Countryfile Lambing Special
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00I've just heard there's another ewe about to give birth, so I'm just going to go and
00:09check on her. So this ewe has just pushed the lamb out and it's nearly there, out it comes.
00:19I'm just going to hop over and make sure that the bag isn't over its nose. Oh, there she goes.
00:23No, she's up, it's broken. The umbilical cord breaks naturally and the ewe has got fantastic
00:29maternal instinct. She's turned around and she's licking that lamb already, she's talking
00:34to it, she's starting to bond, get its smell. I'm just going to hop over and make sure it's okay.
00:40So just moving in nice and slowly, get a little bit of straw, just clear off its nose so that it's
00:45not breathing in any amniotic fluid. And there it is, a lovely strong lamb. She's scanned for twins,
00:52so I'll leave her to lick that one dry and then we'll come back in a moment and hopefully she'll
00:57give birth to the second one.
01:00so
01:21With the health of the animals being so important
01:35and then you've got unpredictable outcomes
01:38and, of course, the physical and mental strain
01:41of looking after so many animals,
01:43lambing can be a tough time for sheep farmers.
01:47But when things go well, it's incredibly rewarding,
01:50bringing farming families together
01:52and providing the groundwork for the year ahead.
01:58But whatever the outcome,
02:00it's one of the busiest times of year in the farming calendar
02:03and it's early mornings and late nights for sheep farmers like me
02:09and, of course, the other Country Farm presenters, Sammy and Matt.
02:13This year, we're giving you special access
02:16to all three of our farms at our favourite time of year.
02:20Sammy is back home in the Scottish Borders,
02:25lambing a large flock indoors.
02:27This is when my hands come in helpful
02:29because I've got smaller hands than Dad.
02:32This is always a hard bit because you know it's living,
02:34but you just need to take that first cough.
02:39Matt's in the Durham Dales
02:40with his hardy outdoor flock of Herdwicks.
02:43I've got you!
02:45Growing up, honestly,
02:47lambing was brilliant trading for the skilled rugby team.
02:50Ha ha ha!
02:53And I'm on my farm in the Cotswolds.
02:56What we've got in here are a bunch of ewes and lambs.
02:58Let me just see if I can catch one.
03:00Easier said than done.
03:01Oh!
03:05Crook always comes in handy.
03:09Welcome to our Country Farm lambing special.
03:11It's going to be a tough shift.
03:18Lambing season is my favourite time of year.
03:19It's something that I really look forward to.
03:25I have my favourite childhood memories of helping my dad,
03:29just spending that quality time with my dad.
03:32In the world of sport,
03:34not a lot of people know all the things that I know about
03:36farming and lambing,
03:37and I'm so proud of the knowledge that I have.
03:41When I go home from Paris,
03:42after winning my gold medal,
03:44I came home to our garden gate,
03:48which had been painted gold.
03:50It wasn't something I expected to see,
03:52but I think it looks pretty cool.
03:56We lamb indoors from the beginning of March,
03:59and I'm just in time to help Dad out.
04:03Lambing's started.
04:04Yeah.
04:04How many have you got to lamb this year?
04:06I've got 780 to lamb.
04:09So you're just in the beginning?
04:10Yeah, just in the beginning.
04:12What's your hopes this year?
04:14Just to have a good lambing.
04:16Yeah.
04:16And not to get bad weather.
04:19Most of the time,
04:20they use birth themselves,
04:22but some need a helping hand,
04:24and this one looks to be my turn.
04:27She's been on a good hour and a half,
04:29and she's not looking very happy,
04:30and there's nothing showing,
04:34so I think I'll go and have a look.
04:38This might be my first lambing of the year.
04:40Dad always says I have to do at least one a year,
04:42or apparently I'll lose the skill.
04:44How many should she have inside her?
04:46She's twins,
04:47so a three cropper,
04:49she should have had them out by now.
04:52That means you've given me a hard one.
04:54First one of the year.
04:55Stuck.
04:56She should be quite good at this.
04:58You should be.
04:59I should be?
04:59You should be.
05:00Gosh, how old was I when a lamb's on my first?
05:02About five, six.
05:03Five is okay.
05:04It's quite a big lamb, Dad.
05:05Is it?
05:06When you're pulling it,
05:07I always want to kind of clear its mouth,
05:09so that its first breath's not just going to be...
05:12That's a big lamb.
05:17It's a good-sized lamb.
05:19First one's always pretty easy to get out,
05:22but the second one's because it's a bit further in.
05:24You've kind of got to figure it out,
05:27so I can just pull the legs.
05:30So they're two good lambs.
05:36Very good lambs.
05:37Yeah.
05:37Totally different looking,
05:39which are the new genetic breeds we're using.
05:42How many different breeds have you got now, then,
05:43running through your...?
05:44Well, we've got...
05:45We've got sequater suffix,
05:47texel crosses,
05:48and bluehead crosses.
05:52So what's your aim for the future, then?
05:53What are you kind of thinking long-term?
05:56Feasibly to lamb them outside.
05:58The weather's just too unpredictable.
06:01And it's changing so much more nowadays as well.
06:02You have to give them their best chance,
06:05and this system works for us just now.
06:07Yeah.
06:08Dad works around the clock
06:10to ensure every lamb has the best chance of survival.
06:14This year, he's expecting mostly twins,
06:17a shepherd's dream,
06:18but also 153 triplets.
06:23With only two udders to feed their young,
06:25lambs born into triplets like these can be left hungry.
06:31So I'm just going to go and have a little look...
06:34See what she's doing.
06:35..to make sure she's behaving.
06:36If she's going to have one and she's got loads of milk,
06:39we'll get another one set on.
06:41So what we will do is we'll take a triplet off
06:44and give it to one that's got a single
06:46because she's got loads of milk,
06:48she's going to be able to share her milk so much easier,
06:50and she'll do so much better just looking after her too.
06:54But sometimes it does look a bit sad when you're taking one off,
06:57but you know they're going to be well looked after.
07:00This practice, known as fostering,
07:03relies on good farming knowledge
07:04to improve the chances of success.
07:07So we're going to lay this lamb underneath her back end here.
07:14Is that big?
07:16He's got a big set of cluthoppers.
07:18Big set of feet on them.
07:22You don't ever want to intervene too early with a sheep.
07:25You will never want to intervene when it's necessary.
07:29This is a good stage
07:30because she's already got it all there and out the pelvis.
07:33You can see the pig.
07:34It's a big lamb.
07:35So we're wanting all the
07:37the lamb and fluids
07:39to go over this little one
07:41and try and transfer the smell
07:45onto this one.
07:48And there's like places that are the most important places
07:50to transfer the smells, isn't there, Dad?
07:53Head, tails are the most important.
07:56Because when they go in for milk,
07:59that's when you will always check,
08:01is that my lamb?
08:02So they'll turn and smell,
08:04and so you want their tail and their bum
08:05to really smell like them.
08:06So they let them go in for a drink, most importantly.
08:10He's got sisters.
08:13Two sisters.
08:15It's quite a big lamb, Dad, isn't it?
08:17Yeah.
08:17Gosh.
08:19But it is outside
08:20lambings,
08:21you wouldn't get the chance to do this.
08:25The biggest risk to lambing indoors is infection,
08:29so the bellies are sprayed with an iodine-based solution immediately.
