You may be sitting by the window right now, listening to the rain hammering down on your waterlogged fields — while just a few weeks ago you were complaining about the spring heatwave parching your soil.
The only thing we know for sure about our weather is that it can be erratic, changing when we least expect it. With that in mind, it pays to get your smallholding ready for whatever the climate decides to throw at you.
Anyone who has kept pigs through a prolonged sunny spell will know the challenges faced by the species during uncomfortably hot weather. As vet Max Wood notes on page 10, pigs can’t thermoregulate in the same way as other mammals so, as pig-keepers, we need to ensure that there are measures in place to help them cool down effectively and stay safe.
PIG PEN PLANNING
If you have yet to get your first pigs, considering how they will fare in extreme temperatures — both hot and cold — before siting your pig pens is really important. Ideally choose a site that is sheltered, with trees to provide shade in the summer when it’s too warm for them to be in their arks. If the site is pretty bare, think of ways in which you can create a strong framework that can be covered to provide shade, but remember that even small pigs can be incredibly strong when rubbing against posts, so make sure that it’s sturdy enough to withstand being used as a backscratcher.
Denne historien er fra June 2020-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.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra June 2020-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.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
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
