Rediscover Britain's Lost Heritage of Self-Sufficiency and Animal Husbandry
For generations, British families kept chickens in the garden, a pig in the sty, and knew how to turn living animals into food security. Within three generations, we've lost this fundamental knowledge-but it's not gone forever.
Forgotten Animal & Self-Reliance Skills is your comprehensive guide to reclaiming traditional British smallholding wisdom, adapted for modern gardens, allotments, and small plots across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Whether you're considering your first backyard hens or dreaming of a productive smallholding, this book provides the honest, practical knowledge you need.
What You'll Master:
Start with chickens and progress through ducks, geese, rabbits, goats, sheep, pigs, and bees-each chapter building your skills and confidence. Learn British heritage breeds suited to our climate, from Light Sussex hens to Herdwick sheep. Discover traditional housing designs that work in British weather, fox-proofing techniques that actually work, and seasonal management strategies tested over centuries.
This isn't romantic hobby farming-it's real-world guidance covering the full cycle: from selecting healthy livestock and daily care routines, through breeding and raising young, to humane slaughter, traditional butchery, and British preservation methods including bacon curing, smoking, and sausage making.
Legally Compliant & Welfare-Focused:
Every chapter emphasises DEFRA regulations, animal welfare standards, movement licenses, and British legal requirements. Understand CPH numbers, holding registration, and species-specific welfare codes before you begin. Learn when you need planning permission, how to work within local authority rules, and your responsibilities under British animal welfare law.
Rooted in British Tradition:
Discover Scottish crofting wisdom, Welsh mountain farming techniques, English smallholding heritage, and Northern Irish traditions. Each skill is placed in historical context-from medieval common rights through Victorian cottage industries to modern rare breed conservation-showing how these practices sustained British families for centuries.
Regional Variations & Practical Reality:
Addresses the specific challenges of British climate: mud management in Welsh rain, fox pressure in suburban England, Highland winter preparations, and variable honey yields across regions. Honestly discusses the harder aspects of animal keeping-death, disease, predation, and the daily commitment required-with sensitivity but directness.
What Makes This Book Different:
- Progressive difficulty from beginner (hens) to advanced (integrated smallholding systems)
- Sensory learning sections: what healthy animals sound like, look like, feel like
- Troubleshooting guides for common British problems
- Month-by-month task calendars adapted to British seasons
- Emergency protocols and safety procedures
- Equipment specifications and traditional tool use
- Community connections and mentor-finding strategies
Perfect For:
- Aspiring smallholders seeking practical knowledge
- Allotment keepers considering livestock
- Suburban families wanting food security
- Those reconnecting with British agricultural heritage
- Anyone reducing dependency on industrial food systems
- Teachers of traditional skills and homesteading courses
Part of the Britain's Forgotten Wisdom Series:
This volume integrates seamlessly with traditional kitchen preservation, workshop crafts, gardening skills, and household arts-creating a complete system of British self-reliance.
From your first hen to a fully integrated smallholding - this is the practical guide to reclaiming skills your grandparents knew by heart.
