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00:00Come on Fletchers! We've reached our fourth year in farming and we've fallen
00:09for this way of life hook line and sinker. Can you keep this? Right Milo let's get
00:17some jobs done. Farming's a breeze compared to having four kids. We're
00:24surrounded by the spectacular peat district. As far as an office goals it's
00:29it's pretty good isn't it? With ancient woodlands and rolling hills as their
00:38playground this year we've big plans to increase our flock and herd oh you can't
00:54ride on him. Whilst continuing to diversify. What about if we created some
01:00sort of farm musical? Kevin we've got enough to do without creating a farm
01:04phantom. And we're excited about what our next chapter might hold. I can't think of
01:10something that would beat this for me. This is my version of a happy full life.
01:14Right let's get some cup of tea then.
01:24This week on our farm we set up some trendy deterrents to help protect our oak crop.
01:32These are the best dressed scarecrows in Cheshire without. Designer scarecrows.
01:36No shadow they don't. They dress better than me aren't they? But just as it's starting to
01:41show signs of growth it's hit by an infestation. There, there's a leather jacket.
01:47Oh no. This will decimate the crop potentially. And our long goose is lonely no more.
01:53He's had some chicks. He's had some chicks and his woman's back.
01:57I think the mummy has just been on a holiday while he's just had like a relaxing time on his own.
02:05And then the mummy's just like why do I have to look at the kids while you're on holiday?
02:11With the kids now at school and of nursery age Liz and I have been gifted a window to tackle some
02:30of the bigger farming jobs without needing to wrangle the kids too. Top of that list is weaning
02:38our young calves from their mums as we need them to conserve their energy to produce this year's
02:43calves. But our first attempt failed when our Houdini herd breached fences to get back together.
02:49So today we have a different strategy. Weaning the calves part two. Hopefully this will be successful.
02:57What we need to do first is bring the cows through down the track into the sheds and then at that point
03:03we can then separate them. We're going to actually keep the calves in the shed and allow
03:11Crowver, the bull and the two females to go off into the field. So hopefully it's not going to be a
03:19Benny Hill moment and it's going to be pretty seamless. We'll see.
03:22Gorgeous day. When the weather's like this it makes farming so enjoyable. It just puts you in a great mood.
03:32And once we're out we're out all day from the morning to you know dusk basically.
03:37I'm just hoping that we're not actually herding cows from dawn until dusk.
03:41Our first challenge is making sure that it's only the cows we round up today.
03:45Parts of our farm are still rented out to our neighbour Jilly. So this is one of her fields in theory.
03:54But to get down to the sheds we've got to come through this field. So she's got tubs in here.
04:00So we need to make sure we can put these tubs to one side whilst we run through. So once I go through
04:06you close this gate and then shake the bag and hopefully they'll all come into here. They're just
04:10getting a bit of shade. I'm the bag shaker and Kelvin's the quad bike rider. I don't know how that worked
04:18out but I'm happy with this. Come on. Come on. Come on. With the sheep enjoying the shade, Liz and I
04:29swap roles as I'm currently more fluent in cow cajoling. What I've learned is when it comes to cows,
04:37slowly, slowly wins the race. And eventually they do weave their way back down the track,
04:43past the barns and into our front garden. The good news is these are the three that we need
04:52to move away from those two. So actually if we could get these into the field that they plan to be in,
04:59half the job is done. While Crowther, Cherry and Ruby have been distracted by the fresh grass,
05:06I've managed to settle the young calves into the barn. These are the two we wanted to wean off,
05:11so this is, this is perfect really. This is Sonic and Ray. Actually saved us a job because we was
05:19going to get everything in the shed and then try and separate, but they're already separated.
05:23With the two calves settled, we move the others up to our most secure field.
05:27But it's not long before Ruby and Cherry realise their calves are not by their side.
05:37They're calling now, the calves are calling. This is the tricky part now, we'll see how these,
05:43uh, are the next few hours and days work out. You can see she's, she's looking up thinking, where's my baby?
05:54In an ideal world, you'd want the mums to be in a field that's even further away. Now the field is
05:58quite far, but they can still hear each other. And they're going to have a minute of just, you know,
06:04trying to get back together. And it looks like one of the herd really isn't happy with our weaning plants.
06:15Kelvin! Yeah? There's a bull here. There's a what? There's a bull. Just when you thought you'd
06:24had it sorted, next minute a bull arrives. There's no reason to break out. They've got grass,
06:29they've got water. They've got shelter. I'm gutted and at a complete loss. Crowther must have found a
06:38gap in the hedge that we missed. He's broken through here, broken straight through the hedge.
06:44I just can't understand why he's broken out. I expect the calves to break out, to want to reunite
06:51with their mums. He's not even their dad. He's just here for a good time.
06:57And where Crowther leads, Ruby and Cherry soon follow. It just goes to show that, you know,
07:03you can plan and plan and prep and prep. If a cow wants to get out, it'll get out.
07:12I mean, I thought pigs and sheep were escape artists, but the cows!
