Farm Trail Guide for teachers Stop 1 - Entrance to the Farm From here you may be able to see cattle, sheep or pigs grazing during the summer months. The paddock for the pigs is usually turned over by the pigs. The boundary fences are made from galvanised stock fence (squares of wire) usually topped with 2 lines of barbed wire. Electric fencing is used to stop the pigs from rooting under the fence, loosening both the posts and the wire. Stiles are used to allow humans to cross a wire fence quickly without tearing their clothes on the barbed wire or without opening a gate allowing animals to escape. Would you like to live in a house overlooking the farm? It could be noisy, smelly and very dusty. Stop 2 - Dung bund This is used to house manure It can smell at times The manure is turned every few weeks to help it decompose or break down into a useful addition to your garden. It is purchased by gardeners and allotment holders and delivered in a large blue tipping trailer. The wall around the bund prevents dirty water from seeping into the stream where it might kill the fish.
Stop 3 - The Courtyard At different times you can see A tractor used to power the other machines A trailer used to deliver manure or silage A rotovator used to break up the soil after the pigs have ploughed it up A fertiliser spreader used to distribute plant foods A harrow used to drag out old grass and stones A topper used to cut down grass which has seeded or perennial weeds like thistles and nettles In the field you may be able to see cattle, sheep or pigs grazing or resting. Stop 4 - The Lean-to From August to January each year the lean-to is full of straw which is used for bedding our animals The lean-to can house ewes and their lambs or calves They are provided with water by tanks There are also racks for hay or straw Sometimes a creep is available to feed lambs A creep is a barrier through which only lambs can pass to gain access to supplementary food. The ewes are prevented from eating this.
Stop 5 - The Barn Usually we have up to 3 cows and up to 6 calves in the barn. They are all females because bulls are dangerous. They belong to the Ayrshire breed. They can be tiny calves or older milking cows with udders. Each cow is identified by a tag in each ear. In summer the cows feed outside on grass in the paddocks, but in winter they are fed pickled grass or silage (10 tons per cow during winter months) and straw. The milking cows get special food in the milking parlour. The cows drink from large tanks. The barn smells of both animal dung and urine and during the winter months, pickled grass or silage. Noise can come from whatever animals are around especially sheep and their lambs. The cows are kept to produce milk. The breathing rate of a sheep increases when it comes into the barn because it is designed to live out of doors with a thick woolly, oily coat to weatherproof and windproof it. The ewes produce lambs for breeding or meat production. Stop 6 - Left section of barn or Dry Sow House In the sow house we have 2 breeds of pig. Old-fashioned black pigs with a white saddle around their middle, called Saddlebacks, who are short and dumpy, and the long, lean white pigs are Large Whites. The pigs have a sleeping/feeding area, which is strawed up, and a lower dunging/urinating area. Pigs bite a button with their teeth to release water from a pipe. This is better than troughs, which they make dirty, or worse still tip over. Pelleted food is fed on the floor of the strawed area. The pens are designed with safety in mind, because if a pig stands on your toe it will hurt! The gates can be closed upon the pigs as the dung channel is cleaned out. Pig s snouts are very powerful and designed for rooting and digging. Pigs are kept to produce pork, bacon, ham or sausages.
Stop 7 - Chickens We keep several types of chickens, including Welsummer, Silver Spangled Hamburghs and Friesians. The males have much larger combs, wattles and tail feathers than females. They have more colourful feathers and spurs. The male has to attract females. The hens can easily be viewed in this house and they are safe from foxes. They can roost to feel safe. Hens produce meat or eggs. Eggs are laid to produce chicks. Feathers keep the eggs warm. Toes are used for scratching for seeds, insects, stones. Stones are used to break down food in the gizzard like a millstone. Chickens have no teeth. Chickens like to lay their eggs in the dark. Stop 8 - The Milking Parlour Cows milked here at 7.00 am and at 4.15 pm. They enjoy coming here for food and to reduce pressure on their udder. A full udder is like a full bladder! Milk is filtered and cooled, and can be bottled for experimental purposes. Our cows can be milked at different times by pre arrangement with a visiting group. Stop 9 - Milk processing room/dairy Milk travels along a pipeline from the parlour to the dairy, passing through a filter before entering a churn. Our milk is fed to calves or pigs.
Stop 10 - Pig farrowing house Mother sows come here to give birth to their piglets. 2 litters per year approximately 10 piglets/litter. Remain with their mum for 6 weeks. 1 kg+ at birth, 12 kg+ at 6 weeks 60kg+ at 16 weeks. Pregnancy - 115 days (3 months, 3 weeks and 3 days). Sows farrow in crates to avoid piglets being squashed or trodden on. Creep areas allow piglets access to food pellets away from the sow. Infra-red lamps attract piglets to sleep away from mum. Stop 11 - Poultry Shed This houses either chicks or growing pullets between October and March each year. A chicken begins to lay eggs at 21 weeks of age and continues for over a year before moulting and having a rest. Size of eggs / colour of eggs depends on breed and age of bird. Stop 12 - The Glasshouse Has : light ultra violet extra heat automatic watering ventilation Allows us to grow plants out of season and to over-winter plants Plant pests are controlled biologically e.g. encarsia, a parasitic wasp whose larvae feed on whitefly larvae Produces plants for Valentines Day, Mothers Day the Summer Fair and Christmas time