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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.
00:53Oh you can't ride on him, no. Whilst continuing to diversify. What about if
00:59we created some sort of farm musical? Kevin we've got enough to do without creating a farm
01:04fan song. 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.
01:23This week on our farm. You're excited.
01:29Did you like that? Yeah. The twins help this year's lambs thrive. Come on. And training for
01:40the Royal Cheshire Show gets underway in earnest.
01:43Right stand there. Right we're ready. So make sure his feet are square.
01:48I pull together a team of rugby league legends for a special fundraiser. We need the final
01:54player. Will you be it? Mark Flanagan. We've got him. And our flock presents us with a whole
02:02new challenge. It's just not that easy. My hands are too big. You need delicate cute
02:08little beautiful hands. I'll do it for the lamb. Yeah? Good, good. I'll do it for the
02:12life of the lamb.
02:13Just putting a new bale in for Sonic and Ray.
02:29Feeding time at the zoo. Hello, chickens. Hello, chickens.
02:41When you open that bale up. If you know, you know it's one of them. The sweetness. It's
02:48just. Keeping the farm running smoothly has had its challenges recently. We've had a lot
02:55of upheaval in our lives after a fire in the farmhouse meant we had to move into temporary
02:59rented accommodation. While I don't want to add extra stress, there's one event in the
03:05farming calendar I think is worth adding to our to-do list. So what we're going to do in
03:10a few weeks time, we're going to go to a thing called the Royal Cheshire Show. And we're going
03:17to go there. We're going to go there and we're going to take the calves with us. And we're
03:22going to put a lead on them so we can walk in with them. Can I hold a big one? Yeah. Can
03:29I ride on him? Oh, you can't ride on him? No. But what you can do is walk next to him on a
03:35lead. And you can show him around on the grass in front of everybody. Yeah? Yeah? Would
03:42you like to do that? Um, hold him. Which one do you want to take on? Um, tonic. The big
03:50one? Yeah. You want to take tonic in, the big one? Yeah. All of them. Well, you might need
03:56some big muscles, though, because he's very strong. Let me just check, let me just check,
04:01see if your big muscles are big enough. Let me just check, let me check. I'm not, I didn't
04:07eat my dinner all. Oh, did you not eat your dinner all up? I don't know if they're going
04:12to be big enough then. I will. Are you sure? Let me just check. Right, well, make sure you
04:18eat the rest of your dinner, then you'll get big muscles and then you can take him in the show
04:22ring. Well, Matthias is keen. And while preparing the young calves for a show takes time, it's
04:28essential for us to be showing our herd and putting the Fletcher family name on the map
04:33as breeders of native Lincoln Reds. So we're going to put a new bale in for the calves. Keeping
04:41them indoors, we can start alter training them, getting some condition on them, making sure they're
04:46looking as good as they can. So we need to get cracking. As well as looking their best,
04:55the calves can get used to being handled and the kids will need to spend time with them
05:00to build their trust. What do you think? Fluffy. Fluffy? Say hello, Sonic. Hello, Sonic.
05:09You want to give him a cuddle? Yeah. Of course you can. I love Sonic. Do you love Sonic? Yeah.
05:22When in the show ring, the calves will be marked on their form and frame. And to show them at
05:29their best means training them to walk on a halter. I'm a little bit out of practice. Come on, Sonic.
05:38Then the thing get, and then it's on. There we go. It's okay. It's okay. Shhh. And then it's on.
05:48With the twins watching, training is underway. I can't pull him. I don't know how the kids are going to go.
05:58I think Sonic is a little bit too big and strong at the minute, even for Marnie and Milo.
06:03I mean, he might be ambitious, but I think if we can get him alter trained, you've got to make sure that
06:07the animal they're with is, can be controlled by a, by a young kid. Well, you know, it will be,
06:14all six of us will be there at the Royal Cheshire show. The Fletchers are back to defend their title.
06:20Oh, you're a strong lamb, you lot.
06:27Oh, you're a strong lamb, you lot. Just got me Banksy. Just got me Banksy.
06:54As lambing season draws to a close, there's just a few newborns left in the barn that we're keeping an eye on
07:00before we turn them out to join the rest of the flock.
07:03Right, you hold the lamb whilst Daddy helps the mummy.