07:18God, if you ever want to rob a bank, take a cow with you. They get out of anything.
07:22We've run out of secure fields. So the only remaining option is to bring these three
07:27Houdini's into the barn, but into a separate pen.
07:33So after all that, they're right next to each other. We could have done this in five minutes
07:37this morning. But you've got to go in, you've got to do these things to learn, to fail, to know for next time.
07:45Lambing season is in full swing. And with the twins back from nursery,
07:59they're joining us to turn out the next lot of newborn lambs.
08:02So as the pens get full, we then get them quickly out into the field when they're ready,
08:17so that then we can put other lambs that have been born in the pens.
08:22So it's a quick cycle, really. Lots of expecting mums,
08:25and then these are delivered so they can go out in the field.
08:29A new pasture, thriving the sun, and then we'll just wait for some more deliveries.
08:34But the ewes can be surprisingly reluctant to leave the comforts of the maternity one.
08:54We did it! Yay! Eventually, yeah.
08:57If only I could tell them, yeah, they were going out on fresh pasture. The sun was shining.
09:01Yeah. A lot easier.
09:07With the trailer loaded up, I take the lambs and ewes up to the top field to join the rest of the flock,
09:13while Liz and the twins take a more leisurely stroll in the sunshine.
09:18Here, the new mums can enjoy some fresh grass, and the views are not half bad either.
09:31But we'll walk in the way.
09:35Go!
09:37Go!
09:39Go!
09:39You do it!
09:40Go!
09:42Right, we're going to let these out, OK.
09:43What we're going to do is get the lambs out first.
09:46And when I pass you a lamb, I want you to take it to the back of the trailer.
09:52So go on, take that lamb, hold it properly, strong boy, and put it down over there.
09:59Go on. You can do it. Walk over there.
10:02With a little encouragement, Maximus gets stuck in and the rest of the flock come over to check out the new kids on the block.
10:09Goodbye. Do you want me to help you?
10:13And the next one. Come on, big lad.
10:16Come on, Max. Me and you do it together.
10:19Hey, there you go.
10:22Then put that down.
10:24Come on.
10:26Oh, come on.
10:29This is my favourite moment, seeing the lambs and the sheep being put out in the field.
10:33This is where they'll thrive now and literally within a few weeks, the lambs will grow so quickly
10:39and they become so cheeky and they'll be bouncing around and jumping around and, yeah, it's just beautiful to see.
10:47It's a big reward, this. This is, you know, months and months of planning and preparation.
10:54I wish I could stay here just gazing into the abyss, but no, I'll get back to the sheds. More work to do.
11:03Can I drive, please?
11:05You can, when you get bigger, you can drive it.
11:07No, can I drive?
11:09When you get bigger.
11:10Come on, boys, we've got more work to do.
11:12Shall we go and get some more sheep?
11:14Do you want to get some more lambs?
11:16Yeah.
11:17Yeah, come on then.
11:38With a new farming year well and truly underway, Liz and I are keen to take stock of how we're using our lambs.
11:45Our 120 acres straddles East Cheshire and the edge of the Peak District National Park.
11:51A large swathe of our land is a mix of ancient and modern woodlands, leaving us about 80 acres that we can farm.
11:59So, with plans to expand our flock and herd, this year every field is being given a new role to play in order to help us achieve that.
12:08What I do love about the farm is it's adapted, you know, it's worked for the previous owner the way they wanted it and now we're trying to put our mark on it and change the farm to what we need and I love that.
12:21That'll be history one day and it'll just keep evolving.
12:24We are custodians of it for now and what we do now will be something maybe completely different to what's done to it in a hundred years from now.
12:33Today's task is clearing out the old fencing to make this field safe for the livestock to use.
12:39This is like a ten acre field and we need this this year to graze, so it's pretty important. While the weather's good, it's dry, we can get all this wood cleared.
12:50So, not only are we clearing out, we'll be getting the field ready for graze.
12:54The twins are with us, so they'll be of no help at all, but at least they'll be, they've got a lot of space to be free and we can keep our eye on them while they find some fun and we actually get a job done.
13:08None of this wood will go to waste. The good timber will be separated out to be stored and repurposed.
13:15Is this what you want to keep, Liz?
13:17Yeah, I'd like to really keep these big chunky ones, please.
13:22If you line them up, three of them and then some legs, it's a bench.
13:26I think it's a great idea. Oh my God!
13:28So if you put all these together and then create a baton underneath, yeah, you could create a really nice bench.
13:35Bench.
13:36That's my daddy's side, that, not mine. This is the good trail, this is the good stuff.
13:43Look at Kelvin now, he's well into it. Look at you now, loving it.
13:47It's a good idea now, isn't it, now I've thought about it. I thought it was ridiculous when you first said it.
13:51Are we getting this? Because Kelvin said I've had great ideas several times now and this never happens.
13:58The trick with Kelvin is let him think your idea was his idea and then everyone's happy.
14:03Joking aside, Liz does have a great eye for this stuff and after making a real success of getting blankets made from last year's discarded wool, who knows what this pile of wood will end up being.
