A whole weekend of smallholding!

Come and enjoy two courses in one weekend:

Saturday 9th May:  Introduction to Smallholding

Sunday 10th May: Pig Keeping & Breeding

Immerse yourself in smallholding life over this packed weekend, with back-to-back courses. Full details of each course are given below.

There are some very nice places to stay nearby - have a look at our suggestions here: https://www.argaecottage.co.uk/local-accommodation

Saturday: Introduction to Smallholding (10am - 5pm)

Getting started:  Practical things to consider when you first become a smallholder.  Legislation, CPH numbers, movement licences, ear tags - all the legal bits you need to know before your first animal arrives.

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Buildings, Fencing and Equipment: We'll look at suitable buildings for livestock and other purposes, how to make the most of the buildings already on your holding, and how to build your own, whilst keeping the budget under control.

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Chickens: A look at our free range chickens - suitable housing, fox proofing, feeding, worming, dealing with common problems.

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Sheep: Meet our Black Welsh Mountain flock and get some practical handling experience. We will discuss different breeds, grazing and feeding, vaccinations & worming, avoiding common illnesses, and get hands-on with some routine handling and healthcare tasks.

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Pigs: Our free range Oxford Sandy & Black pigs will be delighted to introduce you to the joys of keeping pigs.  We will take an initial look at what's involved in keeping pigs - much more on this on Sunday!

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Cattle: Meet our small herd of Shetland Cattle.  Keeping and handling cattle safely, and the facilities required.  Winter feeding and housing.

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Grassland: A walk around the farm to look at our rotational grazing system - how to grow and use more grass. Making hay and silage.  Fencing, hedges and maintenance.

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The Vegetable Garden and Orchard: See our raised bed system, polytunnel and greenhouse.  Crop rotations and making compost.

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Produce from the Smallholding: Producing your own meat - preparation for the trip to the abattoir, and what cuts you might want to ask for.  A quick look at marketing and selling your produce, and the legal requirements.

We'll show you some of the other delights your smallholding could produce too - willow baskets, handmade wool rugs, sheepskins....

Sunday: Pig Keeping and Breeding (10am - 4pm)

Getting Started:

Everything you need to know about the legal stuff - registering to keep pigs, tags and movement licenses.   Choosing a breed, buying pigs.

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Housing and Fencing:

How to provide your pigs with comfortable accommodation, and keep them where you want them to be!

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Handling:

Moving pigs, handling for tags, injections etc.  Loading and travelling.

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Feeding:

Selecting the right diet, avoiding over-fat pigs, and the law on feeding pigs.

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Pig Health:

How to recognise a healthy pig, and identify common problems.

Worms, vaccine and common health issues.  Injection sites.

Creating an effective Health Plan.

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Breeding and Farrowing:

Keeping a boar.  AI - you can do this!  Timing and technique.

Farrowing sties, care of mum and newborn piglets.

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Pork:

Finishing pigs for pork.  Preparing for the abbatoir.

How much meat from a pig, what cuts to ask for, sausages and curing for ham & bacon.  Selling your produce - regulations.

What else is Included?

A homecooked lunch will be provided on both days, featuring delicious produce straight from our smallholding.   There will also be plenty of tea/coffee and homebaking.

All courses include a comprehensive book, covering all of the information taught during the day.

Courses are held in small groups (max 10 people on this course), and are relaxed, friendly events. Questions and discussion are encouraged!

Many people stay in touch following the course, and we are very happy to answer any further questions you might have after the day.

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Please note that there is a minimum age of 16 for all courses.