The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Community => Introduce yourself => Topic started by: Beewyched on February 13, 2011, 04:06:48 pm
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Hi All :wave:
Been surfing this wet Sunday afternoon & just found you, looks like fun so decided to register.
We live in West Central Scotland with our Setters, chooks, bees & Kune Kunes. We grow some of our own fruit & veg & hope to invest in a polytunnel this year in an effort to become more self-sufficient - though finding it difficult to identify one that is easy enough to put-up that will withstand the wind !!!
Look forward to joining in.
:bee: :pig: :chook: :dog:
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Hi & glad you've joined us.
Plenty of info in Veg section re 'polytunnel pride'
8)
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hi and welcome from moray :wave:
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Thanks Silver Swan & hiya :wave: - will certainly have a mooch.
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Hiya Faith0504 :wave:
Hey - it's stopped raining!!! :)
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its still raining here ??? enjoy the site its awesome :wave:
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Hi, welcome to the forum - did you know about Central Scotland Smallholders Association? www.smallholders.info (http://www.smallholders.info)
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Hi
Welcome from us in Strathblane! Where abouts are you?
Pebbles
:pig: :pig: :pig: :chook: :sheep: :&> :pig: :pig: :pig:
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Hi from Southern Scotland :wave: We are on a very windy site and have a very sturdy Northern Polytunnels 7mx14m tunnel with concreted in uprights, wooden base rail rather than buried polythene and crop bars and corner reinforcers which do the trick. We lost one cover early on because we hadn't attached it correctly, but the replacement has been on for about 13 years now - about to be replaced. We surrounded our tunnel plus veg patch with 2m high windbreak netting, then planted a hedge to the windiest side. It is definitely worth taking the trouble to have a tunnel as otherwise you are severely restricted in what you can grow on a windy site.
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Hello from me in Lanarkshire :wave:
Also an avid Kune Kune fan ;D but have some Berkshire and Large Black gilts too.
Looking forward to hearing more about you !
Karen
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Another welcome from Lanarkshire.
We keep chickens & sheep, but have just acquired a polytunnel, still to be erected.
John
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Wow, thanks for all the messages folks :wave:
We are tenants of a 11/2 acre smallholding in Kilbarchan & rent a 4 acre field for our KKs. They are all in their byre at the moment & have made a mud pie out of their paddock (urgh) - can't wait till the weather dries out a bit so we can get their arks put up & get them out (bet they can't wait either).
We are looking for a polytunnel about 2x4, problem (apart from the wind) is that we only have about 3-4 inches of soil so not too sure about footings/fixings - does anyone know of suppliers in Scotland who will also erect them for you? or anyone who will come & put them up?
Our bees seem to have survived their first winter - they managed to get out for their cleansing flight a couple of days ago. Not quite sure what happened to the little corpses - was it the wild birds or did the chooks have a snack :yum:? either way they'd been cleared away by the evening. :bee:
Karen - think we may already know each other - do you have a KK boar called Sid? :pig:
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Ah, it IS you ;D
I wondered when I saw Kilbarchan mentioned ! I can tell you a bit about polytunnels next time I see you (time's limited at the mo !) Bruce is proficient at sorting them out ;) ;D
How's wee Son of Syd doing ? Still rolling over for his daily belly rub ? :D
See you both soon
xxx
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Hello and welcome from Mid Central Scotland!
We have dairy goats, plus chooks, ducks and dogs/cats etc. Raised a couple of weaners for meat this year, but that was my first experiance of pigs for years.
Like you- I am looking forward to the ground drying out a bit!
Beth
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Hi and welcome from very wet Carnoustie :wave: Who said the east coast was dry? And what idiot believed them ;D
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Hi Karen :wave: :wave: :wave:
Yeh, SoS is growing up to be a lovely boy, his best pal is Dudley (the castrated brother of Portia) it's soooo cute to see them at feed time - the tribe is free-running in their byre over the winter with open access to their paddock (mudpatch!). We have left the old feeding troughs in the cow stalls, so they all have one each, the girls are very possessive of theirs, but SoS & Duds insist on sharing theirs - sweet :pig: :pig:.