14:16Upcycling is something that I've come to love since living here really. Just I've always loved decorating and interiors and then with the farm having all this kind of left, there's always something left over or something you can repaint.
14:36It is so enjoyable, very therapeutic, very relaxing to do. Probably the main reason why I like it.
14:44So I've just pulled that up from the ground. I was just about to throw that away but Liz said we could use that.
14:49We could have a little message there. These wooden tables that you're sat on were actually made from the old fence posts on our farm.
14:56Yeah. Enjoy. It's probably got woodworm. Enjoy.
15:01P.S. Sorry about the woodworm. Get to the chemist.
15:06I hate to say it's probably another good idea of us. We could have actually used that as a plaque.
15:12While we sort, salvage and get creative, the twins are just loving every minute of their life in the great outdoors.
15:20Oh, a frog. A frog? Shall we get him out? Say hello to him. Hello, Froggy. Hello.
15:31Right, who wants him in his hands? Me. Right, open your hands. Right, get ready.
15:37He's going to scream. Come on.
15:42Right, Matthias, you.
15:44I reckon you're braver. Come here. Open your hands.
15:48Put your hands together like that. Like that.
15:50Like a cup. And wait, wait, wait, wait. There we go.
15:53Hold it.
15:55It's really dirty.
15:58He's calm. He's chilled, man. He's chilled.
16:01Right, let's put him. Should we put him back in his house?
16:03Oi! Hail, laddie.
16:04Should we put him back in his house? I hate you.
16:07Put him in his house and I'll cover it again. There we go.
16:11Frog safe and wood salvaged.
16:14A job that we've waited a year to do.
16:18Turned out to be finding frogs.
16:21Finding good pieces of wood that we can make things with.
16:24Lots of adventures.
16:27Isn't it? It's been a great afternoon.
16:30It's been great.
16:31Come on, monkeys.
16:34My little apprentices.
16:37You're good helpers, you two, aren't you?
16:39One, two, higher.
16:41You and me, one.
16:42One, one.
16:43Yes, sir, yes, sir.
16:45Three bags, four.
16:46Frogs, insects, birds and bugs provide a world of entertainment for the kids on the farm.
17:08Oh, I've got two at the same time.
17:13And with the freedom to explore, they don't have to travel far to find a new creature to play with.
17:19But the farm animals come first, and it's not just the cows and sheep that demand the kids' attention.
17:24Four of our most prized farm assets also happen to be our sassiest, our leghorn chickens.
17:33True free-range divas.
17:35They treat the whole farm like their runway, turning egg collection into a daily game of hide-and-seek for money.
17:41You need to make sure if you drop an egg, try not to drop it in front of a chicken.
17:49Since arriving on the farm, the chickens have abandoned their coop and seen content laying, well, just about anywhere, including an old kennel.
17:58It's really exciting doing deer and eggs because it's like when you're finding something, like, on the egg hunt, but you're finding real eggs and you're not finding, like, fake plastic eggs.
18:13You don't want to eat it when it's cracked.
18:15Things might have weed in there or they might have, like, ants might have got in there and it's like, and you can see this furry bit here.
18:22And it's just all nasty and you just don't want to eat it. That's the egg that you want.
18:29While Marnie keeps hunting, Liz has hatched a plan to keep our feathered friends in line and maybe even expand the flock while she's at it.
18:38So, I found this little website that is like a Lonely Hearts with cockerels.
18:45Like a cock dating site.
18:47Not so much dating, but, well, you can imagine if these farms, if when they are having their chicks laid and they're all cockerels, they don't want a load of cockerels on the farm, do they?
18:58So, what they do is they put them on here. Lonely Hearts Club for cockerels.
19:04OK.
19:05I mean, he's so cute.
19:07Just want a good-looking one. But I like him.
19:08He looks strong, doesn't he? Yeah.
19:10Manchester, nine months old.
19:12He looks good, him.
19:14He's a good-looking cock.
19:15HE LAUGHS
19:19The things you can laugh at in farming, eh?
19:21This is what it would have been like if, when we met, dating apps were a thing.
19:27What about my picture?
19:28I can't help you in that department.
19:30I'd have this show someone, have.
19:32This could be a good profile picture.
19:34Now, just on the back of a Land Rover, I'm up, take a picture.
19:38This would be my profile picture.
19:40And look well, wouldn't it?
19:41Shall I take it?
19:42Just take it.
19:43In case the day ever comes that you need it.
19:45Just take it.
19:48While I muse about dating apps for farmers, Liz's new mission is to find the very best eligible bachelor to help our free-range ladies come home to roost.
19:58So I'm going to go through these and see who's getting swiped left and who's getting swiped right.
20:03Yeah.
20:04Good, I like him.
20:05He's a good-looker, isn't he?
20:07And just check that he can do, he can deliver.
20:11We don't just want a cockerel in around making a load of noise and not actually giving us chicks.
20:16Yeah.
20:17Just make sure that he's got the minerals.
