Ten Trees Smallholding

Prize winners

keymerm@tentreesfarm.co.uk (Marilyn Keymer) — Wed, 05 Oct 2022 13:48:35 GMT

Tentrees Namatjira - Ash , qualifier for Pig of the Year and reserve male in Champion of Champions.

Tentrees Stonebow - Luna , reserve female in Champion of Champions, as well as taking a number of first prizes.

A successful year with our show team, with the members either stopping in the herd for breeding or moving on to new homes as breeding stock.

Show team for 2022

keymerm@tentreesfarm.co.uk (Marilyn Keymer) — Mon, 25 Apr 2022 11:30:23 GMT

We have selected four boars and four gilts as part of the Show Team for this year. These will be the core of the team, two sows and some commercial pigs can also be added, space in the trailer allowing.

The shows we will attend are South Suffolk, Nottingham, Suffolk, Norfolk , Wayland and possibly Gransden. Pig of the Year will be at Yorkshire, Young Pig of the Year will be in Malvern, Berkshire Champion of Champions will be at Penistone for this year, it would be great to be at any of these championships.

Spotty piglets!

keymerm@tentreesfarm.co.uk (Marilyn Keymer) — Thu, 17 Jun 2021 11:46:30 GMT

I had a litter of cross breeds in May this year, as I bought in a new breed line to add to my herd. They are really chunky little chaps and very demanding, but mum is very patient. They are gloucester x berkshire, and this seems to be the colouration with this cross.

Pigs in their winter quarters

keymerm@tentreesfarm.co.uk (Marilyn Keymer) — Wed, 13 Jan 2021 14:07:06 GMT

Another wet winter, so the breeding herd is in to rest the runs and allow a bit of drying out. Three of the girls seem to be in pig, and hopefully being on solid ground will make sure we have a complete set of litters. They came in just after christmas and seem to be enjoying the change so far. It entails alot of cleaning out, but better than trying to struggle through the mud.

Our owls have fledged

keymerm@tentreesfarm.co.uk (Marilyn Keymer) — Wed, 09 Sep 2020 09:55:59 GMT

Very excited that we are seeing alot of our three young owls on the owl cam. Thought there was only two to start with, the youngest seems to have fallen or was pushed out of the box. Mum contiued to feed it on the floor and now it has made it back to the box.

First of the autumn litters

keymerm@tentreesfarm.co.uk (Marilyn Keymer) — Wed, 09 Sep 2020 09:38:44 GMT

Clover farrowed yesterday, with no problems. All got through the night OK, a feisty bunch. There are few gilts this time which is good news, I'll be looking for some breeding stock as they grow.

Show team dispersed

keymerm@tentreesfarm.co.uk (Marilyn Keymer) — Tue, 04 Aug 2020 10:48:53 GMT

The autumn 2019 show team have now been dispersed to their new homes to produce some litters of their own. Looking forward to this years September litters for next years show team.

New resident

keymerm@tentreesfarm.co.uk (Marilyn Keymer) — Wed, 27 May 2020 13:51:01 GMT

Spotted this chap sunbathing on a log in the yard. I wonder if this is the same one I had in the garden eating a frog a couple of years ago, if it is then it is so much bigger.

Barn Owls

keymerm@tentreesfarm.co.uk (Marilyn Keymer) — Tue, 28 Apr 2020 14:55:39 GMT

It looks as if we have Barn Owls instead of pigeons nesting in our owl box. I had a wildlife camera for my birthday so will be able to track the progress. It started with a battle between the pigeons and owls which the owls won, displacing a squab from the box, it was about ready to fledge anyway. Very exciting.

From wet to dry

keymerm@tentreesfarm.co.uk (Marilyn Keymer) — Tue, 28 Apr 2020 14:47:35 GMT

My girls produced 3 litters during March and April, all really nice looking piglets, but nearly all boars! They arrived just as the conditions improved, which I appreciated, though the ground is really hard now and the reseeding of outside runs is struggling.

