BLOGS FOR SMALLHOLDERS
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Pig Home Slaughter on a Smallholding (UK Guide): When Pigs Are Ready, Common Breeds & How Much Meat You Get
In this guide we’ll look at how pig home slaughter works on a smallholding, when pigs are typically ready, some of the breeds commonly kept by smallholders, and how much meat you might expect from a finished pig.
If you keep pigs on a smallholding, there usually comes a point where you start thinking about what happens when the time comes.
Many smallholders raise pigs for meat and want the final stage to be carried out calmly and respectfully in familiar surroundings. For some, home slaughter can provide an alternative to transporting animals to an abattoir.
Common Beginner Smallholder Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)
Lessons we’ve learned the hard way, shared honestly to help new smallholders feel more prepared and less alone
Starting a smallholding can feel overwhelming. This guide shares common beginner mistakes and how to avoid them, with calm, welfare-led advice based on real experience.
How to Tan Sheep Hides at Home & Use the Whole Animal: A Smallholder Story
Nothing Goes to Waste: A Smallholder Story with Sue
One of the greatest privileges of running Green Fields Home Kill & Butchery is meeting smallholders who truly live by the principle of using everything — not just for food, but for animals, wildlife, and the land itself.
Sue is one of those people.
From bees to birds, sheep to geese, fruit trees to herb beds, everything on their smallholding has purpose, care, and thought behind it. Nothing is rushed, nothing is wasted, and everything is done with intention.