20:19So you're going to literally bring a cockerel back, he's going to keep them all in check.
20:22Yeah.
20:23They'll start laying in the same place consistently.
20:25That's the whole thing.
20:26And hopefully he'll serve them and we'll have little chicks on the forward too.
20:29Yeah.
20:30And we'll get a cock-a-doodle loop in the mornings.
20:32Yeah.
20:33So instead of you setting your alarm at six o'clock and you don't wake up but everybody else does, the cockerel will wake you up.
20:39Whether I like it or not.
20:40Exactly.
20:41I'll leave you hugging that tyre, working on your poses.
20:48I think I've just unwittingly agreed to a new early morning alarm clock and more chickens.
20:54As for Marnie, her morning egg hunt could be about to get a whole lot easier.
21:02Our biggest venture this year is growing our first crop of oats.
21:09And inspecting it is becoming my new favourite obsession.
21:12But I'm not the only one keeping an eye on the new shoots.
21:15I've never seen crows around here.
21:17And suddenly they've just appeared.
21:19And from what I've been told, they can be quite destructive really.
21:23We've got some makeshift scarecrows and just stuck them on randomly in the field to try and keep the crows away.
21:29Crows aren't the only problem for our freshly sown oats.
21:33It's been the driest start to spring in over a century.
21:37And I'm worried that could spell disaster for our first crop.
21:41It's been a couple of weeks now since we've ploughed and sowed the seed.
21:47To me, it doesn't look great.
21:49But I don't really know what I'm looking for.
21:50But it just seems to have lost its blackness.
21:53It's kind of...
21:54It just seems to be getting a bit grey and a bit...
21:57I don't know.
21:59I'm just not feeling too optimistic.
22:01I just don't feel like it looks as good or as healthy as I was hoping.
22:05But then again, what do I know?
22:07Luckily, I do know a man who does know.
22:10Ben is an agronomist.
22:12A soil expert who's been working with us for the last couple of years to help make the land more fertile.
22:17How are you, Ben?
22:18How are you doing?
22:19What do you think of my scarecrows?
22:20They're not bad, to be fair.
22:22I'm really proud of them.
22:24The thing is, I don't think they are doing a job because every morning they're just full of crows.
22:27What are they eating?
22:28What are they eating?
22:29They'll be eating...
22:30Well, that's the thing.
22:31They could be eating the worms, but they could also be eating the crop.
22:34If they're eating the seed, you'll see them just going down the row.
22:38Right, okay.
22:39So if there's any missing rows, we'll know.
22:41We'll know.
22:42That's what it was.
22:43Right, Ben, we've...
22:44Shall we have a wander in?
22:45Yeah, let's have a look.
22:46Feet.
22:47Feet on.
22:48Yes.
22:49Yeah, you won't damage it.
22:50It's not that precious.
22:51Was that a chute?
22:55Yes, that is a chute.
22:57That's oats.
22:58Yeah, there you go.
22:59You could be an agronomist now.
23:02There we go.
23:03That's the seed.
23:04So it's all here, actually, when you start looking.
23:06It's all here.
23:07So it is there.
23:08It's all here.
23:09So is that good?
23:10That's good.
23:11Yay!
23:12Look at that.
23:13It's all here as well.
23:14Oh, wow.
23:15So it's starting to germinate already.
23:16Yeah, yeah.
23:17So there's the root.
23:18That's the root, yeah.
23:19Can you feel like I know what I'm talking about?
23:20So from the actual seed, it grows two ways.
23:23It kind of establishes a root...
23:25Yeah.
23:26..and then the plant bit grows up.
23:28They have very fibrous roots, so it means that there's, like,
23:30a greater surface area of the roots.
23:32They're very thin, but they have a lot of them.
23:34Right.
23:35So they grow out.
23:36So it means they can stand the wet conditions better.
23:39With signs of growth, I'm feeling a little more confident about our first crop.
23:44But Ben is on the hunt for any other threats to the seedlings.
23:49Ah, look at that.
23:51Is that a leather jacket?
23:52What's a leather jacket?
23:53A leather jacket is, erm...
23:55It's like a little grub.
23:57And it's...
23:59They come in, like, rings in the field.
24:02And you'll find, like, there are bare patches in the field where they have just mauled and eaten the seed.
24:10There!
24:11There's a leather jacket.
24:12Oh, no.
24:13That is a leather jacket.
24:16Is that not good?
24:17They're the larvae of the crane fly, the daddy longlegs.
24:21And they'll eat the root system of, well, your grass, but also now your oats.
24:26But, yeah, these can be quite a problem.
24:30This will decimate the crop, potentially.
24:32They really can be devastating.
24:34But, generally speaking, they're in circles across the field.
24:38Ben won't know the extent of the leather jacket invasion
24:41until the crop is more established.
24:43If gaps or rings start appearing across the field,
24:46it's usually an indicator the pests have taken hold.
24:49But, for now, we just have to hope the numbers are low.
24:52But the good news is the oat seeds have taken
24:55and the first signs of life are good.