08:33You can see here,
08:34so this one's obviously already had the antibac spray.
08:37That one was born at tea time,
08:39last night,
08:40and the antibacterial spray has shriveled up the navel,
08:43and that's what you want.
08:44So it stops infection getting in,
08:46whereas this is a fresh one,
08:48so you just want to spray it.
08:49Oh, that was not a very good spray, sorry.
08:53You see,
08:54her hormones have been released
08:56because she's lambing herself.
08:58The hope is that this first-time mum or Gimmer
09:03will accept the triplet as her own.
09:06But fostering isn't always successful,
09:09and the acceptance rate by the ewe can vary.
09:12We'll check on her later.
09:14For now,
09:15Dad's got 20 lambs he wants out of the barn
09:18to make way for the next births.
09:23It's bound to be a big shock to this little system
09:25to go into a big world outside.
09:28Oh, yeah.
09:31Sunshine's the greatest medicine for any livestock.
09:35A day of sun on their back,
09:37just,
09:38you think they grow inches,
09:40they just love it.
09:41It's good for the mums as well.
09:43It bites the green grass,
09:45helps the milk flow.
09:48Being put out to the field
09:50is an important step for the growth of these lambs,
09:53but with it comes the challenges of the weather.
09:56Here in the Scottish borders,
09:58conditions can change in an instant,
10:00and last year,
10:01extreme winds had a devastating effect on the flock.
10:05Yeah, last year was tough.
10:07It was three solid days
10:09from the east coast,
10:10and I had ewes and lambs in the woods.
10:14I just opened the gates,
10:15pushed them into the woods,
10:16but then the trees started coming down,
10:18and of course there was always one lying dead.
10:22I was going round them every hour.
10:24We'd lose a hundred plus.
10:28It was just,
10:29no, it was heartbreaking.
10:31Especially when you've got good mums,
10:32and they're standing over their dead lambs,
10:34men wondering,
10:35you know,
10:36heartbreaking,
10:37heartbreaking.
10:37Dad tries not to take it to heart,
10:40but he cares deeply for every life on this farm.
10:44So this year,
10:45he's focused on ensuring the flock stays well protected.
10:48This is our new idea.
10:50Trying to grow hedges.
10:53So it goes along there and up that side.
10:56So we're getting shelter from the north and the west.
11:00And if you've got shelter belts,
11:02you can push the sheep up against the shelter belt
11:04and just gives them
11:05just that little bit of respite.
11:19Your turn.
11:21Come to me.
11:22So I'm just going to feed
11:23the little pet lambs that are here.
11:25This stick makes my life so much easier.
11:27I feel like when I came back to the farm
11:29after having my accident,
11:30being a wheelchair user,
11:31it was all about trying to find ways
11:33that I could still do stuff by myself.
11:35Hello.
11:36So this stick just means
11:37that I can kind of grab them
11:39and pull them towards me
11:39and just means that I can actually do it independently,
11:42which is really nice.
11:43So these are some pet lambs.
11:45So either their mums haven't been very well
11:48and haven't been able to look after them,
11:50or they've not been very well themselves.
11:53And our hope is eventually
11:54we'll be able to set them on to another mum at some point.
11:57So this is probably the nicest job.
12:01Not that you do want pets,
12:02but it is nice having a little cuddle with a lamb.
12:06Isn't it?
12:07I'm going to get you some food
12:08so you're definitely hungry.
12:11My dad using my Paralympics GB bottle
12:13to feed lambs with.
12:14I mean, it was intended for hydration
12:19and this is exactly what you're getting, isn't it?
12:25A bit more to life already.
12:27Isn't that it?
12:28Our last job this morning
12:30is to turn over the barn for the next births.
12:33I disinfected their beds
12:35and now I'm giving everything fresh straw
12:37just to build up, hopefully,
12:40a layer between the last sheep that was in it
12:43and this sheep.
12:48It's like yourself.
12:49You don't like a dirty bed.
12:53There you go.
13:10Welcome to the place that I grew up.
13:21This is our family farm.
13:26At this time of year,
13:28gosh, what a place to grow up.
13:31All those life lessons that you learn.
13:33You know, we had a massive shed here
13:34full of sheep pens,
13:36rows upon rows of sheep waiting to lamb.
13:39So you'd be in there,
13:40you'd be feeding up,
13:41you'd have lambs popping out
13:42all over the place.
13:44Honestly, it was a massive hive of activity.
13:47But the concept of lambing here these days
13:49is very different
13:51to what it used to be like
13:52for me growing up here.
13:55That's because five years ago,
13:57we made the decision
13:57to change our sheep farming system
13:59to one that suited our family situation.
14:02We're all set and ready to go.
14:04We are.
14:05We swapped our pedigree flock
14:07of lowland Hampshire downs
14:09my mum Janice spent over 25 years rearing
14:12for flocks of hill breeds,
14:14herdwicks and Black Welsh mountain sheep.
14:18And the herdwicks
14:19are right in the thick of lambing.
14:22That looks clear there.
14:29Yeah.
14:30Unlike Sammy and Adam,
14:31we now lamb outdoors.
14:33So four times a day,
14:35we head out to check the fields.
14:38Here we are, look.
14:40Taking shelter in the gorse.
14:42In there.
14:43Can't see anything lambing.
14:45Just checking all the little
14:48nooks and crannies
14:49because these herdwicks ewes
14:51like to take themselves off to lamb.
14:54The herdwicks' independent street
14:56comes from their Lake District origins,
14:58where they live high up on the fells
15:01in all weathers,
15:02away from human contact,
15:04making it a more hands-off lambing
15:07for my mum.
15:10It's a very kind of relaxed lambing system
15:13that we have here.
15:14And they're so good with their lambing
15:16and their brilliant mums.
15:18So we're just monitoring them, really.
15:20Just making sure that they're all right.
15:22And that's the whole reason
15:23why we swapped over, to be honest.
15:25You know, for my mum,
15:26it was just going to be easier
15:27for the sheep to actually help her
15:29get through the winter.
15:33Five years ago,
15:34a freak accident on the farm
15:36left mum with severe injuries,
15:38including a broken leg
15:39and needing a full knee replacement.
15:41How are they looking, Mum?
15:45I was just checking that one
15:46by the fence there.
15:49We kept Hampshire Downs at the time,
15:52a large breed which were challenging
15:53to look after on our organic hill farm.
15:56It was time to think about the future.
15:59Re-evaluate!
16:00Yeah, the kind of sheep
16:01that were going to make life easier for you,
16:03because there was no way
16:05you were going to stop farming, was there?
16:06No, no.
16:08This is the only way, really,
16:09that we felt that I could continue
16:11and do what I love doing.
16:13And we looked at lots of different breeds,
16:14didn't we, really?
16:15But hill breeds were the way forward.
16:18So we began a new chapter on the farm,
16:21heading off to buy Black Welsh Mountains
16:23and herdwicks.
16:24That was a real exciting day
16:27when they came back.
16:28I've always, always wanted herdwicks.
16:30Yeah.
16:31They're good sheep for this farm.
16:33That's the main thing, really.
16:35And they've settled well.
16:36Yes.
16:36I wouldn't go back.
16:37Well, I couldn't go back.