The show season has been cancelled, so I have some super breeding stock for sale earlier than usual, these are some of best stock I have bred.

There is another litter due towards the end of May, and possibly a second if my prize winning older lady holds her litter.

Coping with Winter

keymerm@tentreesfarm.co.uk (Marilyn Keymer) — Tue, 11 Feb 2020 12:23:32 GMT

I have had to bring the breeding herd and some of the youngsters in from the wet, as the feed troughs were disappearing in the liquid mud, and for my own sanity, unable to navigate the runs without losing my wellies!

Each group also has a boar in residence to keep everyone content.

Really grateful they are out of the orchard runs as that is a disaster area following the recent storms. It looks as if they will stay in for a while as nothing is improving and there are repairs needed to the fencing now.

Gransden Show

keymerm@tentreesfarm.co.uk (Marilyn Keymer) — Sun, 03 Nov 2019 21:05:16 GMT

At our last summer show, dear Wenna, a homebred 5 yr old sow, with 6 litters under her belt, won the RBST Shield at the Gransden Show. She doesn't come out often, but always does well when she does. Three of her grandsons will be representing us at the Winter Stock Festival in November.

September litter

keymerm@tentreesfarm.co.uk (Marilyn Keymer) — Wed, 18 Sep 2019 11:52:25 GMT

Lyndie has just had her second litter from Edward, our homebred August boar - his first litter. Really pleased with the quality of these piglets. Hoping to have some for our show team next year. Lyndie is such a laid back mum, which makes things really easy.

Congratulations!

keymerm@tentreesfarm.co.uk (Marilyn Keymer) — Fri, 23 Aug 2019 13:06:45 GMT

Congratulations to Peter Sykes who bought my August gilt, Honey. She swept the board of prizes at Anglesey Show.

First Show

Thu, 16 May 2019 10:09:45 GMT

Honey was our star at South Suffolk Show, winning her class and taking reserve breed champion. My two returning sows, Lyndie and Pudding , took second and third respectively in their class, to another Tentrees bred sow that had been sold on to a young family. So pleased they are now doing well with her.

Fourth litter of this year

keymerm@tentreesfarm.co.uk (Marilyn Keymer) — Thu, 16 May 2019 10:01:11 GMT

Dear Wena had her sixth litter on 1 May. Three gilts and four boars, now all out in the field exploring. Wena is the mum of the two returning sows that farrowed at the end of February. My Stonebow line is very successful.

Busy start to the Year

keymerm@tentreesfarm.co.uk (Marilyn Keymer) — Thu, 16 May 2019 09:50:42 GMT

I brought back two of my successful sows, in pig. So already 2 litters this year and all sold, but two boars retained to show as breeding stock. The third, and unplanned, litter was with one of my older sows who sadly died leaving a family of 8 little orphans. All doing well now.

Buster off to Lancashire

keymerm@tentreesfarm.co.uk (Marilyn Keymer) — Fri, 01 Feb 2019 14:23:46 GMT

Buster is now with his own herd of sows in Lancashire. The journey was interesting, we should have stayed on the main roads rather than following the SatNav ! You know you are in trouble when you see the sign 'Mountain - please drive slowly' pops up.

I am hoping for some of his offspring at home, and I have also seen a picture of his litter from his trip to Wales.

There are some lovely August and October born boars nd gilts that are for sale and can be seen in the show ring this year.

Successful end of Season & New beginnings

keymerm@tentreesfarm.co.uk (Marilyn Keymer) — Tue, 30 Oct 2018 12:07:14 GMT

We ended the summer show season with a huge success at the Newbury Show in September. Our young stock did us proud with us winning the Interbreed boar with the February boar, Bill, and the Interbreed Pairs with the other February boar, Ben, and the sister, Lyndie - all three from the same litter. They have moved on for breeding to new herds and in exchange I have Brian, running with my gilts, and Fudge who produced a litter for me.

