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 Programme For Sale Members Interests Recipes

 

Below are a selection of member interests.

For some of the interests we may have a member willing to give an introductory talk on the subject on their premises

to give you first hand experience. If you are interested please email for further information.

 
Chickens are perhaps the easiest animals/birds to keep and need very modest housing, suiting anything from a back yard to a field. Having chickens running round the garden sounds ideal but is a non starter if you have anything growing that you might like to keep, they will trash it! You will need a chicken house of some form to keep them safe at night and a run during the day which can easily be made using 1.2mtr high chicken wire. Laying chickens can be bought as ex battery for around £1 each, a reasonable £4-8 from such as the poultry sale at the Miners Arms in Morda to £20-30 for Rare Breeds. They will need a proprietary chicken food to ensure a good supply of eggs and they appreciate scraps of fruit and vegetables. Most members keep chickens so email with the number of chickens and housing arrangements you are thinking of starting with and we will put you in touch with a suitable member.  

Chickens are perhaps the easiest animals/birds to keep and need very modest housing, suiting anything from a back yard to a field. Having chickens running round the garden sounds ideal but is a non starter if you have anything growing that you might like to keep, they will trash it! You will need a chicken house of some form to keep them safe at night and a run during the day which can easily be made using 1.2mtr high chicken wire. Laying chickens can be bought as ex battery for around £1 each, a reasonable £4-8 from such as the poultry sale at the Miners Arms in Morda to £20-30 for Rare Breeds. They will need a proprietary chicken food to ensure a good supply of eggs  and they appreciate scraps of fruit and vegetables. Most members keep chickens so email with the number of chickens and housing arrangements you are thinking of starting with and we will put you in touch with a suitable member.

 

Whatever your reasons for keeping sheep, whether it’s to provide meat, to provide a service as grass eaters or to breed and possibly show pure bred animals the general requirements and effort will be the same. But then, so will the rewards! They are more intelligent than most people imagine and can be as inquisitive and affectionate as any other animal that you might keep. Initial purchase price will be anything from £50 upwards depending upon age and breed and before buying your sheep you need to ensure that your land is surrounded by sheep proof fencing. Ideally your pasture should be split into a number of paddocks so that the sheep can be moved onto fresh grass every 2 or 3 weeks. In a normal summer they will live off grass alone but in the winter they will need hay, probably supplemented by some form of concentrate food. A supply of drinking water is a year round essential. Annual vaccinations for chlostridial diseases and Blue Tongue are a routine part of caring for your flock as are preventative treatment for worms. Foot trimming will also become a regular feature of life with your sheep! You will need to visit your flock every day of the year, ideally both morning and evening. Most important of all are an understanding family and a flexible day job!

 
Raising a couple of weaner pigs, from the age of eight weeks, is a rewarding and enjoyable introduction to animal husbandry. Pigs are intelligent, sociable animals that enjoy a shower from the garden hose, a good belly rub and a wallow in a mud bath. They'll need secure fencing, a dry shed or ark, a supply of clean water and feeding twice daily with a proprietary pig food. In four or five months they will decimate their plot of vegetation in the hunt for worms, roots etc, grow beyond all recognition and give you the satisfaction of producing tasty home grown pork and sausages.