| Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption |
| Mary-Jane |
Introducing Edwina and Maggie... (pics)...this year's weaners (Maggie the fairer on the right, Edwina the dark spotty on the left)
Gervase observing from their new ark (courtesy of DS members Bidgiemire) 
Jack, Gervase and orphan lamb Brian looking on  
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| Cathryn |
That's very smart. 
And they are rather cute pigs. 
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| Penny |
Good names 
Very cute lamb!!! |
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| mihto |
Is Brian our mutual friend? How is he doing? (Cute pigs .
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| Chez |
Aw, cute. For a minute though, I thought it was going to be a picture of ducks
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| Nat S |
hm i'm so jealous of your fencing....
love those gingery saddleback ones....
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| Chickem |
Awww 
They're lovely And little Brian is cute too! you're so lucky!!! |
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| bodger |
I like em I like em. I was going to have a pair late summer so that I could bump them off in the cool weather.
If I wait until then, they might be a heck of a lot cheaper after the swine flu has spread alarm and dispondency. 
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| towerhill |
I like the fencing. Is the sheep netting buried in or is that a strand of barbed wire just above the ground? I've just ordered 2 weaners from the farmer up the road so am pig enclosure mode at the moment. | ||||
| colour it green |
very nice
yes posh fencing - ours looks suspiciously like it has old corrugated iron sheetsattached..
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| BadgerFace |
Very nice piggies and very smart ark
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| Mary-Jane |
Barbed wire just above ground level. Works a treat. Then half wooden rails around inside the stock fence wire to stop them bending it and also gives them something to scratch on. Gervase will give you more info on the fencing as he sorts it out himself. We get one of our lcal farmers, Huw, to come and knock the posts in with his post knocker, then Gervase does the rest with the aid of a very nifty device that a fencing man put us on to. I'll let Gervase explain later - but he reckons it's one of the most useful devices ever invented... |
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| Mary-Jane |
We got it from here: http://www.pig-arcs.co.uk/ As an aside, I really like their website - it's so clear and easy to navigate. |
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| earthyvirgo |
Is that the thing that looks like a complex pair of pliers but does several million fencing tasks (cuts, tensions, twists etc)? No idea what it's called ... probably 'fencing pliers' or something obvious like that but you're right, worth its weight in gold. EV |
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| Mary-Jane |
We do have some of those too - and yes, they're brilliant. But no, this is something that this fencing chap invented himself to help with fencing tension. |
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| Rob R |
The names seem odd to me, as we have neighbours called Edward & Maggie
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| towerhill |
Yeah that's what they're called. I have a pair - great piece of kit. The other thing is probably a set of wire strainers (they call them a "Monkey" down here). They grab onto the wire and you crank up the tension. Very useful. There are some in use here: http://handbooks.btcv.org.uk/handbooks/content/section/3290 Also thanks for note on barbed wire. Good idea. (edit to add link) |
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| Louisdog |
Wonder if monkey is the red thingy that I always put on the wrong way around and then get cross with
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| Nick |
No, that's your underpants. |
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| Louisdog |
Actually could apply to all sorts of stuff 
Anyway do you mind, I don't wear underpants! Uh-oh, digging myself in deeper; will get me coat 
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| Brownbear |
As far as fence-stretchers go, I make one (pictures soon) that stretches all eight strands at the same time. You just hook it up to the fence and stretch with a ratchet-strap or hand-puller winch, than nail up whilst it's under tension. | ||||
| Mary-Jane |
Gervase has been outside to take a piccie. He'll be back in a minute... | ||||
| Gervase |
Ah, sounds very much like my gadget - two bits of angle iron, three bolts and some steel rod, paired with a ratchet strainer. It gets a nice, even tension on the fence and can be operated one-handed.
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| Brownbear |
Mine is the same principle, except that it has eight gripping hooks, like miniature versions of the claws on claw hammers, to hold the wire.
Does yours work by tightening the bolts to grip the fence between the bar and the angle iron? |
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| Gervase |
The wire is sandwiched between the two bits of angle-iron and the three nuts are tightened onto the studs to pinch the fence tightly. It can take a huge amount of strain, and hasn't let me down once with slipping or breaking the wires. |