16:39But this is definitely the easiest system.
16:42And it's more natural, really,
16:43for lambing outside.
16:46Herdwicks are a hardy sheep
16:48and prefer to lamb outdoors.
16:50Come on, girls.
16:55But here, we give them the option
16:57of spending time undercover.
16:59And bringing them into the polytunnel
17:01with some supplementary feed
17:03means we have the opportunity
17:04to check over the flock.
17:08Here they come.
17:10Woo!
17:11Here they come.
17:12Matthew,
17:14have you seen this one
17:15that's just come in?
17:16Process of elimination.
17:18I don't think she's lambed yet.
17:22No.
17:23Size of a bus.
17:24Looks like twins.
17:25I think so.
17:28Despite the offer,
17:29only around half of our Herdwicks
17:30have decided to feed this morning.
17:33It's not the best of weather.
17:35So it just goes to show
17:36how hardy this breed is.
17:39And they'd just rather be out there,
17:40wouldn't they?
17:40Yeah, totally waterproof fleeces.
17:42And we haven't had one Herdwick lamb
17:45inside this year.
17:46They've all chosen to lamb outside.
17:48I'll grab some of these lambs
17:50and you can have a little look at them.
17:52Nice pair of twins there.
17:58Got you!
18:00Growing up, honestly,
18:02lambing was brilliant trading
18:03for the school rugby team.
18:05What have we got here?
18:07Gimmett, little girl.
18:09Good.
18:09She's nice.
18:12I'm going to pop you down.
18:13Steady, steady.
18:17This is a fine example
18:19of a good little Herdwick.
18:22Got the white tips here.
18:24He's a little boy.
18:25Very thick,
18:27dark coat,
18:28which is a fascinating thing
18:30about this breed,
18:30isn't it, Mum?
18:31It is.
18:31And he won't stay like this
18:32for very long.
18:33Gradually,
18:34his face will turn white.
18:36And that's how
18:37some of the younger sheep,
18:38you can tell how young they are
18:39by how dark the fleece is.
18:41One of the challenges
18:42of running an outdoor system
18:44is the threat of attack
18:45from predators.
18:46This is a little trick we have
18:48because we do our foxes
18:49around here.
18:50We put this stuff on
18:51called Stockholm tar.
18:53It smells like tar.
18:57It does.
18:58Smell of my childhood, that.
19:00We just put a spot
19:01on the back of the neck
19:01like there.
19:02And what this does
19:03is it prevents predators
19:05from grabbing them
19:06around the back of the neck.
19:08And there we are.
19:09He's checked, sorted,
19:11and happy to return.
19:12He might make a nice tub,
19:13you know.
19:13It's nice, nice place.
19:14You never know.
19:14It could be a champion tub.
19:16Yay!
19:17Yeah?
19:18Pleased with him?
19:18I am, actually, yeah.
19:20Is this your lamb, sweetheart?
19:22There you go.
19:23Back to Mama.
19:26There's a bit of Stockholm tar
19:28left on this.
19:28Do you want any on?
19:29I'm all right.
19:32I'm good.
19:33No predator's going to get me, Mother.
19:39We're only halfway through
19:41the Herdwick slamming window.
19:43Look at the size of her.
19:44And for this heavily pregnant ewe,
19:47giving birth is imminent.
19:49Won't be long now.
19:50Running hardy sheep
19:53like Herdwick's
19:53and Black Welsh Mountains
19:55that lamb outside
19:56means that we have
19:57very little control
19:58over where
19:59and when they lamb.
20:01But something that we can control
20:03that massively affects
20:04the future of the flock
20:06are our tubs,
20:07who will father
20:08the next generation.
20:09And it's important
20:10that they remain in good shape.
20:12Working underneath.
20:13So the next job
20:14is to check them over.
20:15Pretty face.
20:17Pretty face.
20:18Smile.
20:19Smile.
20:26Earlier, on our farm
20:27in the Cotswolds,
20:28we saw the arrival
20:29of the first of twins.
20:31And there it is.
20:32A lovely, strong lamb.
20:34An event I never get tired of.
20:36This ewe has just given birth
20:42to her second lamb.
20:44So another new lamb
20:45on the farm.
20:47Only about another hundred to go.
20:49Our lambing period here
20:55is between six to eight weeks
20:57and we're about
20:58three quarters of the way through,
21:00lambing an average
21:01of 15 sheep per day.
21:04We handle around 350 ewe
21:06on the farm at lambing time.
21:08And every year
21:09we try and develop the systems
21:11to improve health
21:12and productivity.
21:14And I've been helping out
21:15with lambing
21:16ever since I was a teenager.
21:18Used to lamb
21:18back in the old farmyard
21:20in the dark
21:20with wooden hurdles
21:22and carrying buckets of water.
21:24But now we've got
21:25this beautiful shed.
21:27Lights on at night time.
21:28Water's all plumbed in.
21:31All the veterinary medicines at hand.
21:33And it makes life a lot easier.
21:38We've also modernised
21:40the way we feed our livestock.
21:42Around five years ago
21:44we introduced a feeding system
21:45for pregnant ewe's
21:47where we can carefully adjust
21:48the nutrient balance
21:49based on how many lambs
21:51they're carrying.
21:54In these pens are our ewe's
21:57and they were scanned
21:58halfway through their pregnancy.
21:59And they're in groups.
22:00Ones that are carrying
22:01singles, then twins,
22:03and then triplets.
22:04And every morning
22:05they get this fresh food
22:07delivered to them.
22:08It's called a total mixed ration.
22:10And for each group,
22:12depending on how many lambs
22:13they're carrying,
22:14they need a slightly different
22:16nutritional balance.
22:17And the food has got
22:18a different mix in it.
22:20It's made up
22:21of lots of ingredients.
22:23So in here
22:24is sand fawn silage.
22:26So that was cut
22:27during the summer
22:28and then put into silage bags
22:29and kept fresh.
22:31And it's full of sugars
22:32and proteins.
22:34There's little bits
22:34of barley in there.
22:36And then there's also
22:37minerals and molasses.
22:40And it stops
22:41any selective eating.
22:42So every mouthful
22:44that ewe eats
22:45provides all the nutrition
22:46that it needs.
22:48And what you want
22:49is for the ewe's
22:51to be giving birth
22:52to good-sized lambs.
22:53Not too big
22:54so they have difficulty
22:55lambing.
22:55Not too small
22:56so the lambs
22:57are fit and healthy.
22:59And then
22:59we also want the ewe's
23:01to be producing
23:02plenty of milk
23:02to feed those lambs
23:03and in good condition
23:05themselves.
23:06The nutrition
23:06at lambing time
23:07is absolutely essential.
23:11Right, there we go.
23:12Let's leave them
23:13to their breakfast.
23:20Just checking on
23:21these pregnant ewe's
23:22and there's no
23:23right or wrong way
23:24when it comes to lambing.
23:25Every farmer
23:26will have their own
23:27tricks of the trade.
23:29But there are
23:30best practices
23:30you can learn.
23:33And at an agricultural
23:34college just down
23:35the road from me
23:36the next generation
23:37of sheep farmers
23:38are learning their craft.
23:43Oakle Clifford Farm
23:44at Hartbury College
23:45and University
23:46had a very successful
23:48lambing season this year
23:49with 180 ewe's
23:51giving birth
23:51within four weeks.
23:53They're right at the
23:54end of the season now
23:55with only 10 ewe's
23:56left to go.
23:59During this time
24:00livestock manager
24:01Megan Lawrence
24:02works on full-time
24:03lambing duty
24:04while delivering
24:05practical sessions
24:06to students.
24:07I was a student here
24:09and I just loved it.
24:12I had the best time
24:14and particularly
24:14as somebody that
24:15isn't from a farming
24:16background
24:17it did wonders
24:19for me
24:20right from the word
24:21go
24:22and it has opened up
24:23so many doors
24:24and so many
24:25opportunities for me.
24:28Two years ago
24:29Meg introduced
24:31a new flock of sheep
24:32to the farm
24:32which she uses
24:34to teach the gold standard
24:35for livestock husbandry.
24:39The breeds we have here
24:40are all Highlander females.
24:43I like the Highlanders
24:44because they're quite
24:45a compact,
24:46efficient ewe.
24:47They do well off grass
24:48and they're easy to handle
24:50and they fit in our system
24:51here at Hartbury
24:52quite well.
24:54Helping Meg today
24:55are Level 3
24:56T-level students
24:58Benji,
24:59Izzy,
24:59Becky
24:59and Savannah.
25:01They started their
25:02livestock production course
25:03back in September
25:04and have been learning
25:05the ropes
25:06when it comes to lambing.
25:10I live on a dairy farm
25:12and we milk around
25:15100 to 120
25:17Holstein Frisians.
25:19Hartbury is a lot different
25:21than farming at home
25:22but lamb at Hartbury
25:24has been amazing.
25:27Benji,
25:27can you bring a couple
25:28of extra bits
25:29for this pen
25:30and we'll just get
25:31a pen ready
25:31for anything else
25:32at Lamb's today.
25:34At home
25:35we farm around
25:36300, 350 New Zealand
25:38Romneys
25:38and around 800 Highlanders
25:41which are the same breed
25:42as sheep they have
25:42here at Hartbury
25:43but we lamb
25:44our Highlanders
25:45and Romneys
25:45fully outdoors
25:46where they lamb
25:46their Highlanders
25:47here indoors.
25:50I come from
25:50a small holding
25:51which I've grown up
25:52with sheep
25:53and cattle.
25:54I'm quite used
25:55to lambing
25:56at home.
25:57We lamb indoors
25:57same as Hartbury.
25:59We have Suffolk's,
26:00North Country Mules,
26:01Texels.
26:01This one,
26:02this one
26:03and this one
26:03will all go out
26:04and then
26:05her,
26:06her,
26:07her,
26:07her and her.
26:09I'm from a non-farming
26:10background
26:10but I've always grown up
26:12in the countryside
26:13around horses.
26:14I started getting
26:15from farmers
26:15and helping out
26:16on friends' farms
26:17and decided that
26:18sheep was what
26:19I wanted to go into.
26:21Coming from a range
26:22of different backgrounds
26:23means the students
26:24have varied
26:25practical experience levels.
26:27This course aims
26:30to fill in the gaps
26:30in their knowledge
26:31and instill a high
26:32standard of animal
26:33husbandry in the next
26:35generation of UK
26:36sheep farmers.
26:37I teach a variety
26:39of students.
26:39They're not all
26:40from a farming background
26:41but quite a lot
26:42of them are
26:43and that basically
26:44opens up the floor
26:45for very healthy
26:46discussions about
26:47different types of
26:48systems and about
26:50how what we do
26:51at Hartbury
26:51isn't necessarily
26:52the same as what
26:53they might do at home
26:54or on the farms
26:55that they work on
26:56but no system
26:57is right or wrong.
26:59We just give everybody
27:00a chance to discuss
27:01what works well
27:02for them.
27:03It's also a chance
27:04for students to try
27:05out tools and techniques
27:07that might be new
27:07to them like farm tech.
27:10I think it's important
27:11for them to learn
27:12about the tech
27:13involved with farming
27:14because ultimately
27:15that's going to be
27:17more and more popular.
27:18We need to be able
27:18to measure what we're
27:20doing in terms of
27:21farming so that we
27:22can either improve
27:23or change things
27:25if we need to.
27:27So we'll do the girl
27:28first.
27:28We'll get her tagged
27:29and off to the pet pen.
27:31Today the students
27:32have come down
27:33and we've been tagging
27:34them ready to go
27:35out for turnout.
27:36They record all the
27:37data on our data
27:38recording system
27:39so that we've logged
27:40all the information
27:41for each you
27:41and her lands.
27:47We're using a stock
27:49scanner at the moment
27:50which holds our
27:51entire flock records
27:52so this is every
27:53animal that is on
27:54the farm.
27:55It has all the data
27:56including weights,
27:58medicine records,
28:00previous lambings.
28:01So we've got
28:01information about
28:02every single animal
28:03that's on the holding
28:04and we can tailor
28:05our management
28:06based on having
28:07all of this data
28:08behind us.
28:12The thought that
28:13I might be able
28:14to inspire our next
28:16generation of farmers
28:17to do something
28:18similar is very
28:20satisfying.
28:33On our farm
28:34in the Scottish
28:34borders we're at
28:36the beginning of
28:37the lambing season.
28:38It might be my first
28:39lambing of the year.
28:40I've got the wedding
28:41rings off, got everything
28:41off ready to go in.
28:43Earlier we tried
28:45to foster a lamb
28:46that was born as a
28:47triplet onto a mum
28:48with only one lamb.
28:50Try and transfer
28:51the smell.
28:52With a couple of
28:53hours passed we can
28:54now check to see
28:55if it was successful.
28:59Tummy's are full
29:00so it looks like
29:01she's accepted
29:02her little sister.
29:05Another challenge
29:06during lambing
29:07is the positioning
29:08of the lambs
29:09during birth
29:10and it's in these
29:11tougher deliveries
29:12that Dad and I
29:13work together.
29:15Twins are on the
29:16way for a first
29:16time mum
29:17but it's a hung
29:18lamb, a risk
29:19to both Gimmer
29:20and her young.
29:22Really there should
29:23be two legs,
29:24head and
29:25it's just wrongly
29:27presented.
29:28This is when my
29:29hands come in
29:29helpful because
29:30I've got smaller
29:30hands than Dad.
29:35Good girl.
29:36So now I'm
29:36trying to go back
29:37and see if I can
29:38get another leg
29:38because it's only
29:39come with one
29:40leg.
29:46Good girl.
29:49Without
29:49intervention
29:50her lamb
29:51could suffocate.
29:55Swing it
29:56and any mucus
29:57or anything
29:57that's got
29:58down in its lungs
29:58hopefully you
30:00just dislodge it.
30:04This is always
30:05a hard bit
30:05because you know
30:06it's living
30:06but you just
30:07need to take
30:08that first
30:08cough.
30:09He's okay.
30:10He's with us.
30:13She's trying
30:13to get the
30:13other one out.
30:14She was already
30:14halfway pushing
30:15it out while
30:16we were trying
30:16to do that
30:16one so just
30:17giving her a
30:18little helping
30:18hand with it
30:18but she's
30:20got lots
30:21of mucus.
30:24There you go.
30:24So that's what
30:25you want them
30:25to do.