24:58Within, like, a month, there'll be 100% ground cover.
25:02You won't be able to see any soil.
25:03Oh, really? Yeah.
25:04And it'll be a bright green? Yeah.
25:05And then, going forward now, is it just a case of you monitoring this?
25:08Yeah, I'll come back in a week and we'll see what it's up to
25:10and then I'll come back in a week and stuff.
25:12OK. In an ideal world, what would we like to see next week?
25:14What would it look like?
25:16I would hope to see it all up in row.
25:18Yeah, and maintaining the whole thing.
25:20It's more complicated than I think a lot of people realise.
25:23Yeah, and it's just fascinating.
25:25It's a baby. It is.
25:27It's a baby and we need to just make sure it's...
25:29Literally the same thing, yeah. OK.
25:30We need to... two dads?
25:32Yeah. Are we the two dads?
25:33Two dads! Our little babies?
25:35Yeah, yeah.
25:36Cool, right.
25:37Well, we'll check in on our kids next week.
25:40On the babies?
25:41Yeah.
25:42Hopefully they'll be toddlers by then.
25:43Baby.
25:44They might still be babies, to be honest.
25:46It's now a waiting game to see if the crops take hold.
25:52In the meantime, I need to think about upgrading my scarecrows
25:56if we're to keep the birds and bugs at bay.
26:16Today, on my rounds of the barn, I've spotted two very hungry lambs
26:20giving their mum a pretty tough time trying to get milk.
26:23So I'm keen to check she's producing enough of the white stuff.
26:28So I'm just filling her bag for any lumps.
26:30Nostatus is obviously a thing, but the bag feels pretty good.
26:33There's plenty of milk in there.
26:34Quite often I've seen when the lambs go up and they kind of do this thing
26:37where they kind of buck the bag to instigate the milk then to be...
26:42you know, so they can suck it out.
26:44And she's sometimes a little bit tender.
26:46It looks like she's kicking out.
26:48At times, she's been a little bit reluctant to allow them to feed.
26:51As we know, raising twins is very demanding,
26:55especially when they're hungry.
26:57By putting her on her back safely,
26:59I'll be able to get a good look at her udder and teats.
27:03Oh, I've just noticed a...
27:05Oh, yeah, that's not good.
27:07You can see there's been some sort of split there
27:10and she's actually torn, which is obviously no good.
27:14She's still bleeding there.
27:15That needs stitching up or...
27:17I think that's the vet job.
27:18So I'll give the vet a quick call now and let her come up
27:21because that's obviously not healed as well as we'd hoped.
27:25Before giving birth, this used uterus had prolapsed or popped out
27:30due to the pressure of the unborn twins.
27:33With help, it did right itself.
27:36But the bleeding is a worrying sign.
27:38That's why it's so important to kind of inspect and investigate.
27:41She needs to be healthy to rea these two lambs,
27:43so that needs sorting.
27:45Poor girl.
27:46She's been through the...
27:47She's been through a lot.
27:48With a call into the vets,
27:50all I can do is hope that this tear
27:52doesn't also prevent the ute from rearing lambs next year.
27:55We're halfway through lambing season, and so far, it's been problem free.
28:10But on my rounds of the barn today, I've seen one of our utes has a tear
28:15that's not healing after birthing twins.
28:18So I've called in vet Angelica to help examine the ewe.
28:22Hi, Angelica, are you OK?
28:23Hi, are you all right?
28:24Yeah.
28:25Let's have a look at this ewe.
28:27So this is the one that prolapsed.
28:29She had triplets.
28:30We lost the first one.
28:31These two have since been all right.
28:34But when they try and feed her, she looks really tender.
28:36We will have a look.
28:37She might need some stitching.
28:40We have to deal with this tear
28:42and hope there's not more internal damage
28:44that will prevent her from having lambs in the future.
28:48Angelica needs to give her an epidural to numb the area.
28:56She's strong, this one, yeah.
28:58She's pretty strong.
29:01Oh, well, good girl.
29:03She's going all right, actually.
29:07She's settled down.
29:08I think that epidural's done the job.
29:12She's calmed down a lot.
29:15Is it a bad tear?
29:17It is, like, in a sense that it's all, like,
29:20the width of the wall, of the, like, of the vulva.
29:25Yeah.
29:26But it's not as bad as I thought
29:28because she's not really going deep into the birth canal.
29:32Right, OK.
29:33So, even if you decided to re-breed from her,
29:37that shouldn't be a problem when she lambs again next year.
29:40Oh, right, OK.
29:43That's such a relief.
29:44I really wasn't expecting such a positive outcome.
29:48Now my job is to play surgical assistant
29:50as Angelica stitches the tear.
29:52But I don't like watching this bit.
29:55I can't...
29:56It goes through me, this.
29:59I've improved, though, because there was a once upon a time
30:01I could not even...
30:02I'd faint if I saw a needle.
30:05Whereas now I can actually look at it.
30:07I can't look at it going in, though.
30:09Do you like doing this, Angelica?