We hope to get Portia across to you soon, but having the new lot has thrown us a bit - we ended up with some extras, so emergency pen construction in the other byre has been a priority, especially as one of the new gilts could be in pig - so we may have the sound of little trotters sooner than we had planned this year - but hey, at least the farrowing pens are done now!. Lots to tell, will have to email you.
:pig:X :pig:
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Hi Beth :wave:,
Interested to hear you've got dairy goats - not heard of many in sunny Scotland, though I bet your :&> :&> :&> are loving the weather!
Do you make any products from your herd - just asking, as we love goats cheeses :yum: & there doesn't appear to be many farn shops over this way?
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Hi Rosemary :wave:
Sorry, had to Google Carnougie - I'd not heard of it before :dunce:. The weather's definately been a bit of an East/West see-saw split - just can't seem to get the hang of dry AND warm anywhere at the moment. I was really excited when I got to hang some washing out the other day & heard my bees out for the 1st time this year, but the poor things have been hive-bound again for the last few days - it did stop raining for a few hours this afternoon, but it was too cold for them to venture out.
Just wish we could get a few dry (& warm days) soon, so we can get the new pig arcs constructed so the pigs can go across to their field - bet they've forgotten what it's like to feel grass under their trotters, poor things turned their paddock into a mudbath before Christmas.
:pig: :chook: :dog: :bee:
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Hi there and welcome from another newcomer.
I am miles further south than you, but the old name of my house meant wind hill, and it was well named. I wanted a polytunnel and after research also went for Northern and it has been very good. Put up without professional help nearly 20 years ago. No concreting etc. It has had 3 covers in that time, but really only though mistakes.
The first one I didn't use hot tape, and also used binder twine to tie thinks to the supports which damaged the cover. The second one I thought a builder would do a good job, but it was a loose as an old carrier bag and damaged quickly. This one has been on for around 5 years, and looks to have a good few years left.
I got the replacement cover from LBS who are very helpful
All the best
Sue
Dark Brown Eggs
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Yeh, SoS is growing up to be a lovely boy, his best pal is Dudley (the castrated brother of Portia) it's soooo cute to see them at feed time - the tribe is free-running in their byre over the winter with open access to their paddock (mudpatch!). We have left the old feeding troughs in the cow stalls, so they all have one each, the girls are very possessive of theirs, but SoS & Duds insist on sharing theirs - sweet :pig: :pig:.
I'm gobsmacked :o :D
Have never heard of 2 unrelated boars sharing happily - really, never in my life ! Even my little newly weaned boys wouldn't tolerate Red when we put him in - there was ear biting and fighting even at a very young age :-\ The fact that they're sharing happily (and the best of friends) is unheard of I'd say, but if it works - why not ? I think it's lovely :love: But you might find you need to seperate them when SoS starts 'working' - just watch them and see how it goes ;)
Don't panic about Portia ;) ;D We're the same as you guys - franticly fencing & arc building - so whenever you're sorted just give us a shout.
Take care & see you soon,
Karen x
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Hi Beth :wave:,
Interested to hear you've got dairy goats - not heard of many in sunny Scotland, though I bet your :&> :&> :&> are loving the weather!
Do you make any products from your herd - just asking, as we love goats cheeses :yum: & there doesn't appear to be many farn shops over this way?
There are a few breeders in Scotland- but not many of us any more :( The people who keep goats tend to fall into one of two brackets (either they breed and show, and register their goats, or they keep a few for the smallholding, and don't register them). There are few enough of either, and sadly, the two don't cross over easily as those for show need to keep the health status of their goats up, and therefore cannot provide stud services for the general smallholder etc.
We sometimes make cheese, but not very often, Tend to make butter and soap more often, but don't sell any!
Beth
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Hello from Clackmannan :wave:
did I already say hello?
never mind, hello again :wave:
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Hi from a slushy Argyll! x
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heloooo from Deeside in Aberdeenshire!! :wave: :wave: :wave:
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Hello from gorgeously sunny Kinlochbervie!