30:25A nice little
30:25cough straight
30:28away but
30:29seems like we've
30:30got in just in
30:31time so my Dad
30:32only takes our
30:32breaks through
30:33the day.
30:36Yes I'll
30:37give it to your
30:37mum now.
30:39Lambing season
30:39is full on.
30:41The first few
30:42hours of life
30:42are critical
30:43and welfare
30:44is everything
30:45so as evening
30:46approaches
30:46we check up
30:48on the lambs
30:48outside.
30:49We're about to
30:50go out to the
30:51fields and we
30:52just take milk
30:53out just as a
30:53precaution.
30:54There's a couple
30:54that you said
30:55that you need to
30:55feed.
30:55Just making
30:56sure everything's
30:58mothered up,
30:59full tummies and
31:01happy to settle
31:02down with their
31:03mums for the
31:04night and not
31:05go walk about.
31:06Yeah because
31:06the worry is if
31:07they get wet,
31:07get cold to the
31:08bone then they
31:10can go lie away
31:10somewhere without
31:11their mums and
31:13die in the night.
31:14Yeah.
31:17Every little
31:18one counts as
31:19we say.
31:25Look at them
31:29in there.
31:30They slaughter
31:31at the wrong
31:31side of the
31:31field, some
31:32of them.
31:33Where are
31:34they?
31:34They're all?
31:35On the
31:35Todrick
31:36Dyke.
31:36OK.
31:38We're trying to
31:39protect the
31:40sheep and the
31:40lambs as much
31:40as possible
31:41through the
31:41night so Dad's
31:42currently got
31:42the dog out
31:43and he's just
31:44trying to move
31:45them as gently
31:45as possible so
31:46that they stay
31:47mothered up,
31:48which is really
31:48important,
31:49towards the
31:50wood so that
31:51they can spend
31:52the night with
31:52a little bit less
31:53wind into their
31:53faces.
31:54But Dad's just
31:55shouted me
31:55which makes
31:56me think
31:56there's
31:56something wrong
31:57in it for
31:57the weed.
31:59Dad's spotted
32:00two lambs in
32:01need of a feed
32:01if they're to
32:02survive the
32:03night.
32:04So I'm just
32:05topping these
32:05lambs up.
32:07It's one of the
32:07ones that I'm
32:09topping up.
32:09She's a good
32:10mum.
32:11The milk
32:12will come.
32:13So I just
32:14like to give
32:14them a little
32:15top up at
32:15night.
32:16A bit hungry.
32:19Yes, I know
32:20girl.
32:21Can you get
32:22your babies
32:22back to now?
32:23We're constantly
32:25scanning to spot
32:26anything that
32:27doesn't look
32:27right.
32:29I can see one
32:30out in the
32:30distance there.
32:31She's got three
32:31lambs with her.
32:33So one of the
32:33lambs are not
32:34harsh, so I'll
32:35have to catch that
32:36one and take it to
32:37its proper mum.
32:42Nailed it!
32:44They're coming the
32:45roughest way.
32:46Right, number 32.
32:48Is it full,
32:48Simon?
32:49It is, Phil.
32:50Give them
32:51like one.
32:54That's her mum
32:54on the top there.
32:56I think.
32:58With mum located
32:59using the number
33:00painted on her
33:01other lambs coat,
33:02sheepdog miss
33:03rounds her up.
33:08Goodbye.
33:09Oui!
33:09So we've just
33:11decided to move
33:12a ewe with her
33:14two lambs into
33:15the stocks overnight
33:15instead of being out
33:16in the field because
33:17every other ewe is
33:18with their two lambs
33:20but she was the
33:21only one that
33:21left one.
33:23I just think if I
33:24leave him out in
33:25the field tonight
33:26she'll go away and
33:28leave him.
33:29So I'll leave her
33:29locked in there
33:30tonight and let her
33:31out tomorrow morning.
33:32Dad's been
33:33shepherding for
33:34almost 45 years
33:35so he's picked up
33:37plenty of tips in
33:38his time.
33:40I was always
33:40told by the old
33:41shepherd of mine
33:42lie down, make
33:43yourself the same
33:43size as a lamb
33:44find good most
33:45sheltered spots.
33:47Is that what you've
33:47done? Have you
33:47crawled about the
33:48farm finding
33:49the most sheltered
33:49spots?
33:50Yeah.
33:51Can you sit
33:51close to that
33:52wall?
33:52Yeah.
33:53As long as the
33:53wind isn't coming
33:54directly into your
33:54face?
33:55Yeah.
33:55Then you will
33:57get a shelter.
33:58The remaining
33:59lambs are
33:59mothered up and
34:00seem settled for
34:01the night.
34:03I enjoy this
34:04job, mothering
34:06up.
34:06Do you?
34:07Yeah.
34:08You get a
34:08lovely day and
34:09you're driving
34:10through a field
34:10of 100 ewes
34:12with twins and
34:14they're all
34:14mothered up.
34:16There's nothing
34:16more satisfying.
34:18Back at the
34:19barn, night is
34:20drawing closer and
34:21it's not such good
34:22news for one of
34:23our premature
34:24lambs.
34:26Passed away.
34:28He's passed
34:28away.
34:29With being
34:30premature, there's
34:32always a chance
34:33that something's not
34:35properly formed
34:36inside them, the
34:37stomach or
34:38something and
34:39they can't...
34:39Digest.
34:41Digest the food
34:42properly.
34:44It's not nice.
34:46You're all
34:46screaming.
34:47But we try our
34:48best.
34:49We try our best.
34:51When it's a tiny
34:52little lamb, half
34:55the time you don't
34:55know why it's
34:56died.
34:56So there's not a lot
34:57you can do.
34:59We'll make sure his
35:00siblings are well
35:01topped up with
35:02milk to give them
35:03the best chance of
35:04survival.
35:05And there's plenty
35:06more work to be
35:07done.
35:08With 80 lambs
35:09successfully delivered,
35:10we only have 700
35:11more to go.
35:15My dad's my biggest
35:16inspiration.
35:17I think people
35:18always ask me that
35:19and I think people
35:19expect me to say
35:20like a sporting
35:21hero, sporting
35:22icon.
35:23But no, my dad
35:24is my biggest
35:25hero.
35:27Get back in your
35:28pen.
35:32You're not
35:32supposed to be in
35:33there.
35:35In my world,
35:36there's a medal to
35:37show for what you've
35:39achieved.
35:40But this is what my
35:41dad's achieved and
35:42you know, he only
35:43really gets to see
35:44that when he starts
35:44selling the lambs.
35:45So at this bit, it's
35:46just like, it's just
35:47long hours, long
35:48nights to not know if
35:49it's actually ever
35:49going to come to
35:52anything.
35:53Nice lamb.
35:55Look at his floppy
35:55ear.
35:56Look at the wrinkles
35:57on his neck.
35:58I always say if
35:59they've got wrinkles,
35:59they've got to grow
36:00all their wrinkles
36:01smooth.
36:02It's a lot of blood,
36:03sweat and tears to
36:04and hope that, you
36:05know, you do have
36:06something to show at
36:06the end of it.
36:07You've got all them
36:07fat lambs that you
36:08can send off to
36:09market and you can
36:10keep the farm going
36:11for another year.
