The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Community => Introduce yourself => Topic started by: fairhaven on July 22, 2012, 08:09:46 pm

Title: Newbie from Norfolk
Post by: fairhaven on July 22, 2012, 08:09:46 pm
Hi Everyone

 Me & Hubby started setting up our own little smallholding this year:  Norfolk horn sheep, Ducks (Aylesbury & Muscovy) Poultry (Light Sussex, Rhode Island, Maran, Brown Isa)   And my beautiful babies... Norfolk Bronze Turkeys!
  We have just bought our first pigs...  2 in-pig Large Black sows,  Our first litter went smoothly, Dorothy produced milk from her teats on the friday night so we put her in the farrowing pen, On the sunday she had 8 healthy black babies. At 1 week old today they are all doing really well.
 Our other sow 'Dora the explorer'  started producing milk from her teats today, so we put her in her pen... She broke out & went to see the ponies... We put her back in & she tried to break out again, so we have just left the door open into her paddock - Fingers crossed she will calm down now & just have her babies her way, she got so agitated that we daren't try & shut her in anymore.

Needless to say we are leaning about pigs rather fast, but they are great, Love them!
Title: Re: Newbie from Norfolk
Post by: Rosemary on July 22, 2012, 08:11:40 pm
Hello and welcome from Carnoustie  :wave:

Sounds like a nice set-up you have there  :)

Good luck with Dora's litter - don't forget photos for us to ooh and aah over.
Title: Re: Newbie from Norfolk
Post by: fairhaven on July 22, 2012, 08:22:47 pm
Thank you - a lot of people say this is the best place to meet like minded friendly people,  We got lucky with the land but as far as the animals are concerned I've got an awful habit of getting new 'herd members' before the pens / fencing is finished... It drives hubby mad! ;D
The turkeys are living in our back garden at the moment (But the kids can just go and stroke them so it's nice, I'll be a bit disappointed  when their fencing is finished & they go to join the others on the field!)
 :bunny:  Our animal collection started years ago when we started showing rare breed rabbits, but it taken all these years to finally get my 'dream come true small holding' :farmer:
Title: Re: Newbie from Norfolk
Post by: manian on July 22, 2012, 09:09:02 pm
hi from a sunny derbyshire
Mx
Title: Re: Newbie from Norfolk
Post by: HappyHippy on July 22, 2012, 09:31:55 pm
Hello from me in South Lanarkshire  :wave:

Look forward to hearing more about you and your pigs  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Newbie from Norfolk
Post by: darkbrowneggs on July 22, 2012, 09:34:47 pm
Hi there from lovely warm Worcestershire  :wave:
Title: Re: Newbie from Norfolk
Post by: Lesley Silvester on July 23, 2012, 04:33:24 pm
 :wave:   Hi from sunny Shropshire.
Title: Re: Newbie from Norfolk
Post by: Mammyshaz on July 26, 2012, 08:05:03 pm
Hello and welcome from Durham  :wave:

Still waiting to find our dream land for livestock   :-\   Until then i just go all soppy over everyone's  photos on TAS  :D
Title: Re: Newbie from Norfolk
Post by: fairhaven on July 27, 2012, 09:20:24 pm
 :wave: Thanks for all the welcomes & the great advice since i've been here... Lovely people & a rather addictive site  :thumbsup:  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: Newbie from Norfolk
Post by: Lesley Silvester on July 27, 2012, 09:44:10 pm
VERY addictive site, you mean.   ;D
Title: Re: Newbie from Norfolk
Post by: SLI on July 31, 2012, 08:44:18 am
Hi,
I haven't been on here for ages due to bad health but have just re-found my enthusiasm for my chooks.
Sounds like you're not very far from me - I'm at Winterton  :)
Title: Re: Newbie from Norfolk
Post by: ddangus on July 31, 2012, 03:24:15 pm
Hi,

Welcome to the site. Just got our weaners (2 Tamworths) a few weeks back, they are addictive. might take the plunge next year and go for a sow in-pig. The pigs are helping us save on the digging and manure the field at same time ready for spuds next year.

DD
Title: Re: Newbie from Norfolk
Post by: fairhaven on August 06, 2012, 05:12:52 pm
Hi ddangus

 Getting 2 in-pig sows was great, our plot was mostly wasteland for years, full of thistles, brambles, nettles etc and the sows have made a good start clearing a patch of it & we've fenced half of it off to fatten the weaners.