07:10Yeah, you hold the lamb together.
07:12Oh, you sit down. Good boy.
07:16A set of twin lambs have been struggling to latch on, and I need to check everything is alright with their mum
07:22and her production of the white stuff.
07:25The milk in a bag has kind of hardened and the teats are just, there's a little bit of milk coming out there, but not much.
07:32Yeah, you can just feel it's all gone very hard, so there's an infection there.
07:39These are all signs of mastitis, an inflammation of the udder that's painful and can stop her from producing milk,
07:46putting her life and her lambs at risk.
07:49I think it'd be good to make up a little bottle and feed this lamb, because it's looking very thin.
07:55So, boys, would you like to feed the lamb? Yeah? Well, I'll get it.
08:00Mummy! Mummy! Mummy!
08:05Shall we go and make a bottle? Yeah. Come on then.
08:08Until the swelling has gone down and the infection cleared, her lambs will need to be fed by us.
08:14Thankfully, a course of antibiotics should clear it up.
08:18We've done it in the past where there's kind of like a little capsule,
08:22and it goes into the teats and you just shoot the fluid up there
08:26and that helps break down the mastitis and clear the infection out.
08:29It's pretty important that we get it, you know, we get onto it straight away, really.
08:35Right, let's see what we've got to make this bottle.
08:38What are you doing there? So, we need a bottle.
08:42We need a jug.
08:44We need a teat.
08:48And we need some milk.
08:49With four kids of our own, one thing Liz and I are dab hands at is making up bottles.
08:57So, this is just basically like formula, I guess, that you would give to babies,
09:00but it's designed for lambs.
09:03So, I'm just going to literally make a bottle like you would for a baby.
09:09And this year, our babies are now big enough to bottle feed the lambs.
09:12Let's hear us. Go give that to Dad.
09:18Oh, wow. Is this the milk?
09:20Yes.
09:21Ready to go.
09:22Oh.
09:24Hello, Mummy.
09:26Are you excited?
09:28Yeah.
09:30Let me say, come on, Mummy.
09:32Oh.
09:34Look.
09:36Now, I just absolutely love how interested they are and how much they want to do it and be in the pins.
09:43They're not scared of anything.
09:45Do you like that?
09:47Do you like that, man?
09:49Did you like that?
09:50Did she say yes?
09:52They just instinctively take on a parental role and they're kind of like,
09:56are you all right, baby?
09:58No, they're babying themselves and they see themselves as the protector of this lamb
10:03and such a beautiful, natural quality.
10:07Very hungry, wasn't it, Matthias?
10:09Yes.
10:11Oh, nice full belly.
10:14With the lamb content, a short course of antibiotics will clear the mastitis
10:19and the lambs will hopefully be latching on again in no time.
10:26The kids make these jobs way more fun, that is for sure.
10:49Right, Marnie, we're gonna get Sonic out first.
10:53Come here.
10:54Come on.
11:01Hey.
11:02Hey.
11:04Cattle training for the Royal Cheshire Show is underway.
11:07Hey.
11:08Hey.
11:09Come on.
11:10Hey.
11:11Hey.
11:12This year, we've entered Sonic, Ray and Cherry, who's still yet to calf, into several categories,
11:17including young handlers.
11:18So, to help build Marnie and Milo's confidence, we need to get them hands-on with the young calves.
11:23Sonic is, you know, is just over a year old.
11:32And although he's been on an altar, he's had a wash, he's been in a show ring, that was a year ago.
11:40And he was with his mum, so it's gonna be very different for him this time.
11:45So, now the time is to get him washed, get a lot of practice in, get him on the altar and just get the kids walking around the yard with him.
11:55Right, come on then, kids.
11:56So, job number one.
11:59Sleeves up.
12:01The shows are not just about showing the animals, that's one aspect of it.
12:06But two, it's incredible for our kids to understand the importance of looking after your herd.
12:12A way of you having some sort of recognition of what you're doing with your farm.
12:16And then when we do sell the produce afterwards, we are in, hopefully, award-winning.
12:30Oh, bubbles!
12:31Nice.
12:33He likes this.
12:35Oh, I've got the back-end job.
12:38It doesn't take four people to wash the cow, but you've got to designate yourself a job.
12:43They're all getting stuck in, it's good.
