Livestock for sale

The Berkshire pig is a medium- small pig, black with white points (feet, snout and tip of tail), and prick ears. It is light boned with good meat to bone ratio.

The flesh is noted for its texture and flavour. Considered to be a first class light-weight porker up to 65Kg, the Berkshire pig suits the specialist meat trade, and is ideal ‘freezer’ pig. Although black in colour the skin is not deeply pigmented and thus it does not suffer the same discrimination as other coloured breeds in the commercial market.

When the Berkshire pig is mated with a pure white breed in crossing programmes, the progeny will be white.

Berkshire sows are heavy milkers, leading to high weaning weights and good food conversion in their progeny. The naturally strong constitution of Berkshire pigs makes them ideal for outdoor systems. The Berkshire breed is adaptable, providing ease of management, and have placid temperaments and are an ideal rare breed pig for someone starting off pigs.

At Smallicombe we have litters of rare breed pigs every few weeks and usually a selection of young breeding stock available.

Pedigree Berkshire pigs for sale:

• Pedigree Berkshire weaners
  Born December 2022, Stonebow/Namatjira, ready to go mid-February 2023, orders being taken now.
• Pedigree Berkshire weaners
  Born January 2023, Royal Lustre/Namatjira, ready to go March 2023, orders being taken now.
• Pedigree Berkshire sow (x1)
  Stonebow, can be put to boar and sold in pig.

The British Lop pig is one of the rarest of the rare breed pigs. It is a large docile, lop eared, multi-purpose pig. The purebred being suitable for both pork and bacon production. Crossed with other breeds the resulting offspring make excellent commercial pigs that compare favourably with hybrids. The British Lop pig is also a very successful sire on other rare breed pigs producing well fleshed pigs for pork and cutter markets. The bacon we serve in the farmhouse B&B is from our British Lop pigs, once tasted never forgotten.

Major attributes of the breed:

The Lop pig is extremely hardy and an excellent grazing breed. In the UK they can be kept outdoors all year round.

The British Lop sows are excellent mothers, being very docile and easily managed. The Lop has an enviable record of piglets born and reared. The natural fleshing and length of the breed produces a pig that is suitable for any market.

By choosing to keep pedigree British Lops, you will be helping to conserve one of the rarest of the traditional British breeds of pigs.

Pedigree British Lop pigs for sale:

• Pedigree British Lop weaners
  Born end November 2022, Duke/Thatcher, will be weaned at the end of January 2023 and ready to go early February 2023, orders being taken now.
• Pedigree British Lop weaners
  Born early January 2023, Duke/Harmony, will be ready to collect in early March 2023. Orders being taken now.

The Dorset Down is one of the oldest breeds of native sheep and is still monitored by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust.

It is renowned for producing early maturing lambs from grass alone. It is a compact, medium sized sheep with a good depth of flesh and can be used as a terminal sire producing quick maturing lambs. The Dorset Down lamb has fine bones and shoulders, well fleeced with an outstanding leg and is ideal for home or export trade grading EUR at 2-3L. The loin is perfectly covered with a full eye of meat and the shoulder is of particularly good flavour.

Fleece:

The Dorset Down fleece is one of the most highly valued British fleeces. The wool is short and fine in texture on mature sheep while good tight wool on the lambs resists bad weather. The Brittish Wool Marketing Board classes Dorset Down wool as one of the highest grades in the country.

We use our Dorset Down fleeces to produce quality knitting wool processed for us at the Natural fibre Company in Launceston. We knit this up into attractive hats and scarves using graded shades from our Dorset Downs and Jacobs.

Some of our best rare fleeces were taken to Curlew weavers in Wales to be spun and woven into scarfs , throws and rungs of our own design. The cream of the Dorset Down complimented by the muted browns and greys of our Jacob and Jacob x Dorset Down fleeces produce a very attractive product.

Pedigree Dorset Down sheep for sale:

• Pedigree Dorset Down rams
  For sale or hire, registered, various ages and from pedigree flock.
• Dorset Down ewe & ram lambs
  Born January 2023.
• Zwartble rams
  For sale or hire, not registered.

There is no finer sight than a field of Red Ruby Devon cattle peacefully grazing in our unspoiled rural valley.

The Ruby Devon is recognised for its ability to produce the very finest of beef on a low input system. It is certainly true that Red Ruby Devon Beef is probably the best you can buy and at Smallicombe it is hung for three weeks to mature adding to the superb flavour and texture of the meat. Grass fed Ruby Devon beef simply cannot be beaten for marbling, texture, flavour and tenderness.

The balance of fat and meat is a vital factor in flavour.
Unlike modern breeds the Ruby Devon naturally lays down intra-muscular fat in the meat which produces wonderful marbled beef.

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, the food writer and broadcaster who lives close by, is also an owner of red Ruby Devon cattle and knows first hand the qualities of Red Ruby Devon beef. “Red Ruby Devons are beautiful animals producing beautiful beef. When grass fed they have excellent marbling and superb flavour. As far as I’m concerned Red Ruby Devon beef is as good as it gets!”

The Smallicombe Herd has Red Ruby Devon beef available two or three times throughout the year.

Ruby Devon cattle for sale:

• Ruby Devon single suckled steers & heifers
  Born spring 2020.