The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: wellies on May 11, 2013, 04:31:28 pm
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finally got off my bottom and written it :excited: . Thought it was about time I used my education and brain (been in hibernation since I gave up lecturing last year :innocent: )to write down what we are trying to achieve with the sheep & policies for doing so. Loved doing it, think everyone should have one even if it just highlights important dates and policies to be followed. It's a working document so subject to change but felt good writing it all down. Now when hubby complains another thing needs doing I can pop it under his nose and tell him it must be done as it's in the policy :roflanim:
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Would love one but no idea where to start!
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Could you share the basics of it with us? Or isn't that viable? I would have no idea where to start but it sounds like a good idea.
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Could you share the basics of it with us? Or isn't that viable? I would have no idea where to start but it sounds like a good idea.
I'll second that!
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I could give you the sub headings I wrote and you can fill in your own info from there if you think it would help get you started? Perhaps I should hire myself out to write them :thinking: . So here are the headings I used, if you need more info just shout and I can try and suggest bits to put in
Intro - a bit like a mission statement of what you want to achieve
Biosecurity policy - measures to keep infectious & contagious disease off the premises and contain it if it arrives (isolation policy, DEFRA regs, preventative drug administration, feed storage and supplies, treatment of quarantined animals)
prevention of non infectious disease (foot trimming, fly control, shearing, dagging etc)
Pretupping policies (condition scoring, health checks worming strategy, flushing, crutching, nutrition strategy to include vits & minerals)
pre lambing policies (vaccination strategy, nutrition policy, housing,
Lambing policies (housing, nutrition, medication & procedures)
Weaning (age, strategy, health checks)
Cull and retention policy
registration of stock (we breed pure bred sheep)
Timetable of key dates (year planner)
The end... It's really good when you get going and writing it all down. You can also use it as an exercise in finding out about best practices. Remember though it's a working document so may change depending on numerous factors and can be tailored to suit individual circumstances etc. If you find something doesn't work then it can be taken out or amended at a later date.
Let me know if anyone needs more info :thumbsup:
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Have you got a flip chart, and did it require some blue sky/outside the box thinking? ;D
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got to love the blue sky planning :roflanim: :roflanim: . Not good with flip charts but could whip you up a PowerPoint presentation :excited:
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This really inerests me too, I feel I just muddle along thinking I probably need to be doing something but not fully knowing what and when, so always feels last minute. Which is not my way of doing things, I love lists and plans of action :) so will start planning and writing. Thank you I look forward to more input on this subject :thumbsup:
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Diary? Wallchart? Notebook? :innocent: Im the least organised person, so I shouldn't wind up sorry ;)
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I'm reviewing mine so will put them on the website soon. Not setting them up as the be all and end all, but it would give you a starting point :)
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Thanks wellies.
I think I would like to try to write a plan but I'm not sure I'd know what to write in some sections! We're new smallholders and are feeling our way a bit in some areas. We had a plan for what stock we wanted to buy but we haven't stuck to that so far really.
If anyone has plans they are willing to share I'd be very interested in reading them to get an idea of depth of information etc.
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Let me know what sections you want help with and I'll see if I can suggest some stuff. Mine might not suit you and others will have done a far better job than me so hopefully others will post & we can take best bits from each plan & adapt to our own flocks. I looked at Rosemary's on the website as a starting point & it really helped me. Thank you Rosemary :thumbsup:
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Just so you know Wellies - the vets offered to do me a flock management plan for my little flock - at a cost of £250 ! (apparently it would be a bound copy - well that makes all the difference ;) )
Funnily enough I said thanks but no thanks, I'll stick to my little black book and my scribbled notes. Perhaps you should take it up professionally :)
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Blimey... At least they offered to bind it for you. I'd want it leather bound at that price :roflanim:
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god you can tell im new at this lol i dont have a clue where to start, everything seems last minute here
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start with the end and work your way back! for example
I want to produce an average of 10 boxes of lambs for sale in august, work on 100% lambing - 10 ewes to tup 6 month weaning means lambing in february which means tupping in september, your dosing, foot trimming, condition scoring, and vaccinations will all run off this timeline
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thank you wellies ... just the prompt I needed exactly when I needed it :wave: