Spillers Farm is a member of the Devon Association of Smallholders. We have three rare-breed breeding sows - a Wessex Saddleback called Cassie (Cassandra Trotter), two Gloucester Old Spots called Raquel and Marlene and a Gloucester Old Spot boar - Rodney Trotter (Rodders for short!) The pigs live in a custom-built pigsty called Trotter's Bottom (from an old railway station sign which which we found at Spillers when we moved here and inspired their "Only Fools and Horses/Trotter themed names!) The sows - with Rodney's help - each produce a litter of piglets every seven months or so; there are often little piglets to entertain our B&B and Cottage guests! You can read more about our pigs on Bridget's Blog or the Spillers Farm Facebook page.

Despite the fact that the piglets are absolutely delightful to watch as they grow and play we still manage to turn them into wonderful meaty sausages, bacon and a great deal of the most moist roast pork joints you’ll ever taste!  You can buy our meat directly from us - see the Online Market Stall page under the Farm Shop tab. If you're interested in taking on a couple of pigs we often have weaners for sale and are always willing to give you help and advice. We also rent out Rodney's services to other smallholders who have breeding sows, so if you're interested in either seeing his progeny or bringing your sow here for breeding do get in touch.

We also have a small flock of  Lleyn ewes.  At the moment we have four: PFS (Pretty Fluffy Sheep) and Gollom (she’s not so pretty!)  We got them as orphan lambs from a local farmer in the Spring of 2008 and as

they were bottle fed they are incredibly tame and will often come up and want a cuddle if you’re in their field.  We enjoyed feeding the lambs so much that we got another seven in the spring 2009 and kept another two of them for breeding - Bob (so named by some guests who were here in Summer 2009 due to the bobbles on her fleece), and Snugs (so named by Bridget as she's a very snuggly sheep!).   We get a number of orphan lambs every Spring, so if you would like to help bottle feed them (which is quite an experience!) either book into the B&B during March and April or come to the Tea Rooms at lunchtime.  You'll be able to hear the lambs bleating for lunch from quite a distance!

Our eggs are produced by our hens – ex-batteries that we rescued in the Summer of 2008.  They daily produce fantastic eggs with gorgeous orange yolks and it has been wonderful to see them regain their feathers and exhibit their natural behaviour – roaming around the fields and scratching for natural food. Our second set of ex-batts arrived in spring 2009 bringing the total flock to somewhere near 40.  Our cockerel Kellogg keeps them in order!  We get fewer eggs but a great deal of entertainment from our eclectic flock of ducks who spend the day swimming on our lake.  In the Autumn of 2009 we were given a Bantam hen and her 10 recently hatched and adorably cute chicks. We named her Angelina as she is prettier than the other hens and had loads of kids!  They have grown up now and roam around the lawns and are often seen scratching around with the pigs, totally at ease with each other. The bantams have also started laying eggs, so our bed and breakfast guests have the option of three types of egg - duck, hen or bantam!

In the winter we also raise turkeys.  A turkey isn’t for life, it’s just for Christmas! We are able to courier turkeys nationwide, so if you would like your own farm reared, hand plucked free range turkey for Christmas give us a call.

In addition, we grow most of our own fruit and vegetables.  There are very few food miles used in Spillers Farm food!   

Guests are welcome to wander around and interact with the animals – collect eggs from the hens, watch the ducks and help feed the pigs (before they feed you!)