Fudge's litter produced a lovely boar and gilt for showing next season. Wena also produced a litter, small for her, of four. These have the same breeding as the successful team at Newbury. I also have a granddaughter of Wena's, hoping to breed from har later next year.

I am refreshing my breeding herd with youngstock as the older girls are failing to produce at the moment.

Coping with the continuing heat

keymerm@tentreesfarm.co.uk (Marilyn Keymer) — Thu, 05 Jul 2018 10:41:55 GMT

We need to make sure our pigs have shade, drinking water and wallows to survive this weather outside. This means hauling a large number of buckets of water from strategic water points! Moving from bog conditions to drought has also caused the ground to be hard and rough, not easy for pigs.

Success at Suffolk Show

keymerm@tentreesfarm.co.uk (Marilyn Keymer) — Wed, 06 Jun 2018 12:05:27 GMT

We took seven pigs to the Suffolk Show and they all performed well, winning their classes. The main results included winning commercial classes as well as pedigree classes, taking reserve breed champion, reserve Pig of the Year qualifier and reserve Young Pig of the Year qualifier.

Show season starts

keymerm@tentreesfarm.co.uk (Marilyn Keymer) — Wed, 16 May 2018 12:40:04 GMT

South Suffolk Show was our first show for 2018. My Stonebow sow Wena won her class and took the reserve champion coloured pig. We won the gilt class and the two February gilts came third and fourth. The boys will join the girls at our next show - Suffolk show - at the end of May.

Gilhouse trophy

keymerm@tentreesfarm.co.uk (Marilyn Keymer) — Wed, 04 Apr 2018 11:53:09 GMT

Another trophy win

UK Berkshire Pig Breeders Club
Sarah Ashcroft presented Chris Hudson with the Barlings Trophy for gaining the most points during the show season with Barlings Excelsa 1462, know as Pips. Marilyn Keymer was runner up and received the Gilhouse Trophy with Tentrees Peter Lad 277 - known as Jake. Well done to the Maerose and Tentrees Herds and to all the breeders who had an enjoyable 2017 show season. Looking forward to 2018 show season which is only a few weeks away.

Veg patch clearance

keymerm@tentreesfarm.co.uk (Marilyn Keymer) — Mon, 26 Feb 2018 12:58:46 GMT

The girls clear the veg patch for me

Put a couple of girls onto my veg patch to clear the weeds and remaining vegetables. They are expert at digging out the nettle roots. The chickens follow up to collect slugs and bugs and scrap over the surface. Looking so much better now.

February's new arrivals

keymerm@tentreesfarm.co.uk (Marilyn Keymer) — Mon, 26 Feb 2018 12:49:35 GMT

Two litters arrived in February

We had two litters during February, a bit of a struggle this time but both litters and mums are fit and well. Had one failed litter in that the sow had not held, but now have 15 piglets, most of which were already ordered. I have my eye on some of the best ones for showing and moving on for breeding stock.

Superstars

keymerm@tentreesfarm.co.uk (Marilyn Keymer) — Tue, 06 Jun 2017 11:34:35 GMT

Excellent results from Suffolk Show

All the boars and gilts acquitted themselves well in the individual classes, with both the January boar and gilt winning their classes, with the boar taking reserve champion coloured pig. The second day produced some exciting results, the top boar and gilts qualifying for both PIg of the Year final in Yorkshire and Young Pig of the Year in Malvern, as well as the gilt joining the already qualified boar for Berkshire Champion of Champions at Newbury.
The most surprising result was winning the Traditional Commercial pair, then taking Reserve Champion overall.
Next stop Norfolk Show at the end of the month.

Weaners

keymerm@tentreesfarm.co.uk (Marilyn Keymer) — Wed, 03 May 2017 21:21:47 GMT

January Weaners ready for new homes

All the litters are now wormed and tagged, and most gone to their new homes. The herd is erysipelas vaccinated. There are some suitable as breeding stock among them, and some I will be showing this season, these will be for sale after June.
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