.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
The Secret World Of The Honey Bee
Who knew that honey bees are the best builders? Nicola Bradbear from Bees for Development reveals how they build their parallel wax combs with extraordinary accuracy
Tip the light fantastic
The latest offering from Ifor Williams Trailers is the Single Axle Tipper, which is simply perfect for small-scale farmers
The legacy of The Good Life
The Good Life captured the public’s imagination when it first aired in 1975. On Country Smallholding’s 45th birthday, Jeremy Hobson looks at this and other programmes with a self-sufficiency slant that have captivated urban and rural dwellers alike over nearly half a century
‘The hens took shelter under the pig trailer in the paddock'
A tree Armageddon frightens poultry diarist Julian Hammer’s flock and leaves him with a mammoth clear-up job
Tools of the trade
In the second part of his mini-series on tools that are useful around the holding, Kevin Alviti takes an in-depth look at the iconic scythe, a thistle paddle and forks that were once virtually indispensable to small-scale farmers
The nightclub bouncer of the sheep world
Adam Henson waxes lyrical about the Texel, which boasts such a stocky body that it resembles a box of muscle on four legs
Buying on a tight budget
As demand for smallholdings increases and prices continue to rise, is there a way to achieve your dream without forking out a fortune? In the first part of a new mini-series, Liz Shankland explores the possibilities
Crazy for crafts
In an ordinary back garden and single paddock near Kidderminster, Kay Dalloway has created both a thriving smallholding and a successful fibre business — all while working full time for the NHS. Helen Babbs drops by to find out about her ventures
Game on
A little preparation in the autumn months will help to make the transition into winter smoother and put your garden and tools on a better footing come the spring, says Stephanie Bateman
1975 And All That
Country Smallholding is 45 this month. To celebrate, Jeremy Hobson takes a look at some of the changes — both good and bad — to small-scale farming over that near half-century