Veterinary Researchers at the Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute have issued advice to farmers to help them protect their cattle from the effects of the viral disease, Malignant Catarrhal Fever (MCF). MCF is a severe, usually fatal disease of cattle. The…
For the past 12 years, The Smallholder’s sister publication, Practical Pigs, has been providing down-to-earth content to small-scale pig-keepers and breeders. With authoritative breed information, owner’s stories, expert health columns and clear and helpful guides to everything from fencing and feed to farrowing and…
Press Release from COWS – Control of Worms Sustainably in cattle – July 2019 Farmers are warned to look out for the annual emergence of head flies (Hydrotaea irritans) from around mid-July, as these are a major source of annoyance…
Joanna Palmer, nutritionist for Smallholder Range offers her top tips for feeding a variety of pigs and piglets It is important to carefully consider the type of feed you choose for your pigs based on their breed and the production…
Poults from an incubator can go directly into the shed in which they will be reared, as long as electricity is available. From day-old to about six weeks they will need some form of heating, especially at night. A cosy…
Tamsin Cooper goes behind the scenes at Buttercups Sanctuary for Goats Wandering among the goats, you can feel an aura of harmony: a yard of goats of all shapes and sizes peacefully munching hay side by side. Goats approach one…
Many people take up smallholding for the entire ‘lifestyle package’, but probably few as strikingly as Jenny and Ian, who moved to a croft in the Orkney islands in 2012. “We’d been living in West Africa,” Jenny explains. “When we…
John Sones continues his look at trends in rural crime Last month we looked at hare coursing, fly-tipping and sheep ‘worrying’ and in this focus on rural crime, I will be looking at damage to and theft of property, stock…
Would you like to generate your own solar electricity, but don’t know where to start? The information team at the centre of alternative technology have the answers to some common questions. Is my roof suitable for solar panels? A house…
Agricultural shows provide a great insight into rural life, it is a window into the world of agriculture, a meeting place for many and a platform to show case both tried and tested and new ways of working. No matter…