• slidebg1

    Hello and welcome to Torasbo!

    specializing in breeding Rhodesian Ridgebacks, a genebank for Gotland hens,
    weaving, growing ecological food and our guesthouse.

INTRODUKTION

Vi är en svensk/engelsk familj bestående av svenska Ingrid, engelske Roger och två döttar. Efter flera år i Skåne bodde vi i nästan 20 år på Gotland. Där köpte vi så småningom en liten gård och hade förutom flera Rhodesian Ridgeback hundar också hästar., Gotlandshöns, Blekingeankor och Ölandsgäss. På somrarna drev vi Bo-på-landgård verksamhet. Det var en underbar tid, men barn växer upp, och när flickorna flyttade hemifrån, tog även Ingrid och Roger steget över till fastlandet. Efter ett par års letande hittade vi en ny liten gård i sydöstra Småland, där vi nu bor med våra hundar och en ny genbanksbesättning Gotlandshöns. Litet "roligt" är det då att Ingrid efter flera år i Småland blev ombedd att åter arbeta i Visby, så just nu och några år framåt i tiden pendlar familjen med hundar (hönsen stannar i Småland) till Visby med jämna mellanrum. Våra döttrar håller nära kontakt med oss i Småland eller på Gotland och yngsta dottern Lovisa ingår i kennelverksamheten.


Current News


2016 Late Summer litter

Senaste kullen på elva valpar född 3/8 växer och frodas. Det börjat bli livligt i valplådan!

Första sinuskontrollen med annan uppfödare, Tristan/Charlies uppfödare Marie Juhlin – Juliagårdens kennel på Öland – visade inga sinus.

Vi ser fram emot att släppa ut kullen i valphagen med nybyggt valphus!

Några valpar ej tingade, valpköparbesök från 31/8!

Nu är det snart dags för Alu-kullen (“be prosperous” – och det önskar vi dem!) att flytta till sina nya hem.

Vi är så glada, för de nya hemmen är verkligen toppen – tack till våra valpköpare!

Fortfarande väntar två stycken bedårande pigga och busiga tikvalpar på att rätt husse och/eller matte skall komma och krama just dem!

Uche är kullens piggelin, en tillgiven och social valp, Wamukelwe är också en busig flicka, litet “lugnare”, men lika kelig och social.

Båda flickorna saknar ridge, men är i allt övrigt finaste afrikanska lejonhundar. De blir 8 veckor den 28/9 och kan därefter komma till sina nya hem.

De levereras helt enligt SKK´s och SRRS´srekommendationer och riktlinjer.

Planning a Vegetable Garden?

Growing vegetables is a unique form of gardening. First most vegetables are annuals, so you’ll be starting from scratch every year. You’ll probably be re-planting throughout the season, too.

Then there’s design. Designing a vegetable garden is more about which vegetables grow well near each other, than about how things look. Some vegetables will excrete substances that can inhibit other plants growth.

Tall vegetables can shade out shorter vegetables. Vegetables in the same family will attract the same pests and need to be moved around each year.

Not least to consider, these plants are going to be eaten by you and your loved ones, so if you haven’t given organic gardening much thought before, you might want to consider it now.

The good news is that most vegetables have similar growing requirements, so when you are deciding where to put your vegetable garden, you can follow these guidelines.

What to Consider Before Planting Your Vegetable Garden

Sun Vegetables are sun lovers. Most will grow their best with 6-8 hours or more of direct sunlight. Leafy greens can handle less sun and crops that prefer cool weather, like lettuce, will continue to grow throughout the summer is shaded by taller plants. But you will still want to choose a full sun location to site your vegetable garden.

Access Ideally your vegetable garden should be close to both a source of water and your kitchen. Vegetables will need water on a regular schedule. If they get watered erratically they will exhibit all sorts of problems like cracking open, not setting any fruit at all or becoming prone to cultural problems like blossom end rot.

Proximity to the kitchen or at least easily accessibly from some entrance to the house will give you the incentive to remember to water and check on your garden everyday and you’ll be more tempted to run out and pick something fresh while you’re cooking.

