Animals-and-Pets
The Country Smallholder
How hand tools shaped the countryside
Farming and smallholding practices have altered over the past century or so. Some have been subtle, others less so and many brought about by technology and legislation. In the penultimate of his series, Jeremy Hobson continues to outline just a few of them.
2 min |
January 2026
The Country Smallholder
The National Honey Show receives The King's Award for Voluntary Service
The National Honey Show, the world's largest honey show and beekeeping convention but run entirely by volunteers in Surrey, has been awarded The King's Award for Voluntary Service for 2025.
1 min |
January 2026
The Country Smallholder
New Year's Resolutions are never kept - don't make any
So says gardener Andrew Oldham and he tells us why he holds this unconventional view – see if you agree
5 min |
January 2026
The Country Smallholder
Want to Gather Your Own Firewood?
Why Owning a Woodland Might Be the Answer
2 min |
January 2026
The Country Smallholder
Finding out about what happens to fleeces when they leave the farm
Josephine Laing takes up the offer of a visit to a British Wood depot and finds there is much to be learnt for the flock owner
5 min |
January 2026
The Country Smallholder
Dealing with bullying behaviours in chickens
We love the idyllic idea of flocks of free ranging chickens, who live peacefully amongst each other and with us. What happens when this is not possible due to legal housing restrictions for poultry or practical reasons due to predators? Your chickens might start to bully each other. Fiona and Hugh Osborne look at the options to deal with bullying.
8 min |
January 2026
The Country Smallholder
Healthy Bees are Happy Bees - looking after the youngsters in 2026
Claire Waring takes a look at diseases affecting honey bee brood
6 min |
January 2026
The Country Smallholder
The importance of power tools on the smallholding
Agricultural journalist and smallholder Jane Brooks joins us for her regular look at the world
4 min |
January 2026
The Country Smallholder
Making new year resolutions for your flock
Paul Donovan kicks off 2026 with a wish list that provides positive experiences for your poultry
8 min |
January 2026
The Country Smallholder
How to Protect Your Flock as Bird Flu Housing Order Kicks In
Clare Taylor looks at practical biosecurity that can be part of your routine care
2 min |
January 2026
The Country Smallholder
Evaluating an innovative fencing system - 2025 autumn review
Four of Scotland’s Monitor Farms are trialling an innovative virtual fencing system on their hill and upland grazing and are already seeing environmental and cattle management benefits, but some challenges have been identified
5 min |
January 2026
The Country Smallholder
2025: A Siromer Year in Review
Shows, Revamps and a New Family Member
3 min |
January 2026
The Country Smallholder
Avoid Winter Blues in late winter
Grant Brereton says some forethought and routine will reduce many of the challenges brought on by the cold, dark months
4 min |
January 2026
The Country Smallholder
New Year, New Goals: 12 Nutritional Resolutions for Your Smallholding in 2026
As the clock strikes midnight on New Year's Eve, many of us make promises to ourselves: eat healthier, exercise more, get organised, and embrace a more natural lifestyle, but what about the birds and animals in our care? Just as we Strive to improve our own wellbeing in the year ahead, don’t our poultry, pigs, goats, sheep and cattle deserve the same commitment to better health, nutrition, and quality of life?
10+ min |
January 2026
The Country Smallholder
Ginger wine is a real blast from the past, and easy to make at home!
As a young man down in Devon, Hugh Osborne was introduced to Stones Ginger Wine by his grandparents. That sweet, fiery, intense drink seems to be unfashionable now but, like a mug of proper homemade hot chocolate, nothing else banishes the Winter blues in quite the same way. As part of their drive for self-sufficiency, Hugh & Fiona set out a few years ago to make their own ginger wine. The recipe needed a few iterations to get absolutely right, but they now produce not just the wine, but the ginger to make it too.
6 min |
January 2026
The Country Smallholder
In the New Year, thoughts turn to incubating eggs
Victoria Roberts BVSC MRCVS shares her experience of hatching chicks
5 min |
January 2026
The Country Smallholder
Five Top Tips for Happy Goats
Keeping goats can be tricky, but by following these five tips, you can go a long way to ensuring your goats are as happy as can be!
2 min |
January 2026
The Country Smallholder
23 football pitches worth of hay meadows restored in Lake District
A joint project by Lake District National Park Authority (LDNPA) and Cumbria Wildlife Trust has seen 16 hectares of hay meadows restored across the Lake District, the equivalent to 23 football pitches.
2 min |
January 2026
The Country Smallholder
Feathers and fresh starts
From broody bans to hatching plans, Cara Wheeldon asked bantam keepers across the country what their New Year's resolutions are for their flocks, and the answers were as charmingly varied as the birds themselves.
4 min |
January 2026
The Country Smallholder
Inspiration for smallholders in the Garden of England
Sue Field looks for properties to fulfill your dream way of life
2 min |
January 2026
The Country Smallholder
News from a leading alpaca farm
Alpaca Evolution is, as the name suggests, all about Alpacas and 2025 saw us bring our faith in the exceptional qualities of the fibre to the forefront.
2 min |
January 2026
The Country Smallholder
Make an early start with vegetables to get ahead in 2026
Lee Senior takes a look at why its great to be early and how to work round the weather
6 min |
January 2026
The Country Smallholder
Getting egg cited for the new season
Ducks usually come into lay earlier than pure chicken breeds so be ready
3 min |
January 2026
The Country Smallholder
January is a busy month for new ideas
Big events provide much to think about for the year ahead
3 min |
January 2026
The Country Smallholder
Resolve to do things for nature in 2026
Helen Moffatt suggests seven simple suggestions for welcoming nature to your plot
2 min |
January 2026
The Country Smallholder
Cracking On: What's Next for Hen Welfare in 2026?
From in-school chick hatching to hens as healers, the British Hen Welfare Trust is setting out its resolutions for a brighter new year
3 min |
January 2026
The Country Smallholder
Ovis Wool Pellets - Closing the Loop Between Farm and Garden
Ovis is a new Aberdeenshire startup turning undervalued British wool into a natural garden product with big benefits for soil health and sustainability.
1 min |
January 2026
The Country Smallholder
What did 2025 bring for rare breeds and what will 2026 bring?
Rare Breeds Survival Trust Chief Executive Christopher Price looks at progress and new projects in a difficult year for farming
4 min |
January 2026
The Country Smallholder
The Orkney Tiny Trailer Abattoir is about to make a big difference
Helen Babbs meets a determined smallholder developing a moveable solution to her local abattoir problem
6 min |
January 2026
The Country Smallholder
"Give a Little, Make a Lot” says Addington Fund
Addington Fund is proud to announce the relaunch of its \"Give a Little, Make a Lot\" scheme, supported by the Livestock Auctioneers Association (LAA).
1 min |