Animals & Pets
The Country Smallholder
Vital milestone as livestock worrying bill passes through Parliament
New law will give police more powers to protect animals
3 min |
February 2026
The Country Smallholder
The Horse Lovers Miscellany, Wit, Wisdom and Wonders (with donkeys too!)
The joy of all creatures equine and the people who love them gathered into a delightful dip into book with constant surprises
3 min |
February 2026
The Country Smallholder
Considerations in castrating of young goats
Matt Huggins discusses the options and explains why they favour one method over another for their herd
3 min |
February 2026
The Country Smallholder
Do more features make for a better incubator?
When first starting out, the range of features on offer for poultry incubators can be bewildering. Hugh & Fiona Osborne are chicken breeders and have used and sold poultry incubators for many years. They firmly believe that incubation doesn't have to be complicated, but that some features will certainly save time and others will improve hatch rates.
7 min |
February 2026
The Country Smallholder
How farmers and researchers work together to improve the health of the river and reverse the decline in salmon.
The annual counting and tagging of juvenile wild Atlantic salmon on the River Frome in Dorset has shown a dramatic decline in numbers of fish being captured for a second year in succession, indicating a worrying downward trend which is reflected across the UK and Europe.
4 min |
February 2026
The Country Smallholder
Healthy Bees are Happy Bees - Problems for the Grown Ups
Claire Waring looks at diseases that adult honey bees might get and various pests in the apiary
6 min |
February 2026
The Country Smallholder
In praise of Britain's amazing native sheep breeds
Rare Breeds Survival Trust Chief Executive Christopher Price says that the variety among the UK's native sheep breeds is a fantastic reflection of the range of purposes these breeds have served, over centuries, for communities in very different landscapes and environments
5 min |
February 2026
The Country Smallholder
Keeping the light shining for pure breeds of poultry
With the current ban on poultry shows due to the avian flu outbreaks, how do pure bred poultry keepers carry on the enthusiasm? Fleur Capelle highlights what her club has done to bring people together
2 min |
February 2026
The Country Smallholder
News from a leading alpaca farm
Alpacas are not the only residents at Alpaca Evolution – some invite themselves!
3 min |
February 2026
The Country Smallholder
Vital milestone as livestock worrying bill passes through Parliament
New law will give police more powers to protect animals
5 min |
February 2026
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 |