Do you breed anything for a hobby?

[SilliamWhale]

Wondering what people breed for a pastime or hobby or some sort of family obligation.

Ignoring your commercial stock. Shetlands? Chickens? Geese? Rare breeds? Shires? How does it fit in with the farm?

(Don't say children!)

 

[teslacoils]

Contempt?

 

[Dry Rot]

OK, I'll stick my neck out and say Highland ponies! I can't say it's profitable because I'm retired (80) and try not to think about money but it is a lot of fun. Highland ponies are the "easy cares" of the horse world, live out and need no special feeding. I've had my small herd for about 12 years and there has ever been anything serious requiring the vet. In fact, the only problems are likely to be from over feeding, but not here. I enjoy training which I have been doing pretty much all my life -- falconry, dogs, and now horses. The ideal would be to have a small herd and take them through to safely backed and ridden as they are making good money - £4,000 to £5,000 upwards for safe riding ponies with the skies the limit. If I had two or three horse mad kids for put the finish on that would be great but I'm a bachelor so a bit late now. Instead I get youngsters from abroad who come here for cultural exchange to back them, so I have the next best thing to a family but with the benefit of seeing them go when they start to wear out their welcome! OK, so that's my credibility on here buggered!

 

[Derrick Hughes]

We have a family dog and thats too much , animals tie you down , i like too get up and go

 

[Northeastfarmer]

The returns on cattle and sheep mean farming them is a hobby

 

[Scholsey]

Wondering what people breed for a pastime or hobby or some sort of family obligation.

Ignoring your commercial stock. Shetlands? Chickens? Geese? Rare breeds? Shires? How does it fit in with the farm?

(Don't say children!)

Dairy cows, very expensive hobby.....

 

[JP1]

OK, I'll stick my neck out and say Highland ponies! I can't say it's profitable because I'm retired (80) and try not to think about money but it is a lot of fun. Highland ponies are the "easy cares" of the horse world, live out and need no special feeding. I've had my small herd for about 12 years and there has ever been anything serious requiring the vet. In fact, the only problems are likely to be from over feeding, but not here. I enjoy training which I have been doing pretty much all my life -- falconry, dogs, and now horses. The ideal would be to have a small herd and take them through to safely backed and ridden as they are making good money - £4,000 to £5,000 upwards for safe riding ponies with the skies the limit. If I had two or three horse mad kids for put the finish on that would be great but I'm a bachelor so a bit late now. Instead I get youngsters from abroad who come here for cultural exchange to back them, so I have the next best thing to a family but with the benefit of seeing them go when they start to wear out their welcome! OK, so that's my credibility on here buggered!

Your credibility is fully intact. Lovely to see and that you involve others

 

[Kiwi Pete]

We breed Dorpers, or rather they breed themselves.
A bit of a "Oh but you can't" breed in a damp climate, and thus quite rare down here. Rumour has it that they have crap feet, but that is because people breed from the wrong ones.

They just keep popping out lambs, and then the lambs pop out lambs, and now their lambs are popping out lambs; I haven't touched one in well over a year but I see them every day.
Great hobby, and keeps us in chops, sheep are great if you don't have to do sheep work.

 

[JP1]

The OH breeds and works Working strain Golden Retrievers. I breed Galloways but you've seen enough of mine

 

[Hooby Farmer]

Used to breed Staffordshire bull terriers, they went all over the world furthest going to SA. Man who had the sire had all the contacts an elderly gent who just took a shine to me. I haven't done it for a while I find trying to get good homes is a big concern to me.

 

[primmiemoo]

The farmhouse breeds mice for a hobby.

 

[emd]

The OH breeds and works Working strain Golden Retrievers. I breed Galloways but you've seen enough of mine

They are lovely looking dogs. Does she sell many ?

 

[JP1]

They are lovely looking dogs. Does she sell many ?

She mainly breeds to keep one bitch back to keep the lines. She's considering a litter mating later this year . Plenty of her bloodlines working all over Norfolk !

 

[Hilly]

Geese and fell ponies , geese for Christmas for ourselves and eggs , fells to sell show ride drive .

 

[JP1]

Geese and fell ponies , geese for Christmas for ourselves and eggs , fells to sell show ride drive .

Your neighbour went for some expensive ducks I gather ....

 

[Hilly]

Your neighbour went for some expensive ducks I gather ....

So I believe, and a posh bull,

 

[manhill]

Including children?

 

[JP1]

So I believe, and a posh bull,

Troloss big framed bull from memory . Son must have released the purse strings from his Da maybe ..

 

[Phil P]

Bred two kids, seemed like a good idea at the time ?

 

[neilo]

Wondering what people breed for a pastime or hobby or some sort of family obligation.

Ignoring your commercial stock. Shetlands? Chickens? Geese? Rare breeds? Shires? How does it fit in with the farm?

(Don't say children!)

Is it not allowed to have breeding your commercial stock as a hobby too? I’d wager there are plenty of old fashioned stockmen who live and breathe their animals, and gain considerable enjoyment from doing so.