The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Community => Introduce yourself => Topic started by: berylthedog on April 07, 2014, 11:37:43 am
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Hello
I'm Jake - me and my better half, Helen, have recently moved to a friend's farm near Wirksworth and are now the proud owners of 5 purebred Gotland ewes which are due to lamb in May, 2 Gotland/Teeswater cross ewes and 3 hybrid hens which have just come into lay. Our black lab, Beryl, keeps us all in order. I've wanted to keep sheep and pigs for a long time and we have the opportunity to develop, over the next few years, a flock of 30ish permanent ewes which we'll keep for fleece, pelts, lambs and hogget. I'm hoping to get a couple of breeding sows next year (possibly Mangalitzas?) once the sheep have settled in and we know a bit more what we're about.
Helen and a couple of friends spin and felt so will be using some of the fleece but we hope to also sell some cleaned fleece and I do charcuterie (curing, smoking and airdrying meat) so hopefully we can add value to our produce ourselves. In between all of this, Helen works full time as a teacher with kids who've been kicked out of school and I do bits and bobs of gardening, woodland management, coppicing and charcoal burning - yes, we like to keep busy!
We got our sheep from the very lovely Amanda at Pedwardine Gotlands (who has been wonderful from start to finish - highly recommended!) and financed them by crowdfunding lamb futures amongst friends and family. I'm now in the process of making, begging, borrowing and threatening to steal the kit I need. I've built a small (5x4m) shelter/lambing shed with a handling pen which looks like some sort of medieval stockade but should do the job until we can build something better.
That's about it for now - I'll be on plenty for advice and reassurance! Anyone local doing similar stuff, I'd love to hear from you, it'd be nice to have a local network of people I can turn to if need be
Cheers, Jake
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Hello and welcome from Carnoustie :wave: I'll look forward to hearing more about your set-up
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Hello and welcome from Carmarthenshire :wave:
It all sounds great (like the synopsis for a book?!). I'd be interested to hear how you get on with the mangalitzas, a great looking breed.
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Hello and welcome from Wiltshire
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:wave: and welcome from Shropshire. Lovely part of the world you've moved to. There are one or two TASers round your way. I'm sure they'll introduce themselves soon.
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Ay up from the Peak District!! Not too far away from you.
We have 3 Gotland ewes who have just all lambed twins, a ram and two of last years lambs, among other animals (ponies, goats, pigs, lots of hens)
Edited to add, that all our Gotlands are from the lovely Amanda and Barry at Pedwardine, too!!
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Hiya sweetie and welcome to the TAS gang :wave: Thanks for the generous comments :-*
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Hi and welcome from north Cumbria :wave:
Another spinner here :spin: - your Gotland/Teeswaters sound rather interesting!
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Sounds like you build shelters like my OH. Good luck with it all. Must consider the crowd funding of lamb futures ourselves!
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Hi all, thanks for the lovely welcome! Mad Goatwoman - I lived in Dawley for a while then out in the Corvedale near Ludlow for a good few years in a previous life - absolutely love that area.
Hi Roxy, good to know there's someone nearby, we'd love to come up and see yr setup sometime (and pick yr brains a bit!)
Sallyintnorth - Helen hasn't had chance to spin any yet (only working on borrowed wheels until I get round to making her one) but she's felted some and it makes a very beautiful but quite sturdy felt. I'm looking forward to her spinning some so I can get a good winter jumper made of it!
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Was gonna suggest that you and Roxy get in touch with each other. You could get a taster of what's to come on the lambie front. Her newbies are adorable.
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Ey up ... what a lovely place to move to! ;)
Welcome to TAS and to the Derbyshire Dales
(I'm born and bred here!)
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Hi from Caithness :wave: We have :chook: :dog: :goat: :horse: :sheep: :&> :pig:, Mangalitza cross piggies they are great, really friendly :love:
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Hello & Welcome :wave:
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hi from sunny derbyshire too
not too far from you
M
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Hi,
Also from Derbyshire, not too far from Bakewell.
I work on a farm with 200 mules, 500 horned sheep and decided to take on the 12 cade lambs last year. Since then I've bought some Ryelands and a few mules and as small plots of grazing have come up I've taken them on.
Just acquired a shed and some land where I could keep some wearers for fattening, so may just take the plunge in the next few months :pig:
Always happy to chat/meet new and like minded people, drop me a message sometime :wave:
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We are from Derbyshire, but further down from you....near Alfreton. We have Grey Faced Dartmoor ewes, chickens as well as horses!
We are not at home often as have a mobile tradestand and travel the country doing county shows and horse trials :D