The Country Smallholder - May 2023

In this issue

Me and my pigs
Meeting a herd of Pedigree Old Spots and Large Whites.

Eco Living
How to help nesting birds to raise their brood; cut- oˆ date for lost paths changed; Rare Breeds in Scotland.

Machinery Matters
What’s on the market and up to date news- the iconic Fergie and useful equipment..

The Orwell Herd of pedigree Gloucester Old Spots and Large Whites

When Georgina Woolf first met her now-husband, Ben, in 1995, she didn’t like livestock, but she quickly mucked in. Fast-forward, and she now enjoys looking after the cattle and is in charge of the pigs which were her idea!

7 mins

Making soap at home

Fiona and Hugh Osborne make their own soap from leaf fat to use every part of the animal

7 mins

Alpaca Fibrehow to get the best from it

Joy Whitehead discusses fleece production and uses

5 mins

It’s a Dog's Life Down on the Farm and on the smallholding...

In his bi-monthly series, Jeremy Hobson continues to discuss the life of the smallholders’ dog as a working companion and pet

2 mins

Foot and Mouth Disease and other Exotic Diseases

David Harwood BVetMed, FRCVS asks if your goats and other livestock are still at risk?

7 mins

Help your pet to ditch that itch

If your dog is scratching excessively it’s uncomfortable for them and frustrating for you. Here, vet Julie Lawrence offers some sound advice to help identify skin problems and considers the treatment and management options available

3 mins

Meet the therapists!

We look at how Grace Olson discovered the healing power of sheep

5 mins

Breed Focus: Black Welsh Mountain Sheep

Helen Babbs meets this attractive and thrifty breed from Wales

4 mins

Are you ready for the responsibility of livestock?

Without sufficient knowledge, new livestock owners can find themselves stumbling along says Catriona Benson. But help is at hand

2 mins

All about Alpacas

Introducing Camelidynamics - learn how to work with the natural behaviour of alpacas for calm handling

2 mins

Beautiful bantams are ideal for the smaller garden

Lisa Mancell, National Sales Co-ordinator at Farmgate Feeds gives her top tips on caring for bantams.

2 mins

Hatching and beyond

Fiona Hugh Osborne guide you through the hatching process and how to handle common problems.

7 mins

Get off that nest!

Janice Houghton-Wallace looks at what to do when you don't want a broody hen to hatch eggs When it comes to hatching fertilised eggs a broody hen is best at the art of incubation. Broodiness normally occurs in a chicken once she has laid a clutch of eggs that she will be able to cover and incubate effectively. The number of eggs in a clutch varies between breeds but an average ideal number is between 10 - 12. But what happens if you don't want her to be broody?

3 mins

Growing Stages

Grant Brereton looks forward to getting excited about growing stock...

5 mins

Rearing chickens, ducks and geese to eat

Experienced smallholder Lorraine Turnbull discusses how to get the best return from your meat birds.

5 mins

Fear and stress in chickens

All animals show fear and stress and as their keepers, it should alert us to their needs. This month Paul Donovan investigates its role in poultry and how to reduce it.

8 mins

It's ime to plan your patch

Kim Stoddart explains how to maximise produce growing opportunities this year...

4 mins

Machinery Matters

In this month’s issue Jane Brooks looks at the venerable Ferguson tractor, still a popular tool on many smallholdings, but beware it takes a little getting used to.

4 mins

The Swiss Army Knife of tool carrying attachments for a Tractor

Introducing the BigToolRack and its inventor

2 mins

How much control do we have of the food we eat?

In the first article of this series, Jack Smellie explored the smallholder relationship with meat: the pride, the sadness and all things in between. This month, she takes a more in-depth look at the ethics of smallholder grown food meat and veg/fruit) and the smallholder relationship with food in general.

6 mins

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The Country Smallholder Magazine Description:

The Country Smallholder is aimed at the ever-increasing UK audience interested in living a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable way of life. From people already living on a smallholding, to allotment owners; from those with a couple of acres of land, to those aspiring to get more out of their garden or even window box. With 73% of UK residents claiming to want to live more sustainably post Covid, The Country Smallholder has something for everyone.

Every issue will carry; free vet advice; helpful practical features on all aspects of smallholding, from keeping chickens to crop rotation; information on poultry, pigs, sheep, goats, cattle, and alpacas; rural crafts; property; small tractors and machinery, as well as keeping readers up to date with all the latest news and innovations.