30:11Is this the bit that you love?
30:12I love it, yeah.
30:13I like getting, like, a mess situation
30:15and turning it into, like, a nice job.
30:19I've started knitting, you know,
30:21after I've become quite good with surgeries.
30:23Oh, since this you've started knitting?
30:24Yeah.
30:26We'll have to give you some of our wool, then.
30:28You can knit it into it.
30:29Oh, honestly, yes.
30:30I would love to.
30:31With a ewe calm and sedated,
30:34it's nice to take this time to get to know Angelica,
30:37who's been one of our vets for a few years now.
30:40Did you always want to be a vet as a kid?
30:42Yeah.
30:43Did you, yeah?
30:44Yeah, cos I grew up amongst animals.
30:46I've always had sheep, but my first love were horses.
30:50And I felt that they were, like, so delicate.
30:53I was like, I...
30:55When I grow up and I will have my horses,
30:58I need to be a vet, so if anything happens,
31:00like, I can be, like, quick to intervene.
31:04You know what to do.
31:05Kel, have you always wanted to be a farmer?
31:07I...
31:10No, I don't...
31:12I don't think I ever wanted to come and be a farmer.
31:14It's just the way it's turned out.
31:17So I was in Emmerdale for 20 years.
31:1920 years?
31:2020 years.
31:21So I started Emmerdale when I was 12.
31:23Oh, I didn't know that.
31:24But I played a farmer in Emmerdale.
31:27OK.
31:28And he was from the town.
31:29And it's only weird now...
31:30Now I say it out loud,
31:32it makes me realise...
31:34Like, life's literally imitating the house.
31:37Yeah.
31:38Stitch is done,
31:39and antibiotic spray is used to help prevent infection.
31:44Nice, neat job, that.
31:46Yeah, just giving her some, uh...
31:48Just having some antibiotics,
31:50and having some painkillers as well, so...
31:52So she's sorted.
31:55While I keep Angelica busy, and the kids are playing,
32:01Liz is over in the cottage, getting the place ready before our next guests arrive.
32:07We did contemplate moving the family into the cottage after the fire at the farmhouse.
32:16But it's booked solid for the year ahead, giving the farm a much needed income stream.
32:21So we've moved to a rented house, leaving the cottage to be enjoyed by the guests.
32:26On top of that, I'm not sure Liz would ever forgive me and the kids if we got our mucky mitts anywhere near this place.
32:49I'm slightly obsessed with the cottage, very obsessed.
32:55Like, even when I'm going out the door, you know, I'm like, all my hands in the inside,
32:59I'm literally, like, this, checking the floor.
33:03Calvin says I've gone a bit mad with it, but...
33:06It's my thing, it's what I love.
33:08It makes me so happy being in here, cleaning it.
33:11I actually can't wait for a changeover.
33:13I clean it, blitz it, and then I do, like, a proof check,
33:18where I will start from the top and work my way down to make sure everything is just perfect.
33:23Because what I really want is when they arrive here,
33:26it feels like no-one else has been here before,
33:29and they get that real sort of wow factor and experience.
33:33I don't want to blow my own trumpet, but...
33:35Five star reviews!
33:40When we started renovating this cottage four years ago,
33:43we had no idea what it would become.
33:46And it's all down to Lizzie's eye for interiors that she didn't even know she had.
33:53You know, there's a few random things in this house.
33:55Just a random pomegranate.
33:58I mean...
34:00Just works, doesn't it?
34:03Since moving here,
34:05the cottage is one of our biggest successes,
34:10and something that we never imagined.
34:13When we bought here, we thought,
34:16oh, yeah, liquor paint.
34:18We might rent it out a couple of weekends a year,
34:21and we'll see what happens.
34:22And...
34:24It's just gone beyond our expectations.
34:28But this is probably the first step into diversifying on the farm.
34:33It's what brings us an income.
34:35It's what we absolutely love doing,
34:37and I've learnt so much from it.
34:39I would like to do more of this.
34:41This is my thing.
34:43I like it.
34:45It's providing such an important income for us
34:49that we've decided to keep the guests coming
34:51and re-look at getting ourselves a temporary home on the farm
34:55until the fire damage is sorted.
34:58Kelvin's only allowed in here if I've got a job for him,
35:02so if I need a screw tightening up or I need something putting up.
35:05The kids are not allowed to come in.
35:07Or the dog.
35:08They will wreck the place within 30 seconds.
35:11I just know it.
35:12So they're not allowed in here.
35:14Just...
35:15Other people's kids are.
35:17Just not mine.
35:18Away from the barns and the farm animals,
35:38a whole host of native and non-native species call our farm home.
35:43And every spring, migratory birds flock here to rear their chicks,
35:49and Liz wants to take Milo birdwatching.
35:54Guess what?
35:55I've just seen you.
35:56Just you wait and see.
35:58I'm going to show you right here.
35:59OK?
36:03You're going to be so happy.
36:05As she has news on one of our rather special residents.
36:10Right, so Milo, do you remember we were worried about that geese
36:14who was all on his own?
