Creating an orchard: get planting

The second part of a two-part feature by Jules Moore on creating an orchard

Do we need meat?

Should you aim for a stockless or mixed smallholding? Alan Beat takes an objective look at the raising of livestock for meat

Is Tamworth a good pig breed to rear outdoors?

Q- I was hoping to start breeding my own pigs soon on my 15 acre smallholding, and was wondering about how suitable Tamworths would be for rearing outdoors. At the moment we have no outbuildings, only plastic arks. I was also wondering what the meat was like. Would you recommend it?

Word of warning on cockerels

Q- I have been told a cockerel will make my hens happier and more productive, but my children love collecting eggs, and I’ve heard cockerels can be aggressive. Could a person actually be harmed by a chicken? Kay Flowers, Sussex

Quandry about hatching Khaki Campbell eggs

Q- We have a (young) sitting Khaki Campbell, and a big rat problem. We’d really like to pinch the eggs to incubate at home (in our new secondhand Polyhatch incubator), but don’t know  how long she’s been sitting, and,  therefore, when to stop turning the eggs once they are in the incubator.  Also, I'm worried she's sitting on too many and the bottom ones are chilling. Any eggs we hatch out at our plot get attacked by rats, so I don’t much fancy the ducklings’ chances au naturel. Do  you have any suggestions?
Alistair Abbott, via email