[Pheasant pharmer]

I am totally impressed by this site and the massive amount of support and help offered by it's members.

We have about 7 acres currently split into 2 paddocks, with another couple of acres of ground around the house.

We've been here for about 2 years, but the first 12 months were spent renovating the house.
When we arrived the paddocks were overgrown and it cost us a lot to get someone to risk their equipment and clear it as no-one knew what the ground was like underneath!  We quickly decided to either let the ground to a local farmer or get some animals of our own to keep the grass down.
Unfortunately other than a big shed with a metal roller-shuttered door and no windows there are no cattle sheds etc.

So far we have had 3 highland cattle, which were great. They looked like little yaks when they arrived!  They wintered out really well, despite loads of snow, and went to market once they had fattened up on the spring grass. 

Chickens were great for a while, but eventually the foxes got the upper hand and so we are taking a break from them for the moment.

2 saddlebacks have been a great success and are booked in with the abbatoir for Monday, the first major produce (other than a few eggs).

That will leave us without any livestock over winter, and we will look to re-stock in the spring, but I will be keeping a close eye on this site in the meantime.
 

Cathy

[Dan]

Hello Cathy, and welcome from the sunny east coast of Scotland. 

I know your area from some work I did in Malton - it's a lovely part of the country.

Your setup sounds a lot like ours - we've been here 15 months but spent the first 6 renovating the house, and now we're getting to grips with the grazing, growing and buildings.

Good luck on Monday. 

Dan

[Fowgill Farm]

Hi Cathy
I'm near Stokesley so not too far from you, know Pickering well as use Roger's garden centre for fruit trees and other lovely stuff. We keep GOS pigs and will have piglets for sale in spring.
Best wishes
Mandy    

[Rosemary]

Hi and welcome from sunny Carnoustie 

[Buffy the eggs layer]

Hi From Pocklington East yorkshire. We too have 7 acres and have spent our first 12 months sorting out the house. We have pleanty of buildings and stables and I breed Croad Langshan bantams. I am raising some large fowl, Brahmas, Sussex and Orps for next year to produce some table birds.

I have just taken on a stray cat and kitten that arrived on my doorstep and hope to soon have soom sheep and possibly highlands once I have sorted out  my internal fencing!

Its wonderful to have a house with ceilings, carpets and a shower but its great to have some animals about the place too.

 A few of the small holders in this area are planning to attend the rare breed show and sale at Murton in October. PM me if you would like to meet up and make some new friends.

Buffy 

[CameronS]

Hello and welcome from Fife!!

Know the area around pickering well, as we used to live very near, just past flamingo land, but moved away when dad got posted up here

[The Mobile Butcher]

Hi From Egton, Close to Whitby- Noth Yorkshire

I lookforward to seeing you on Thursday, to Butcher your 2 pigs and make some sausages, and your bacon .......and the yorkshire Ham

Kind Regards Paul - The mobile Butcher

[Miss Piggy]

Hi from West Wales, enjoy the pork and sausages etc. Your lucky to have a mobile butcher near you.

[Pheasant pharmer]

Yes, aren't we just, and found through this site!!

Really looking forward to Thursday, meeting Smiffy and getting our pigs butchered.
 

[Cinderhills]

Hi from another in North Yorskhire. 

[melodrama]

Hello from blowy Forfar 

[lachlanandmarcus]

Hi from blowy Aboyne (well might be ok wind in Aboyne but a few miles from it on top of a big hill.....)!