36:15Oh, yeah.
36:16Yeah.
36:17Well, guess what?
36:18That just started.
36:19Can you see through the trees?
36:23He's had some chicks.
36:24He's had some chicks in his woman's back.
36:28I think the mummy has just been on a holiday
36:32while he's just had, like, a relaxing time on his own.
36:35And then the mummy's just like, why do I have to bother the kids?
36:40Why do I have to look at the kids while you're on holiday?
36:44Is that what you think?
36:46Yeah.
36:47The dad's been on a retreat while the mum's been looking after all the kids.
36:50Yeah.
36:52I'm sure the dad has been very busy building the nest.
36:55But this really is such good news
36:58as Liz was concerned that this Canada goose
37:00had lost his mate for life.
37:03He looks happy now, doesn't he?
37:05He doesn't look worried anymore.
37:07Yeah.
37:09Aww.
37:10Well, you know, that bush goes all around.
37:13I know it's a big bush, that is.
37:14I wonder if she laid her eggs in there.
37:16Oh, yeah.
37:17Maybe that's where she's been.
37:18Yeah.
37:19In there, laying her chicks.
37:23And Milo seems to have solved the mystery
37:26of why the mum has been hiding in the bushes.
37:29If I was a mummy geese, I was like, ooh, I need to go.
37:34Like, I need to lay my eggs.
37:36Yeah.
37:37And if I lay my eggs on the water,
37:41that means it will come there
37:44and we've got a big fish, have we?
37:46Mm-hm.
37:47So the fish might come up
37:49and a crocodile, what we've got,
37:52might come up and eat him.
37:54But luckily, she must have laid them in her nest
37:56so they didn't get to the crocodile, did they?
37:58No.
37:59Oh, look at the chicks following the mummy now!
38:01Oh, they're going to go in the water!
38:04Oh!
38:07Oh, there's four of them!
38:09Look, that's where she went!
38:10Now they're going back to the nest!
38:12Well, we can stop worrying about him now.
38:14He's reunited with his family.
38:17Canada geese tend to return to the same spot
38:19to raise their chicks.
38:21So when this pair didn't return together,
38:23Liz feared the worst.
38:26The daddy geese just seemed to be on his own
38:29a lot longer than normal.
38:31He just looked so lost on the water on his own.
38:34Anyway, it turns out that she's just laid her chicks
38:37a little bit later than normal.
38:39She's done a good job.
38:41We've got four of them.
38:42We know what it's like to have four kids, don't we?
38:45Come on, let's go and tell Dad
38:47the chicks are back in town!
38:49Woo!
38:50The chicks are back in town!
38:52We've got good news!
38:53With all the kids on the farm, I've got the perfect task
39:11to keep them entertained.
39:13And whilst also ticking an important job off our to-do list,
39:17we're making scarecrows.
39:20As my bags on sticks are failing to deter the crows
39:22from our freshly sewn oats,
39:24we need to up our game.
39:27I think height-wise this will be alright, won't it?
39:29I'm six foot...ish, you know.
39:33According to my spotlight, I think I'm 5'10",
39:36but I'm actually 5'8".
39:38Don't tell anybody.
39:39Five...I think actually 5'7 1⁄2".
39:43Off cuts of wood from around the yard
39:45are giving us the backbone to our latest additions to the farm.
39:49I didn't realise how important it is, you know.
39:51I always thought the scarecrows are just there
39:53as a little bit of a farm folklore
39:55and it doesn't really serve a purpose,
39:58but I was quite wrong.
40:00Crows can have quite a detrimental effect to the crop.
40:03We don't want that.
40:04We don't want them hitting me in the pocket, do we?
40:07All we have to do now
40:08is make the scariest scarecrows
40:10in the Peak District.
40:11What do we need to put in this bag?
40:13You need to put hay syrup!
40:15Straw!
40:16Yay! Straw!
40:18So, guys, pick up some straw from here
40:20and pack it in!
40:22Come on.
40:23Go on, Max, put it in.
40:25Right, let's have a look.
40:27There we go.
40:29Yeah!
40:30That looks like you, Daddy.
40:31Hello!
40:32With old sacks, straw and a bag of clothes
40:35from a local charity shop,
40:37we've got everything we need
40:38to rustle up two great scarecrows.
40:41Oh!
40:42Look at our guy!
40:44He's looking good!
40:46Any excuse to do a bit of art or creativity,
40:49I am there.
40:50When Kelvin said we need some scarecrows,
40:51I was like, I know exactly what to do.
40:53So...
40:54Yeah.
40:55Right, guys, we need to dress the scarecrow.
40:57Right, let's get him dressed, come on.
40:58So come and choose some clothes.
41:01You want to choose the trousers, yeah?
41:02You go take them to Dad.
41:04I think I might need to get first dibs on this look
41:07before we decide what the scarecrows are getting.
41:09I'd wear them!
41:10I'm not!
41:13This is actually...
41:14Hey, it suits me as well!
41:16Done it!
41:19That is actually a really nice shirt.
