91

Sheep / Re: Help! Advice on bottle feeding lambs with ewe with mastitis - updated new query

« Last post by messyhoose on April 24, 2024, 11:27:45 am »

my local farming FB group had this same question last night and someone responded with - give the lamb a Vit E tablet.
It apparently worked and a bit of searching online shows it is often used in lambs with a poor suck response (although usually given by injection)

just incase anyone else having bottlefeeding issues wants to try that....

92

Sheep / Nasal bots?

« Last post by Richmond on April 24, 2024, 08:37:28 am »

I have two sheep with snotty noses - green thick mucus with blood streaks. One is due to lamb within the next week, one is not in lamb. They are in different fields.  Could it be nasal bots or is it too early in the year? It's been cold and windy here for what seems like forever! They seem otherwise well.

93

Wildlife / Re: Swallows '24

« Last post by Rupert the bear on April 22, 2024, 08:59:08 pm »

I've hung on during my hibernation waiting and looking out of the window, they were early here last year, now we are entering the " looking to the sky " mode. 

94

Other / Re: Rabbits

« Last post by Richmond on April 22, 2024, 08:24:45 pm »

Breed and rear Californian Whites. Big bu**ers that grow quickly. Feed them the same as any other rabbit - ad lib hay and veg. if you do find rabbit meat in supermarkets chances are it will be domestic rabbit eg CWs. Butchers tend to sell wild rabbit.

Like supermarket chicken v home reared free range chicken, the same breeds can be used but the way you rear them can make a great deal of difference to the taste.  Buy in a breeding pair of CWs and see how you get on. Domestic rabbit is pretty mild taste wise so perhaps good to start customers off with. You can introduce wild rabbit later on if you have customers that show an interest.

Sorry can't help with the legislation stuff.

95

Marketplace / Re: Edited.For sale Pedigree Shetland heifers and purebred Shetland steers. D&G

« Last post by catriona on April 22, 2024, 06:29:07 pm »

Just wanted to say that Shetland Cattle are wonderful!  If anyone reading this forum is considering getting cattle, I'd highly recommend Shetlands - quiet, gentle, lovely colours, amazing beef, and good for milking too.  We have a little herd, and they are lovely!

96

Wildlife / Re: Swallows '24

« Last post by Penninehillbilly on April 22, 2024, 03:25:04 pm »

One was in the barn 2 nights ago. Hope it's partner turns up safe

97

Announcements / New diary post: Petunias / Paths / Supercorgis

« Last post by TAS Bot on April 21, 2024, 03:12:04 pm »

A new TAS diary entry has been posted: Petunias / Paths / Supercorgis

98

Wildlife / Re: Swallows '24

« Last post by Possum on April 21, 2024, 02:29:04 pm »

I think ours has gone north because we didn't see it yesterday or today. Although we did see one over the County Cricket ground on Friday.

99

Other / Re: Rabbits

« Last post by chrismahon on April 21, 2024, 10:29:52 am »

Perhaps the most important thing will be your market for them? Sure plenty of people will try it once, but selling the meat over a period of time to re-coup your investment might be a problem?


Something we see infrequently here now. Even our specialist butcher doesn't stock much, so it seems to have gone out of fashion in the last 10 years. Any meat here is now very expensive, except for pork. Chickens are all free-range and command €12/Kg- same price as beef, but you pay for the chicken bones as well, so it works out very expensive and I expect rabbit to be even more?

100

Marketplace / Re: Edited.For sale Pedigree Shetland heifers and purebred Shetland steers. D&G

« Last post by SallyintNorth on April 21, 2024, 09:38:41 am »

Format needs editing @Rosemary