Organic Organic gardening got a bad reputation for being more difficult and less successful than gardening with synthetic fertilizers and chemicals. I don’t think either is the case. If you’ve resisted gardening organically in the past, now is a great time to begin because garden centers are finally stocking a wealth of organic gardening products and most of the vegetable gardening information is being written to accommodate organic growers.

Organic gardening is actually less time consuming, because the whole point is to prevent problems before they happen. Soil that is rich in organic matter is actually alive with all kinds of organisms that will benefit your plants. Keeping your plants healthy by providing the water, sun and nutrients they need is the fastest way to ward off pests and diseases that favor ailing plants. And choosing plants that are suited to your growing conditions and that have been bred to be disease resistant will keep them healthy. Throughout the lessons I’m going to be approaching vegetable gardening from an organic perspective and I hope you’ll give it a try.

Tools Every new activity requires the right tools and gardening is no exception. Vegetable gardening can be broken down into 2 stages: preparing the garden and caring for the plants. To create the garden, you’ll be turning a lot of soil. The basic tools include a: shovel, fork, trowel and maybe a tiller. (I’ll talk more about actually creating the garden in Lesson 2.) Once your plants are growing you’ll need a different set of tools which will include a: hoe, hose and nozzle or some type of irrigation system, stakes, twine and pruners.

Fencing One last thing to consider is fencing. Fencing can be an eye sore and a hassle, but you’re not the only creature that enjoys eating vegetables. You will be amazed how fast animals can eat through not just the fruits of your efforts, but the whole leafy planting. It’s an endless battle protecting your vegetable garden without a fence. In fact, you might need fencing both above and below the garden. Many animals will burrow under a fence and some, like prairie dogs, will pop up anywhere. It doesn’t have to be fancy the first year, but I highly recommend some type of fencing.

Soil Soil is the most important factor in any garden and perhaps more so in a vegetable garden. Annual vegetables spend their entire season producing flowers and fruits. They are very heavy feeders and a rich soil will not just keep them growing strong, it will also help ward of disease and pest problems. So for starters, the soil in your vegetable garden will need to be rich in organic matter. Well go into more depth on preparing the soil in a later lesson, but know that you’ll be replenishing with organic matter every year. Compost and composted manure can be added in spring and/or fall. I would also strongly recommend you have your soil tested when starting a new garden. The test results will tell you if any other amendments need to be added and if the soil pH needs to be adjusted.

Probably the easiest way to ensure great soil for your vegetable garden is to create raised beds. Raised beds simply mean the soil you are growing in is higher than the ground level by 6 or more inches. You can pile it between paths or create elaborate structures, but raised beds allow you to control the soil in the planting area, it never gets stepped on and compacted, it drains well and it warms up faster in the spring, so you can plant earlier.

One final consideration when looking at your soil is to be aware of drainage and run-off. Vegetables don’t like to sit in wet soil, so if your soil is heavy the texture will need to be improved. Hopefully the organic matter will make a dent. You also don’t want all the nutrients you add to simply run off elsewhere. If your site isn’t level, you’ll need to create run-off barriers. Similarly, you don’t want water from less favorable sources, like the driveway, running into your vegetable garden.

Weaving

Buying a loom

Buying a loom? There are many considerations

  • what do you want to weave - fabric, rugs, tapestry
  • how big a piece do you intend to weave
  • how much space do you have
  • is this your first loom
  • what is your level of knowledge and interest
  • how much do you want to spend?

Your first loom could be an inkle loom or a rigid heddle loom. These looms are fairly easy to master, are small (suitable for children) but offer an insight into many aspects of weaving. Regardless of the loom you choose, the width indicates how wide a fabric you will be able to weave; the length can be many yards on floor looms; it is more limited on rigid heddle or table looms.

Perhaps you would like a 4-harness loom as your first loom; the more harnesses (some people call them shafts) a loom has, the more design possibilities it offers. (Some looms have as many as sixteen harnesses).

Among 4-harness looms a table loom is cheaper, can be moved easily, but is hand-operated and therefore much slower than a floor loom; because of its low weight and width, the weaving possibilities are limited. But it is good for beginners, demonstration purposes, samples and workshops. If a first loom, it can be used later for samples, research and small projects.

