A “hands on” weekend course, with the emphasis on practical stockmanship - concentrating on all the things that can’t be learnt from books!

 

This is an ideal opportunity for newcomers to livestock keeping to get to grips with some of the essential elements of animal husbandry and to tap into our lifetime of experience in small scale farming and self sufficiency.

 

As well as being involved in the routine aspects of livestock management, participants will have the opportunity to try, amongst other things, shearing & foot trimming sheep, weighing lambs, ear tagging, tattooing & dosing, de-horning calves, weaning piglets and preparing poultry for the table.

Additionally, we will be able to discuss with you your own aims and objectives, and offer practical advice for the establishment and continuation of your own smallholding and self-sufficiency projects.

 

• Cattle: Our cows should all be in milk, so you’ll be able to have a go at milking by hand and by machine. After putting aside the milk we need for use in the house, the remainder is passed through a separator, providing cream for butter making. The surplus skimmed milk is fed to calves. Home bred calves will require ear tagging, and the necessary paperwork will need to be completed. Some of the bought in calves will be old enough to de-horn.

               Store cattle may need to be dosed and moved to fresh pasture.

 

• Sheep: Barren ewes will need shearing, by machine or by hand. Some sheep will have to have their hooves trimmed. Earlier born lambs will need to be weighed and vaccinated. Younger lambs will need to be ear tagged / tattooed, and dosed. Records will need to be updated.

 

• Pigs:   We have Oxford Sandy & Black sows, and a Large White boar. Routine feeding and mucking out will need to be carried out daily. There should be a litter of piglets of weaning age, and perhaps a sow to be mated. Any growing / fattening pigs will need to be weighed.

 

• Poultry: In addition to our laying hens, we regularly fatten small batches of table birds. A number of these will have reached slaughter size, so you’ll learn the basic techniques involved in killing, plucking and dressing poultry.

 

 

 

 

Accommodation and Catering

 

You will be expected to arrange your own accommodation. We will provide you with a list of local B&Bs. Alternatively, camping would be an option for hardy types!

Lunch will be provided on each of the 3 days, in addition to tea and coffee at appropriate intervals. You will need to make your own arrangements for breakfasts and evening meals.

 

 

 

 

You will need to bring:-

• Waterproof trousers

• Waterproof coat

• Overalls

• Wellington boots or work boots. (Preferably both).

• Soft trainers, plimsolls or old slippers (for shearing).

 

 

 

Prices

(Inclusive of midday meals and refreshments)

 

£180 per person + VAT @ 15%

 

Places will be allocated on a “first come, first served” basis. Upon receipt of a completed application form we will contact you to confirm your booking, at which point we ask you, please, to forward a deposit of £85. This sum will not be refundable, except in the event that it becomes necessary to cancel the course on veterinary advice or similar. This could be due, for example, to a local, regional, or national disease outbreak, or the presence of any serious zoonotic disease within our own livestock. Under these circumstances we will refund 50% of the deposit paid.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Insurance

Although we have an insurance policy in place, we also recommend that you have adequate personal insurance cover of your own.

 

 

 

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