12:44Looking good, isn't it, Milo?
12:46What do you reckon, mate?
12:47Good.
12:48Yeah?
12:49I don't even know if this is for a cow.
12:51I've got a feeling this is a dog brush.
12:55Good lad, Milo.
12:57Excellent work.
13:00Let's give him a good scrub.
13:01Come on.
13:03But when the judge says, guys, these animals look amazing, you can say, well, yeah, we've washed them.
13:12That's it.
13:15We're good.
13:20So now we'll take Sonic for a little walk around the yard, and we can all take it in turns, yeah?
13:26Are we ready?
13:27It looks terrible.
13:40way.
13:41Wait, have you, live, are you okay?
13:43Sonic is nearly three times the size and weight that he was last year and is making sure I know it.
13:46Oh, you OK? Yeah.
13:51When it calls the cows, there's a lot of risk involved.
13:57They're fast, they're strong, they could drag you off easily.
14:01Kelvin has got balls of steel.
14:10Can't say I feel relaxed right now,
14:12but I'm trying to soak in the good vibes and be cab.
14:16With patience and practice,
14:18Sonic will soon learn not to pull on the halter
14:22and then it'll be safe for the kids to take the reins.
14:26It's just a slow process
14:29and that's why before the show, you want to be doing this every day.
14:33If you want to have a chance at the show,
14:35this is the absolute commitment you've got to have.
14:38And next time it will be that little bit easier and a bit easier
14:41and day after day, it will be easier.
14:44Shall we get him in then?
14:46Yeah.
14:47Get all up in the gate?
14:48Yeah.
14:50But there's no denying that there's a lot of work to do before showtime.
14:56One down, one to go.
14:57Keeping on top of farm maintenance is one of the hardest things to do.
15:15But we're lucky enough to have a rather special group of volunteers
15:19who would love to lend a hand.
15:25How are we getting on, guys?
15:27We're doing well.
15:28But it's a great job.
15:29And it's just as it's now come back again, hasn't it?
15:31Yeah, yeah.
15:32We've put it all back, didn't we, early in the year.
15:34Just perfect for us, this.
15:35Got my own trimmers now, Darren.
15:37Fantastic.
15:38These are my nan's trimmers.
15:39Oh, fantastic.
15:40They're extendable as well, which is pretty good for someone short like me.
15:52So today we've got people from the David Lewis Centre, a local charity.
15:58We have them here every single Thursday on the farm
16:02and helping with a variety of little jobs, really.
16:05As we're doing now, just cutting back some of the edges,
16:08keeping things neat and tidy.
16:09Allowing them to get out and come on our farm
16:13and just experience, you know, something a little bit different, really.
16:17Nearly two years ago, this local charity
16:19that provides accommodation and support
16:21for a wide range of adults with additional needs
16:24asked me to become an ambassador.
16:26And it's been such a great experience.
16:30There you go. Are you ready, Terrence?
16:31You're bringing your wheelbarrow up.
16:35As well as supporting fundraising events,
16:37they've become a big part of our lives on the farm too.
16:40Come rain or shine, they're here with smiles on their faces
16:43and collectively, they just seem to love it.
16:48I guess it helps us as well.
16:49You know, the upkeep of a farm is huge.
16:53It's not been easy for us as a family these last few months.
16:57It's been really challenging at times and because of the fire,
17:00so to have little jobs like this kind of have help with,
17:04it's made a massive, you know, impact.
17:08Every week, a few adults and their support workers, like Darren,
17:12get hands-on helping.
17:13So, Aidan loves this type of job, just cutting back.
17:17Chris will enjoy that.
17:19Paul likes his more manual things.
17:21Yeah.
17:22Aidan, keep going a bit further up now.
17:24That's it, here.
17:25You're doing well there, Aidan.
17:27Yep.
17:32Paul's lived with us for many years,
17:33and he's been telling me for many years
17:35about how he's gone to Lyme Park
17:36and done a dry stone walling course.
17:38But you've never been able to test it, have we?
17:40So, last week when we saw the fallen wall, I said to Paul,
17:43are you up for it?
17:45And what did you say?
17:46Definitely.
17:47Definitely.
17:51That's actually better than what it was originally, I think.
17:54Did you enjoy doing this?
17:55Oh, definitely.
17:56Yeah.