A floor loom should be your choice if you have enough space. It is heavier and stronger, works much faster than a table loom, offers more possibilities and gives a better shed because of its greater depth. Among floor looms some are light and can be folded (Jack types), others are heavier and take more space. If you plan on weaving mostly rugs a heavy, sturdy loom such as the Glimåkra Standard, Leclerc Nilus II, or the Schacht Cranbrook should be your choice.

Mechanically speaking there are 3 types of looms:

  • Jack-type looms work as well for balanced weaving as for unbalanced weaving (1 harness against 3) because each harness frame is operated independently; however the treadling is slightly noisier and harder than on counterbalance looms and, because the tension on the warp cannot be very high, non-elastic warps (linen, nylon) are not recommended on these looms. If you plan on doing a great amount of fabric weaving, a jack loom may suit your work.
  • Counterbalance looms are quiet and have a faster and softer treadling than jack-type looms; they allow a high warp tension (important in rug weaving) and elastic warps (wool, cotton) as well as non-elastic warps; the shed is not perfect when weaving is unbalanced but with some looms (Leclerc) the problem is solved by adding a shed regulator.
  • Countermarch looms (such as Glimakra's Ideal and Standard, and the Schacht Cranbrook Loom) combine the rising/sinking action of the counterbalance loom with the ability of the jack loom to open any shed, whether balanced or unbalanced. They are quiet, sturdy and the favorite of many highly skilled weavers.

The beater on a loom can either pivot from the bottom or swing from a support above the weaving. Overhead beaters are somewhat easier to work with and are less tiring. The weight of the beater is an important feature as a heavier unit will allow you to beat down more easily.

Beyond the primary components of a loom there are many Weaving Accessories - Weaving Benches, Weaving Reeds, Sectional Warp Beams, Heddles, Shuttles, dobbies (see manufacturers page), bobbin winders and more. A lot to consider. If you are a beginner give us a call or e-mail us and we can consult with you or suggest good weaving books and weaving videos that will provide you with the background to make an informed choice.

Physically, there are several different types of looms that range in size and features:

  • Floor Loom - Floor looms are best used for producing longer lengths of fabric, for production work, designs that are more complex and for carpets and rugs. The loom must be solid and stable without being excessively heavy. Three different types of floor looms are: Jack, Counterbalance, and Countermarch.
  • Table Looms - These smaller, less expensive, portable looms are usually jack looms. Sometimes they have springs under the shafts to hold them down. Table looms are good for learning as they are portable enough to put into a car or even on a plane to take to a workshop.
  • Rigid Heddle - provide the equivalent of two-shaft weaving and can be adapted to behave as a four shaft loom by adding a second heddle set.
  • Tapestry Frame Loom - The tapestry frame loom is the most simple form for a weaving loom. The Navajo loom would be considered a frame loom.
  • Back strap loom - A simple loom comprising two sticks between which the warps are stretched. One bar is attached to a fixed object and the other to the weaver usually by means of a strap around the back.
WHAT YOU NEED TO GET STARTED WITH A TABLE OR FLOOR LOOM:
  • yarn
  • 2 or more boat or other shuttles
  • 12 or more bobbins for boat shuttles
  • reed hook and heddle hook
  • warping board or mill and raddle (or sectional warp beam, tension box with counter and bobbin rack)
  • book ("Learning to Weave” or "The Magic Of Handweaving") and videos ( "Intro to Weaving” and "Beginning 4-harness Weaving” )

Nice to have items - in ranked order:

  1. bench, bobbin winder;
  2. a variety of shuttles, extra reeds, swift and ballwinder if your yarn comes in skeins, fringe twister, temple;
  3. yarn balance, magnifier, Ott light, auto reed hook or more harnesses.
Chicken Names

Blackie, Jesper, Louis II, Pushy, Alma, Lillan, Snowwhite, Hönrietta, Kaysa Kavat, Sofia, Vilda, Blomman.

