The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Community => Introduce yourself => Topic started by: Zeus on April 12, 2010, 11:00:33 am

Title: Hello
Post by: Zeus on April 12, 2010, 11:00:33 am

Hi all,

I am Zeus, my username on the forum, David in the real world.

I live in Dumfries and Galloway on a 10 acre smallholding. The wife goes out to work and and I work from home. Three kids - nearly grown up but no sign of them leaving home just yet.

We have some Kune Kune pigs and a small flock of Ryeland sheep which we will be lambing for the first time next year. Some chickens too.

I hope to do more on the holding, but I prefer to say it is a very small farm - but that's just me trying to overstate things.

I hope to get some good advice on this forum - and maybe give out a little though I suspect the former really.

David

Title: Re: Hello
Post by: Daisys Mum on April 12, 2010, 11:19:43 am

Hi David and welcome from the east side of the country (Berwickshire) I have 6 acres here with some Shetland sheep which are due to lamb in a couple of weeks, horses, hens, ducks and soon 4 OSB pigs. I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for the kids to leave home I have 2 both well past grown up and 1 lives 200 yards from us and sometimes spends more time here than in her own house and the other still lives with us. I am not really complaining I love having them around.
I am sure you will gets lots of good advice here, they are a very friendly bunch. :wave:

Title: Re: Hello
Post by: JulieS on April 12, 2010, 01:39:02 pm

Hello and welcome from Devon  :)

Title: Re: Hello
Post by: ballingall on April 12, 2010, 04:38:45 pm

Hi Zeus/David,

Hello and welcome. We live near Falkirk, but my other half comes from Lockerbie originally, and his parents moved back to Lochmaben a few years ago. He still calls D&G his neck of the woods. We only have just over an acre here, but we have a herd of pedigree goats that we breed and show.


Beth

Title: Re: Hello
Post by: HappyHippy on April 12, 2010, 04:55:10 pm

Hello from me in South Lanarkshire  :wave:
I also have Kune kunes and a couple of chickens - my kids are way off the leaving home stage, infact there's one not even left the womb yet  ;) but they make eager, if not terribly effective, 'helpers' ;D
Look forward to hearing more from you, especially about your pigs - I'm looking for a boar to try and get one of my sows in-pig (my current chappie has had no luck with her ;)) and you're not too far away - so maybe we could sort something out for next year ? Think one pig producing a litter and baby no.4 arriving will keep me busy this year !
Karen

Title: Re: Hello
Post by: doganjo on April 12, 2010, 05:52:39 pm

Welcome from Clackmannanshire.  If you could stretch your imagination to thinking you are almost, well nearly, quite close, not too far, just a stones throw -  from Central Scotland - you could join CSSA!

Title: Re: Hello
Post by: Rosemary on April 12, 2010, 06:26:19 pm

Hi and welcome from sunny Alloa

Title: Re: Hello
Post by: little blue on April 12, 2010, 08:35:10 pm

hello and welcome from Derbyshire.   love kunes (have 3!)

Title: Re: Hello
Post by: CameronS on April 12, 2010, 08:41:00 pm

welcome freom fife  :wave:

Title: Re: Hello
Post by: sandy on April 12, 2010, 09:56:38 pm

 :wave: Helloooooo and welcome from Clackmannan,,,what a nice day to be on 10 acres, beats all that rain, ice, snow and high winds!!

Title: Re: Hello
Post by: Annie22 on April 12, 2010, 10:00:21 pm

Hello and welcome from cloudy drizzly Australia.  We have Wessex Saddleback pigs, dexters, a variety of chickens, horses, goats and a dog.  Oh and two  children.  :wave:

Title: Re: Hello
Post by: Zeus on April 13, 2010, 01:29:24 pm

Hi all,

Thanks for the warm welcome. It seems there are few Scottish smallholders around too. That's good news as I thought I might be the only one!

Karen / HappyHippy. Sorry, we don't have a boar Kune Kune - well not in tact anyway. The pigs were the first livestock we brought in here about three years ago. We started with two castrated male weaners and the idea was to eat them. Sadly, my daughter took a fit at this idea and declared herself vegetarian and put us under a lot of pressure. When the time came around we decided to pacify the family and reclassified the pigs as keepers - lucky them. We had already taken on a pedigree sow, but no boar still to mate her with. Before proceeding on the pig front, I want to know more about the viability of pure Kune Kunes as food - I have heard they do not make the best eating - do you have a view?

David

Title: Re: Hello
Post by: egglady on April 13, 2010, 01:42:11 pm

hi david and welcome from me if Fife too.

Title: Re: Hello
Post by: bamford6 on April 13, 2010, 02:51:55 pm

hi from the highlands off scotland rare breeds sheep fowl

Title: Re: Hello
Post by: Hilarysmum on April 15, 2010, 07:16:09 am

Quote from: Zeus on April 13, 2010, 01:29:24 pm

I want to know more about the viability of pure Kune Kunes as food - I have heard they do not make the best eating
David

Hi and welcome.  Never eaten kune myself, having problems finding a boar for ours.  But a pig is a pig and pigs make pork. The Maoris bred them for food not as pets.   I have heard they can be fatty, I suppose it depends on the feeding regime.  (Sorry this reads a bit brusque apologies).

Title: Re: Hello
Post by: doganjo on April 15, 2010, 09:32:43 am

Kunes are lovely pigs.  I know someone oin North Scotland who started with a few (I think it was maybe his wife's idea) and now has loads of them  When I met him a few years ago he was trying to get rid of them as the market had fallen. No idea what it's like now though