41:21My arms are well in that, don't they?
41:24Shirt bagged for me.
41:25And the scarecrows can have the rest.
41:29Put the shirt on first, it's easier with the shirt.
41:31Shirt on first, OK.
41:32Max, go and get a shirt, that one on the floor.
41:36Yes, please.
41:38Oh, there we go.
41:39Hey!
41:40Thank you, mate, give us a kiss.
41:41Look at this, eh?
41:42You're a good helper, aren't you?
41:44Yeah?
41:45One of the biggest things about the farm is just
41:48doing things with the kids.
41:49That just feels so special and memories for them.
41:52I really hope they look back and say,
41:54do you remember when we did that?
41:55I'm really enjoying this.
41:57And I weren't meant to be doing this.
42:01The three boys have been slightly distracted
42:03from the job in hand.
42:05But Marnie's keeping an eye on how they're shaping up.
42:09He's got a nice slim waist, mate.
42:10My guy's got a nice V.
42:12He looks in shape.
42:13He looks in shape.
42:14He looks in shape.
42:15He looks in shape.
42:16You been working out, mate?
42:17We're going to have to start thinking of some names, guys, as well.
42:20Oh, yeah.
42:22Oh, Kelvin, they're some high-wasted pants.
42:28Yours should be called Simon.
42:30Simon, go.
42:31While we ponder names, we just need to add the finishing touches
42:34before taking them out and into the field to be put to work.
42:39Do we not need to spray paint a face on?
42:41Yeah, we'll do that now with some spray paint.
42:43One eye.
42:44Two eye.
42:45A nose.
42:46Just a spot for a nose.
42:47And then a smiley face.
42:49Or is he angry?
42:50No.
42:51Is he smiling or is he angry?
42:53Angry.
42:54Are you sure?
42:56Are you...
42:57Oh, we are.
43:01My vibe is...
43:03Do you like her face?
43:04I love it.
43:05Give her a blonde fringe.
43:06There we go.
43:08And fudge up for Milo.
43:11That's it, say.
43:12One, two, three, scarecrowls!
43:14Scarecrowls!
43:16Yay!
43:20Up in our freshly-sown oak field,
43:22our makeshift scarecrows are finally being replaced
43:25by two new, rather impressive figures.
43:28We're now going to put these in the field.
43:31We're going to carry Simon Cowell and what's yours called?
43:34Esmeralda.
43:35Esmeralda.
43:36I really have no idea why we keep letting the kids name things.
43:40So, Simon Cowell and Esmeralda
43:43have a big job on their hands.
43:45Keep crawls away from our crop.
43:48So, we have to pretend that we're tractors
43:50and we're going to walk in a line, single file,
43:53and let's follow Daddy on the tram lines.
43:55You're hee-ho.
43:58That's it, in the tram tracks, don't stand on the crop.
44:01Kids, crushing it all.
44:04Don't worry, it's just your breakfast for the next ten years, Max.
44:07You're crushing it all.
44:09These are like our favourite evenings, the sun's shining.
44:12We're out, you know, till it goes dark, really.
44:15Doing jobs, having fun,
44:17and just letting them have a bit of freedom.
44:20Sometimes you can be so busy getting them here,
44:22getting them there, working and doing everything.
44:24You just feel like this is, you're really present.
44:27Yeah, it's great.
44:29It's one of my favourite moments on the farm.
44:31Now let's get Simon Cowell on the ground.
44:33They just go off and have the fun.
44:35We actually do the jobs.
44:36We actually have to finish them.
44:39Right, let's put it in.
44:44There you go.
44:49Right, we're done, guys.
44:51Come on, let's call it a day.
44:53Bye, Scarecrow.
44:54Bye, Scarecrow.
44:55Bye, Scarecrow.
44:56Bye, Scarecrow.
44:57Bye, Scarecrow.
44:58Scare the crows.
44:59These are the best dressed scarecrows in Cheshire, that one.
45:02Designer scarecrow.
45:03Not a shadow widow.
45:04They're dressed better than me.
45:07They're dressed better than me, aren't they?
45:08Not now you've been through their wardrobe.
45:10You've got some new gear.
45:11Yeah, yeah.
45:21Next time on our farm.
45:24One of our ewes takes a turn for the worst.
45:27Yeah, she's quite unwell,
45:28so it's a good job that I kind of found her when I did, really.
45:31It's amazing how it can become quite serious quite quickly.
45:35A visit from the vet yields some mixed news.
45:39So, I'm just scanning around both sides of a uterus
45:42and there is a calf in there.
45:44Yes!
45:46OK, not quite so good news now.
45:49And we welcome a new Gaelic addition to our coop.
45:52He's French.
45:54Bonjour.
45:56Very good looking.
45:57I mean, look at him.
45:58He's a handsome chap.
45:59I think Kelvin, you know, two alphas look at each other.
46:02He might square up to the cockerel and be like,
46:04who's the boss of this farm?
46:05And he'll know it's the cockerel.
46:06HE LAUGHS
46:07The
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