Preparing to Breed
  1. Find out if it is legal to keep chickens in your area. Some places have strict laws on keeping chickens whilst other places has ruled on keeping roosters and the amount of chickens you have. To avoid a fine it is best to check your local laws and regulations in your area.
  2. Make sure that you can house the new chickens. Many people don’t take into account that when you breed chickens, you will end up with significantly more chickens than you started with. Ensure that your chicken coop is ready for the new additions to your flock. Keep spare coops and equipment around so you're prepared to separate roosters or bullies of the flock. Sometimes you just won't have enough room to keep all chickens in one coop or you might get a few more roosters than hens that are aggressive towards each over.
  3. Decide if you want to take a chance on more roosters. Breeding chickens will result in about 50% male chicks. Male chickens will not contribute to your egg production, are not good eating, eat larger amounts of food, and will significantly increase the noise level of your flock. Be aware that breeding chickens will always result in having to deal with roosters. If you don't want to take the chance of having more roosters, then when your chicken lays eggs (make sure that they are fertile) only make sure that the most rounded ones are the ones you hatch (because the pointed eggs are most likely going to be roosters).
  4. Obtain a rooster. In order to fertilize your hen’s eggs, you will need a rooster in prime breeding condition. The rooster does not need to be the same breed as your hens in order to mate.[1] You should have 1 rooster for every 10 hens. Try to find a rooster from a good breeding stock. His eye color should be even, and his feet should be free from deformities. The rooster’s comb should look like a standard comb for his breed. Be prepared for noise. Roosters are loud animals, and many cities and suburban areas have laws against owning roosters due to the noise. Make sure that you can legally own a rooster. If you cannot, you will need to purchase fertilized eggs to hatch. Some breeds can be fairly aggressive. Make sure that you pick a rooster that is even-tempered, especially if you have children.
  5. Start breeding in the spring. Although you can breed chickens throughout most of the year, chickens bred in the Spring tend to be stronger. Chickens born in the Spring will begin producing eggs in Autumn. You do not need to do anything special in order to breed your chickens, just introduce the rooster to your flock and let nature take its course. Make sure both your hens and your rooster are eating quality food. This will ensure that their reproductive systems are as strong as possible. If you are breeding second generation or third generation chickens, be very wary of inbreeding issues. Try to tag your chickens so that you know which ones are related to the rooster. You can keep the rooster separate and only allow in the hens that you want to breed. You may also consider getting a new rooster each year.
  6. Decide between incubating the eggs yourself, or allowing the hen to raise her chicks. If you rely on your hens for egg-laying, letting the hen raise the egg will result in about 21 days of lost egg production. You will also need a “broody” hen, which means she is willing to sit on the egg for the entire incubation period. Most chickens have had the broody trait bred out to keep them productive. Some of the broodiest breeds include: Brahma, Jersey Giant, New Hampshire Red, Sussex, and others. If you have a large number of eggs to incubate, or are incubating to sell, it may be worthwhile to invest in an incubator.
Choosing the Eggs to Incubate
  1. Collect your eggs regularly. Even if you are going to let the hens incubate the eggs, you will want to collect them and choose the best ones to incubate. Collect eggs two to three times a day to make sure that the eggs don’t get dirty or don’t start developing. If it starts getting hot out, collect eggs even more often than normal, up to five times a day. Use a soft basket to hold the eggs while you collect them. This will help keep them from getting damaged. A little straw in a hand basket makes for a perfect egg basket. Handle the eggs delicately to keep from upsetting the membrane and other internal parts. Clean your hands before gathering eggs. This will help prevent you passing on bacteria to the egg.
  2. Keep the nest clean. Although you should always be keeping the coop and nest boxes clean, it is especially important when breeding. Mud and droppings can increase the amount of harmful bacteria that can infect the egg, which will hurt the egg’s chances. Make sure the hens always have clean bedding.
  3. Choose the eggs you wish to incubate. Choosing the right eggs will significantly increase your chances of a successful hatch. You will want to avoid eggs that are noticeably larger or smaller. Large eggs have difficulty hatching, and small eggs often produce chicks that are too small to live. Do not choose any eggs that have been cracked. Also avoid eggs with thin shells. Do not choose eggs that are noticeably misshapen. Only keep the clean eggs. Washing or wiping dirty eggs removes protective coating, making it more vulnerable to bacteria.
  4. Mark your eggs. If you are hatching a lot of eggs, or are breeding different types of chickens, you may find it useful to mark the eggs with dates or breeds to help you keep track of them all. You can use a pencil, marking pen, or a stamp.
  5. Store the eggs. Eggs can be stored up to 7 days after they have been laid and before you start incubating. Eggs should be stored for at least 24 hours before you start incubation, otherwise they may not hatch as well. Try to maintain a temperature of 55 °F (13 °C) and high humidity. Store the eggs with the pointy end down.
  6. Turn the eggs daily. While you are storing the eggs, they will need to be turned once a day to keep the membrane from sticking to one side. You can do this by placing a piece of wood underneath one end of the carton and then switching it to the other end the next day.
Letting the Hen Hatch the Eggs
