Jack's Jacobs has evolved through the combination of two interests of mine; keeping animals and eating.
I like eating meat, but I also believe that the animals we eat should have the best life we can give them. Importantly, this includes the final stages of their life.
I also felt that in our pursuit of convenience to suit supermarket demands we have lost some of the flavour and texture that we can get from slower maturing native breeds.
I began by fattening up two rare breed weaners at the end of the garden,but later I was lucky enough to get the tenancy of Hall's Field (owned by the Parish Council). This allowed me to buy a small flock of Jacob sheep; three ewes with their lambs. From these originals as well as a few additional bought-in ewes, the flock has expanded to over thirty this year.
The Woodgreen Parish Council very kindly allowed me to move my pigs to Hall's Field, (much to my wife's relief). This made life a lot easier, and the pigs now enjoy a larger living space and attract plenty of attention from walkers on the footpath.
The sheep and pigs are popular attractions, particularly at lambing time as Jacob lambs are very cute. The animals have become a bit of a feature in the village, and I am lucky to have so many eyes looking out for them. It is also encouraging to see other peoples' interest in the animals.
Through the kindness of my neighbours who have let me graze their paddocks, I have been able to expand my flock and purchase a ram (Nelson). This has enabled me to time my lambing to match up with my Easter holidays from work. You will see spotty sheep thoughout the village, and the chances are they are part of Jack's Jacobs.
I like eating meat, but I also believe that the animals we eat should have the best life we can give them. Importantly, this includes the final stages of their life.
I also felt that in our pursuit of convenience to suit supermarket demands we have lost some of the flavour and texture that we can get from slower maturing native breeds.
I began by fattening up two rare breed weaners at the end of the garden,but later I was lucky enough to get the tenancy of Hall's Field (owned by the Parish Council). This allowed me to buy a small flock of Jacob sheep; three ewes with their lambs. From these originals as well as a few additional bought-in ewes, the flock has expanded to over thirty this year.
The Woodgreen Parish Council very kindly allowed me to move my pigs to Hall's Field, (much to my wife's relief). This made life a lot easier, and the pigs now enjoy a larger living space and attract plenty of attention from walkers on the footpath.
The sheep and pigs are popular attractions, particularly at lambing time as Jacob lambs are very cute. The animals have become a bit of a feature in the village, and I am lucky to have so many eyes looking out for them. It is also encouraging to see other peoples' interest in the animals.
Through the kindness of my neighbours who have let me graze their paddocks, I have been able to expand my flock and purchase a ram (Nelson). This has enabled me to time my lambing to match up with my Easter holidays from work. You will see spotty sheep thoughout the village, and the chances are they are part of Jack's Jacobs.