36:27The weather has been
36:28absolutely glorious over
36:29the last few weeks for
36:30lambing, but I wonder
36:32what it's going to be
36:32like for these young
36:33lambs over the coming
36:34days.
36:35Here's the
36:35countryfire forecast.
36:36Hello, good weather for
36:45lambing maybe, but if you
36:47are a gardener or a
36:48grower, you might well be
36:49hoping for some rain
36:50because we haven't seen
36:51much of that so far this
36:53spring.
36:54What we have seen is
36:55plenty of warmth.
36:56March and April overall
36:57one and a half degrees
36:59warmer than we would
37:00normally expect.
37:01There's also been a lot
37:03of sunshine, close to
37:04one and a half times the
37:05sunshine we would
37:06normally expect, but in
37:08terms of rainfall, we
37:10have been lacking less
37:11than half of the average
37:13rainfall for the UK
37:14overall.
37:15And as you can see from
37:16this weather watcher
37:17picture from Nottingham
37:18Shear, some of the
37:18sprinklers are already in
37:20action.
37:21The ground is very dry.
37:22This shows the extent of
37:24the below average rainfall.
37:25These figures from the
37:26Met office during March
37:27and April, the brown
37:28areas showing those places
37:30that have had below
37:31average rainfall.
37:32Some of the river levels
37:33as well across the
37:34northern half of the UK
37:34right now are below what
37:36we'd expect at this time
37:37of year.
37:37So I suspect the lack of
37:39rainfall may become more
37:40of a story as we go
37:42through the coming weeks
37:43and certainly not changing
37:45much this week.
37:46It is going to stay
37:46largely dry and it's
37:47going to turn warmer,
37:48although still with some
37:50chilly nights.
37:51So no prizes for guessing.
37:53High pressure is in
37:54charge right now.
37:55It will stay in charge.
37:57A cold night for some of
37:58us tonight.
37:59Minus two there in the
38:00Highlands.
38:00And some places will see
38:01a touch of frost.
38:02We start tomorrow morning
38:03though with a zone of cloud
38:05and a few showers across
38:06East Anglia and the
38:07Southeast.
38:08Elsewhere a fair bit of
38:09sunshine, but like today
38:10we will tend to see
38:11increasing amounts of
38:12cloud.
38:12Maybe just the odd light
38:14shower here and there.
38:15Most places will be dry.
38:17Quite breezy, in fact,
38:18quite blustery across the
38:19far Southeast.
38:20Temperatures may be a
38:21little higher than they
38:22were today for some of
38:23these North Sea coasts.
38:2412, 13 degrees.
38:25Further west, highs of
38:26around 16.
38:27But Monday night once
38:29again will be a chilly
38:30one.
38:31See the green and then
38:31the blue colours appearing
38:32on the chart.
38:33A frost for some places.
38:35Check your overnight
38:35temperatures, of course,
38:36on the BBC Weather app.
38:38Tuesday starting with a
38:39fair bit of cloud across
38:40the Midlands, East
38:41Anglia, the Southeast.
38:42Also a fair bit of cloud
38:43rolling across the North
38:44of Scotland.
38:45Elsewhere some sunny
38:46spells.
38:47Cloud tending to bubble up
38:48through the day, but most
38:49places will be dry and
38:51temperatures starting to
38:52climb a little bit with
38:52highs of around 19
38:54degrees.
38:55So our area of high
38:56pressure going nowhere
38:58fast, fending off all the
39:00rain-bearing weather
39:01systems and keeping us
39:02largely dry for the
39:03middle of the week.
39:05And the days tending to
39:06follow a familiar pattern
39:07and mostly sunny start
39:09and then cloud amounts
39:10will tend to increase.
39:11The odd light shower,
39:12most places dry, 14 to
39:14maybe 20 degrees on
39:16Wednesday.
39:17More of the same on
39:18Thursday.
39:18Most places starting off
39:19with some sunshine.
39:21We'll see more cloud
39:22spreading out in the sky
39:23as we go through into
39:24the afternoon.
39:25Maybe a shower.
39:26Most places dry.
39:27Highs of around 18 or
39:2919 degrees.
39:31What about the end of
39:32the week?
39:32Do things change?
39:33Well, our area of high
39:34pressure might change
39:35shape a little bit, but
39:36that's all I can offer
39:37you really.
39:38It is going to remain in
39:39charge.
39:40It is going to stay
39:40largely dry.
39:41And actually, after quite
39:42a chilly start on Friday,
39:43we may well see a bit
39:45more in the way of
39:46sunshine.
39:47Not as much cloud and
39:48some slightly higher
39:49temperatures.
39:50Those temperatures back
39:50up is the 20s, highs
39:52of 20, 21 or
39:5322 degrees.
39:55So if you are looking
39:56for rain, well, what
39:56about next weekend?
39:58Even that looks mostly
39:59dry and even into the
40:01following week, no sign
40:03of anything much in the
40:05way of wet weather in the
40:06forecast.
40:07We will, of course, keep
40:08you up to date on that.
40:09Now let's go back to Matt.
40:11It's lambing season, the
40:21busiest time of year for
40:22sheep farmers up and down
40:24the country.
40:26Dad always says I have to
40:27do this one a year or
40:28apparently I'll lose the
40:29skill.
40:30Look at that chunky
40:31hampshire ram.
40:33I'm in the Durham Dales and
40:35here on our family sheep
40:36farm, it's been five years
40:38since we brought in new
40:39breeds more suited to us
40:41after mum had a nasty
40:42accident.
40:45Here we're around halfway
40:46through this season's
40:48lambing.
40:49But a good shepherd always
40:50keeps an eye on the
40:51future.
40:55While my mum feeds the
40:56Black Welsh Mountain
40:57ewes.
40:59Come on.
41:02A dual purpose breed for
41:04both meat and high
41:05quality wool.
41:06This way.
41:09Come on, boy.
41:10Good lad.
41:10I'm heading down to our
41:11ancient woodland with my
41:13sheepdog, Bob, to check on
41:15the future breeding females
41:16that were born last year.
41:22Absolutely love it down here.
41:24As a young lad, I mean, this
41:25was my adventure playground.
41:28Bob, Bob.
41:29Here.
41:29Bob, Bob.
41:29Bob.
41:30Our woods are an important
41:31part of our organic farm,
41:33with its rich diversity of
41:35grazing, nourishing and
41:37sheltering the growing flock.
41:39Getting good, strong and
41:40healthy for when they give
41:42birth.
41:43All part of the system.
41:48Much of the success of any
41:49sheep rearing is down to
41:51breeding.
41:54So to check our future male
41:56tups are up to the grade.
41:57Yeah, we're working
41:59underneath.
42:00We're giving them a top
42:01MOT.
42:02Pretty face.
42:04Smile.
42:06Good teeth.
42:07When it comes to the
42:08Herdwicks, the father of all
42:10of our Herdwick lambs this
42:11year is Joseph.
42:13But because we need to change
42:15the bloodline going forward,
42:17there's a new kid on the
42:18block, homebred Silas, who'll
42:21be turning three this season.
42:23There's a lot weighing on
42:24Silas in the years to come.
42:26We need him to have strong
42:27traits to pass on to his
42:29future offspring.
42:32He's in here with his mate.