  1. Find your broody hen. You can use fake eggs to test for hens that may be more broody than others. If your hen will sit on the fake eggs for 24 hours, then she will most likely successfully incubate eggs for 21 days.
  2. Sneak the eggs under the hen. This will be easiest at night, while the hen is sleeping. Depending on the breed, she may be able to incubate up to 12 eggs. Smaller breeds may only be able to fit 6 or so. All the eggs need to be able to be covered when she roosts.
  3. Separate the brooding hen and her eggs from the other chickens. If you can, separate the new mother and her eggs from the rest of the flock to prevent them from getting dirty or damaged. IF your hen is resistant to moving, then leave them where they are. If you can’t separate them, try to keep the other chickens from bothering the new mother as much as possible.
  4. Keep the mother well fed. Make sure that the mother hen has plenty of fresh water and food. You can switch the hen to chick starter food so that the chicks have the correct food right away. The hen won’t eat as much as normal.
  5. Let the hen hatch the eggs. When the eggs start hatching, don’t disturb the hen. She will help the chicks hatch. Eggs begin hatching around the 18th day, and the process can take up to 3 more days. Most of the eggs should hatch around the same time. After hatching has started, remove any unhatched eggs after about two days.
  6. Let the mother raise the chicks. If you opted to have the eggs hatch naturally, the mother will provide all of the necessary warmth and care for the chicks, and you will not need to put them in a brooder.
  7. Try to keep them separate. For the first six weeks, try to keep the chicks and the mother separate from the rest of your flock. This will allow them to get their bearings without being picked on by the other chickens. Provide a brooding area that the hen can enter and leave but the chicks can’t leave. This will help keep them out of trouble.
  8. Provide plenty of clean water and fresh food. Chicks need specific blends of food to grow up healthy, so make sure that there is plenty available. Different feeds will recommend changing types after a certain amount of time (6 weeks, 3 months, etc.).
  9. Introduce the chicks to the flock. After about 6 weeks, the chickens will be ready to be introduced to your flock. Introduce them slowly, and ensure that everyone is getting along before moving them in permanently. The mother hen will help keep other chickens in line during the transition process.
Incubating the Eggs Yourself
  1. Obtain an incubator. You can build your own incubator, or you can buy one from a farm supply company. If you are buying one, make sure that it has easy to control temperature and humidity, as well as good egg-turning options. One of the biggest factors when choosing an incubator is the number of eggs you intend to hatch. Usually only about 50-70% of the eggs that you incubate will hatch, and then half of those will turn into roosters.
  2. Set your incubator up in a temperature-controlled room. A stable room temperature will allow the incubator to keep a stable internal temperature much easier. Avoid placing the incubator next to a heater, or next to a window or door. You will need to check your incubator often, so make sure that you can access it easily.
  3. Mark your eggs if you haven’t already. If you didn’t mark your eggs when you collected them, you should mark them before putting them in the incubator. This will help you know if the egg has been turned or not.
  4. Preheat your incubator. Allow the incubator to run for a few hours before placing the eggs in. This will allow the incubator to reach the heat and humidity it needs. If your incubator has fans it should maintain a constant temperature of 100 °F (38 °C). If it does not have fans, keep the temperature at 102 °F (39 °C). Humidity for the first 18 days should be around 60%.
  5. Place your eggs in the incubator. Eggs should always have the large end facing up, or be lying horizontally with the large end tilted up. The small end should never be facing up, or the eggs will not develop.
  6. Turn the eggs. Eggs need to be turned around 5 times per day. Turn the eggs gently to avoid damaging the embryo. They do not get turned on the last 3 days before hatching.
  7. Candle your eggs. Candling eggs allows you to tell if embryos are actually growing inside or not. You will need a bright flashlight and a dark room to candle the eggs. Hold the egg with the large side upwards, and shine the flashlight through it. You should be able to see blood vessels beginning to develop, as well as the air sac on the top. You should be able to start seeing blood vessels after a few days of incubation. You should see a developed embryo after about 7 days. Throw away any undeveloped eggs after the first week.
  8. Allow the eggs to hatch. The hatching process can take the better part of a day. As soon as you notice pipping, increase the amount of oxygen that is entering the incubator by opening vents. The newly hatched chicks will not need to eat or drink for 24 hours, so allow the incubator to keep working as later chicks hatch. Avoid helping the chicks hatch. Chicks that cannot hatch on their own will most likely not survive into adulthood.
  9. Move the chicks to a brooder. One the hatching process is complete and the chicks are dry, you can transfer the chicks to a brooder where they will be raised. You can either build your own brooder or purchase one from a farm supply store. A 40-watt bulb in a bedside lamp makes for a good source of heat. Use a red bulb to hide injuries so that the other chicks will not pester an injured one. Keep the box in an area that is as draft-free as possible, and use wire to prevent cats from gaining access.
  10. Keep a constant supply of fresh water and feed. Your chicks will need to always have an ample supply of food and water. Chicks need a specialized feed formulated for chicks. As they mature, they can graduate to standard chicken feed. Make sure water dishes are shallow, as chicks can easily drown in their own water dish.
  11. Introduce the chicks to the flock. After about 6 weeks, the chickens will be ready to be introduced to your flock. Introduce them slowly, and ensure that everyone is getting along before moving them in permanently.

