Few minority breeds have faced such challenging conditions as those from the northernmost isles. Meg Mearns highlights the plight of Shetland geese
It’s not surprising that Shetland breeds are becoming so popular – they are hardy, they do well on rough ground and have very few health issues. Usually smaller than their mainland counterparts, all the breeds from Shetland cattle to Shetland geese, Shetland ducks and Shetland hens make very good choices for smallholders. In addition, people who choose to keep these breeds are making a positive contribution in helping in the conservation of these rare breeds – another brilliant reason to choose Shetland!
We have kept Shetland geese and Shetland ducks for many years now – they have such quirky characters that make them so much fun to be with and in their little family groups so much more entertaining than any soap. Getting to understand their ‘language’ through their vocal calls and displays is one of the fascinating things about keeping geese.
Shetland geese are a breed so rare it’s getting to the point where it is almost too late to save. When we met our first pair there were only a couple of breeders in the country, and there were under 50 individual geese in the whole of the UK. Over the last eight years we worked hard to get these numbers up to spread them further around the country, and now there are more people keeping Shetland geese than there have been for a long time. Part of the reason why they are so rare is that they are very difficult to get to breed - an indicator that the gene pool is desperately small.
Shetland geese are smaller than the big white farmyard types, with the males being mainly white and the females grey and white – so it is easy to tell the sexes apart. They have gorgeous blue eyes and the adults have a pinkish tinge to their beaks and legs.
Denne historien er fra March 2018-utgaven av Country Smallholding.
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Denne historien er fra March 2018-utgaven av Country Smallholding.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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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