42:34Just keeping him calm.
42:36Steady.
42:38Still got a bit of growing to
42:39do.
42:40Yeah.
42:41Beautiful head on him.
42:43There we go.
42:45I'll drag him back.
42:47Check his feet while we're
42:48here.
42:49All good on that one.
42:51All good on that one.
42:53The most important part,
42:54obviously,
42:56are the old crown jewels,
42:57the purse down the bottom
42:58here.
42:59Let's make sure we've got no
43:00lumps or bumps there.
43:01We're all good.
43:03And there you can see a nice
43:05set of teeth.
43:07Important.
43:08You can tell they're aged by
43:09their teeth.
43:10But it's so important that
43:11they've got a good set of
43:12teeth.
43:13They can obviously chew all the
43:14grass off and nibble at all
43:15sorts of bits and pieces.
43:16Because they're interesting
43:17grazers, aren't they?
43:18They're where the Herdwicks
43:19graze.
43:19Very much so.
43:20The difference from the
43:21Hampshire Downs that we had,
43:22the sward that they eat is
43:23completely different.
43:25Yeah.
43:25The farm looks better, I have
43:26to say.
43:27It does, yeah.
43:28We'll give them a go with
43:29maybe, I don't know, 20
43:31ewes or something and see
43:32what he brings.
43:33I think you're very, very
43:35pretty.
43:36What a handsome soul, isn't
43:37he?
43:38Yeah?
43:38We'll see.
43:40We'll see if he can
43:40reproduce it.
43:42Yeah, exactly.
43:43That's all the fun though,
43:44isn't it?
43:44That's the gamble.
43:48It's clear that my mum's
43:50passion for farming is as
43:51strong as ever.
43:52And for now it feels like our
43:54own gamble, made with that
43:55in mind, has paid off.
43:58I had to make a decision.
44:00If I wanted to carry on, then
44:01we had to look at things
44:02differently and that's what
44:03we did.
44:04They're really good for here.
44:06Yeah.
44:06You know, really suit the
44:07farm.
44:08They do.
44:09And the change of breeds has
44:11also allowed mum to
44:12diversify the business.
44:14The black welshies, I love
44:16the idea of the fleeces.
44:17And really, we'd never done
44:18much with the wool beforehand
44:20so to be selling that wool
44:22off now across the world and
44:24to be blankets locally, it's
44:26wonderful.
44:27Very good.
44:28And the herdwicks, I mean,
44:29you know, the meat is sold
44:30locally as well.
44:31It's worked out really well,
44:33better than I thought it
44:34would.
44:35Well, here's to all those
44:36farmers that are doing their
44:38thing right now in all
44:39weathers, on all different
44:41farms.
44:41In all different systems.
44:43Yeah.
44:43Yeah.
44:44Here's to the shepherds
44:45feeding the nation.
44:46So, cheers to you all.
44:47Cheers.
44:48And I'll drink to that.
44:50Cheers.
44:50It's nice having the caravan on
44:54standby as well.
44:55Have a nice warm cup of tea,
44:57substanence.
44:57You can see the hillfield out
44:59that way.
45:00I can see the welshies out that
45:01way.
45:02It's perfectly positioned for
45:04full 360 monitoring from mum.
45:09I'm not as daft as I look, am I?
45:10No.
45:24We're into the last couple of
45:25weeks of lambing on our farm here
45:26in the Cotswolds.
45:27And this year, I made some changes
45:29to the way we breed our sheep.
45:31It's a constant battle between
45:32efficiency and economics.
45:34Last year, we changed all of our
45:40rams, including introducing two
45:43new resilient Romney tups.
45:46One of the biggest risks to young
45:47lambs is stomach worms, which are
45:50known to cause high lamb mortality
45:52and growth stunting, having a huge
45:54effect on not just the welfare of
45:56the sheep, but the farm's finances
45:58too.
46:01These Romney rams are selectively
46:03bred for toughness with strong feet
46:05and, most importantly, a natural
46:08resilience to worms.
46:10We top these ewes first, so their
46:12lambs are already out in the field.
46:16At this early stage in their life,
46:18there are clues I can look for to
46:20see if the worm-resilient breeding
46:21has been a success.
46:23But that involves putting Gwen and
46:25my shepherding skills to the test.
46:30So I need to round this flock up,
46:32but I'm a little bit cautious about
46:34ewes in Gwen, because at this time
46:35of year, the ewes can be very
46:37protective of their lambs and
46:39they'll turn and face the dog.
46:41So it's a careful balance of getting
46:43them moving without putting too much
46:44pressure and then the ewes turning
46:46on the dog.
46:47So it might be a bit chaotic, but
46:49I'll give it my best shot.
46:51Right then, Gwen.
46:52Stand there.
46:53Stand.
46:54Stand.
46:55Stand.
46:56Come by.
46:56We have the Romney breed on the farm
47:14already, so we know they suit our
47:16system well, but introducing these new
47:18resilient Romneys should reduce our
47:21reliance on worm treatments and
47:23therefore decrease costs in the future.
47:25That'll do, good girl.
47:34Gwen.
47:34That'll do.
47:35Gwen.
47:36Well, that went reasonably well.
47:38What we've got in here are a bunch of
47:40ewes and lambs that are a couple of
47:41weeks old.
47:43Let me just see if I can catch one.
47:45Easier said than done.
47:49Stand.
47:50Stand.
47:50Stand.
47:51Stand.
47:51Stand.
47:52Oh, no.
47:55The crook always comes in handy.
48:00So this is one of our resilient Romneys, and we
48:06choose the ewes to go to those rams because we
48:08want to breed replacement females.
48:11And the ewes that have gone to the Romney are ewes that
48:13have given birth to twins over the last few years.
48:16They've had no problems giving birth, and they've
48:18produced good quality lambs.
48:20So they're part of our elite flock, really.
48:23And this little lamb is a ew lamb.
48:26So she will be in the flock now, and will give birth on
48:29this farm in a couple of years' time.
48:31What we're hoping to breed into them is worm resilience.
48:34And a key sign, if a lamb has got worms, is they've got a dirty
48:38back end.
48:39And this lamb is a big, strong lamb, and it's still completely
48:42clean.
48:43So that's a good sign that it's not picked up any worms.
48:46Or if it has, then it's got that resilience.
48:49So, all good so far.
48:51And hopefully, we'll be making some gentle improvements to the flock.
49:03There we go.
49:06Right, where's your mum?
49:07Go on then.
49:21All sheep farmers have to deal with the threat of parasites.
49:26And there are several ways to tackle the issue.
49:29On Sammy's farm, they utilise a classic farmer's trick.
49:34It's the first week of lambing season on the farm where I grew up.
49:38And I return every year to help my dad out.
49:41Running the farm is a continuous search for balance,
49:44which extends beyond the sheep, to dad's beloved herd of Aberdeen Angus.
49:49So, the cows are quite an integral part of the farm.
49:52They work along beside the sheep to help us wear a clean grazing system.
49:57Dad swaps between cattle, sheep, and arable on his fields every year,
50:03to stop the spread of livestock-specific parasites.
50:06It's a traditional technique known as clean grazing.
50:11And the reason you're trying to switch the sheep one year, cows the other,
50:15is just so you don't have to worm all the sheep?