Guesthouse

Posted on February 3 2016

The Neighborhood: Old houses, the forrest and the nearby sea. The house has no running water. Water, shower and toilet are in the main house. There is a living room, loft bedroom for 2, and a kitchen.

Accommodates: 4, Beds: 3, Check In: 3:00 PM, Check Out: 11:00 AM, Internet, TV, Heating, Free Parking on Premises, Wireless Internet, Cable TV, Breakfast, Pets Allowed, Family/Kid Friendly, No Smoking Allowed, Indoor Fireplace, 24-Hour Check-in, Hangers, Iron, Laptop Friendly Workspace.

Prices: Extra people: No Charge, Cleaning Fee: 586 krSEK, Security Deposit: 782 krSEK, Weekly Price: 2475 krSEK /week, Cancellation: Strict.

Guest Access: Garden, with garden furniture's, 2 hammocks, open fireplaces. 5 km to the sea. 2 km. to grocery store, restaurant and golf course.

Getting Around: Bus to Kalmar and Karlskrona. 2 bicyles you can use.


From the Torasbo Portfolio

All
Kennel
Ecological Food
Weaving
Gene Bank
Guesthouse

Meet the team


Ingrid Taylor

ridgebacks,
gotland hens,
weaver and
eco veg grower


Roger Taylor

chief cook and
bottle washer




Unni/Unathi






Jekasai/Ici






Lovisa






Benjamin






Our Kennel

Because of our work and bringing up our two girls, our dogs were family and were happy guarding our farm. We went to puppy/intermediate training courses and participated in Gotland with joy in the RR walks organized by local enthusiasts. Before the children left home, they asked to experience having a litter. So we had in 2007 a small litter. After the move to Småland and having reduced working hours we had the idea to continue the breeding of Rhodesian Ridgebacks, who since 1985 has been a central part of our lives. We will continue our kennel breeding in a family environment and prioritize the good mentality and development of their many "natural" skills.

Get in Touch with Me

Slätafly 129
38593 Torsås Sweden

+46 (0)486-32033

+46 (0)72 732 0331

© 2016 Torasbo. All rights reserved.