50:17Yes, so we don't need to worm.
50:19It's the old-fashioned way, it's rotation.
50:21Yeah. Is it working?
50:24Yes.
50:24Yeah.
50:25That's three years we've been doing it now.
50:27Yeah, it's been good.
50:29Yeah, I think it works.
50:30Hopefully, if you can build the whole flock up to a high standard of worm immunity,
50:36it's always better for the future.
50:38Yeah.
50:39For the land, for everything.
50:41It's been good.
50:45Our Scottish Borders farm is 1,500 acres of mixed arable and pasture.
50:51Dad's managed this farm for 35 years and it's definitely his calling.
50:57Nice equal pair.
50:57Nice pair.
51:01Like any farmer, my dad's always finding ways to make the farm run efficiently.
51:07So is most of the stuff that we feed growing on the farm?
51:10Yes.
51:11All of our own straw, all of our own silage, all of our own grain.
51:16So we're quite self-sufficient, really.
51:18Yeah?
51:18Yeah.
51:18Dad is the farm manager here, the farm being owned by the Tweedy family.
51:28And though he doesn't want to admit it, he'll need to slow down at some point and hand over the reins.
51:3411-year-old Hugo is the youngest Tweedy and will one day inherit the farm.
51:39Along with his sister, 14-year-old Jemima, who is helping me with a routine job at Lamingtime.
51:49So we're just putting like a little rubber band around their testicles and around the tail.
51:54It sounds pretty mean but it is something they genuinely get over really quite quickly.
51:57We castrate our young male lambs within the first few days of birth
52:02to prevent unwanted pregnancies further down the line.
52:05And we dock the tails of all of our lambs to prevent fly strike,
52:10a disease caused by the larvae of flies.
52:13Not every farmer would choose to dock tails,
52:16especially hill farms above a higher altitude where the prevalence of flies is lower.
52:23But down here, at around 160 meters above sea level,
52:27in a location that gets a lot of rain, fly strike is a much higher risk.
52:34Of course, Dad's keen to pass on all of his knowledge,
52:37the only way he knows how.
52:39And that means getting stuck in.
52:41It's so nice watching someone else do it for the first time,
52:55because I remember doing it for my first time.
52:57It's just a really cool experience to be able to share it with other people.
53:00Well done, Hugo.
53:04Nailed it.
53:05He did very well, very well.
53:07And then a lovely pair of lambs, just walked back a little bit and let her lick them.
53:12Well done, Hugo.
53:16Dad's guidance has given Hugo and Jemima plenty of confidence.
53:20So, with the farm in their capable hands, I'm heading out for some training of my own.
53:27So, I won gold in the 100 meters last year at the Paralympic Games,
53:30which was the pinnacle of my achievements,
53:34the thing I'd been aiming for for the last 11 years that I've been doing this sport.
53:40And I just achieved it.
53:42So, I'm kind of giving myself, I say a break.
53:51I mean, I'm still training twice a day, six days a week.
53:53But a break in the sense that I'm not putting any pressure on myself this year.
53:56I'm just enjoying training.
54:03So, this year, I'm going to do a London Marathon,
54:06which is really exciting.
54:07I'm looking forward to doing a London Marathon.
54:09But it's 26.2 miles instead of 100 meters.
54:13So, I better get my mileage in.
54:19Sammy raced in the London Marathon last Sunday
54:22and placed seventh in the elite women's wheelchair field.
54:29Here in the Cotswolds, along with the two Romney rams,
54:32we introduced two Hampshire rams onto the farm last year.
54:36Here we are, Queen.
54:38To top some of our commercial ewe flock.
54:41The Hampshire breed has been performing well with consistently high growth rates.
54:46Now lambing for the Hampshire's is underway,
54:49we can start to see whether the desired traits have successfully passed on.
54:54This is what we call our nursery pen.
54:57So, when the lambs are a couple of days old,
54:59we turn them out from the individual pens into here,
55:02where they harden off before they go into the field.
55:05And this is where they learn to find their mums in a crowd.
55:07And we make sure that that bonding process has happened.
55:10And in here, we've got a number of our Hampshire lambs.
55:13If I can just catch one.
55:15There's a little Hampshire.
55:17So, you can see already, this is quite a chunky lamb.
55:21It's a twin, so one of two.
55:23And it's looking really smart.
55:24I'm delighted with the Hampshire.
55:26Want to go back to your mum?
55:27The lambs in here have only recently come into the nursery,
55:33but I have some stronger, bigger lambs
55:35that are ready to turn out into the field now the sun's shining.
55:45Right then, little ones.
55:48Look at that chunky Hampshire ram.
55:51Oh, boy.
55:52These Hampshire's do very well on grass, without the need for extra feed.
56:01So, hopefully, these lambs will continue to grow big and strong through the spring.
56:08Right then, mums.
56:09Well, let's take a look at your hands.
56:34Adam, how are you, mate?
56:36How's it up north?
56:37Yeah, good. It's a bit chilly today.
56:39So, what breeds are you on with at the moment?
56:41So, we're on with our commercial flock, our clean Romney crosses.
56:45Yeah.
56:45And all of our rare breeds have finished lambing now.
56:47So, the Cotswolds and the Norfolks, the Kerries, the Soays, Shetlands.
56:51We've got 11 different breeds, Matt.
56:53So, you can imagine it's quite a handful.
56:55Yeah, for sure.
56:56I would say, yeah, we've got a couple of weeks left.
56:58We're about halfway through, but things have gone well for us.
57:01So, we're smiling in the north at the moment.
57:04Well done, you.
57:05And it's certainly a busy time for sheep farmers right across the land, isn't it?
57:08Yeah, exactly.
57:09But I think, you know, that sense of community at this time of year, it's hard work,
57:14but it makes it worth it when you stand and look back at the view and you see everything content.
57:19Absolutely. All right, all the best mate, take care.
57:21All the best mate.
57:22Bye for now.
57:23Bye, bye.
57:24Bit of farmer's chat over the farm gate.
57:27Can't beat it.
57:28Well, it's been a very successful lambing on our farm and hopefully we're laying down the
57:38foundations for a productive flock in the future.
57:41And as lambing draws to a close, Sammy and Matt and all the other sheep farmers across the country
57:46will be able to catch up on their sleep. Next week, Sean and John will be in mid Wales on the Dovey River.
57:54Grasshopper wharf is an interesting one because as people get older, some people lose the ability
57:58to hear it. So that shows I'm young.
58:00Basically, yeah, both of us.
58:03So we're really absolutely blessed with the oak woodland here in Anasir.
58:07Lovely features like little holes that the pie flycatchers like to use to nest in.
58:11Oh, right. So they pinch somebody else's hole.
58:13Cheeky.
58:17Summertime.
58:18So this is it. They're out on the fields for the rest of the summer now, isn't it?
58:21This is it, yeah. Spring and summer.
58:22Yeah.
58:26That's next week at six o'clock.
58:28I hope you can join us then. Bye-bye.
58:37Battersea dogs get finishing touches to their beds in a Lake District youth hostel
58:41seems more like a luxury hotel. Interior Design Masters with Alan Carr is on iPlayer.
58:48Antiques Roadshow VE Day special next, this Sunday evening here on BBC One.
58:58ministre coalDRAM.
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59:13IP.
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