17:57It brings back memories of my granddad, my dad,
18:00and we used to hold the farm walls on.
18:02So, that's why you're so good at it then, is it?
18:07He's in his happy place there, just rebuilding the wall.
18:11So, you know, it's a little moments like that
18:14that, you know, make this whole partnership,
18:16if you like, worthwhile.
18:18And I've just got wind of an opportunity
18:20to raise some money this weekend.
18:22I'm hoping Darren and the team will support.
18:25I've entered a local rugby tournament
18:29and playing for David Lewis.
18:32Oh, fantastic. Right.
18:34So, erm, I'm not asking you if you've got any rugby boots.
18:38Unless you fancy a game, I don't know.
18:41You know what?
18:42I'm not as fit as you where the rugby's concerned.
18:50There's a few lads in the team who are, in their day,
18:53they were, they weren't like me saying this,
18:57but they were world class.
18:59Erm, the likes of Danny Maguire, Gareth Ellis.
19:05But, there's one spot to fill.
19:09I'm going to hopefully pull in a big favour.
19:11He's a very good friend of mine,
19:13and an ex-Rubber League player as well.
19:16Er, Mr Mark Flanagan.
19:19His dad played rugby for Oldham and for Great Britain.
19:23And Flash carried that rugby tradition on
19:25and he started playing and he inherited the name Flash as well.
19:29He's not fast.
19:31So, I don't know, I still to this day,
19:33I don't know why he's called Flash.
19:35Hello, laddie.
19:39What do you want?
19:40Never mind, what do I want?
19:42I'm calling for a favour.
19:44Right.
19:46But I've entered a team and we need the final player,
19:50we need the final piece of the puzzle.
19:52Will you be it?
19:54Er...
19:56When is it?
19:58In two days' time.
19:59Two days?
20:00For you, Kelvin, yes.
20:05You're in?
20:06You're in?
20:07Anything for you, lad.
20:08Right, OK, then.
20:09All right.
20:10Love you, lad. See you, lad.
20:11Love you, lad.
20:12Bye-bye.
20:15We've got him.
20:16We've got him.
20:18Mike Flanagan.
20:20A fellow Oldham lad.
20:21The Farmyard Flyers are at full strength.
20:24We've got a full team, two days' prep.
20:29It's the worst that can happen.
20:54It's called the Farmer's Carry.
20:56It's actually a workout that people do in the gym.
20:58Who needs a gym when you're on the farm?
21:00After how Houdini heard breach the fences of our paddock,
21:03I'm out doing a temporary fix on the gap
21:05by putting up some electric fencing
21:07while they're back in the barn for halter training.
21:11I'm not the first farmer and I won't be the last farmer
21:14to have animals escape.
21:19That'll do.
21:20As daft as it sounds, this is the stuff that, when you're inexperienced,
21:25this is the stuff that kind of catches you out a little bit
21:27because a lot of farmers who are generational have done this
21:31with mum and dad or nan and granddad.
21:33We're constantly having to kind of figure it out for ourselves
21:35and learn on the job, really.
21:37And what we've learnt with our cows is that the weaning process is challenging
21:43and our usually passive Lincoln Reds
21:46will pretty much charge through anything to stay together.
21:49I mean, I'm always surprised how high cows can jump.
21:54This is, what, three, three and a half, four,
21:56and they just spring that like they're a gazelle.
21:58Those cows need to get to a point in their life
22:00from kind of nine months old to stand up for themselves, really.
22:03So the weaning process is absolutely crucial, really.
22:07Part of that process is obviously separating them
22:10and making sure that they stay separated.
22:12Right. Let's get an energiser on it. Who wants zapping?
22:21The electric current runs through this simple rope
22:23and gives off a low-level shock
22:25that's enough to act as a deterrent for the cows.
22:30So what we do, we're just going to hang this.
22:33We have the green that goes to the earth,
22:35so I'll put a little earth stake in.
22:37That earths the current.
22:40And then we'll get that on there.
22:45And then we've got our terminals here.
22:49Red to positive, black to negative.
22:52And then I've got a little device just to check
22:54what sort of voltage it's throwing out.
22:56So we'll get it connected first.
22:59Oh, so that's showing 7,000 volts.
23:08And it's enough to like...
23:107,000, I reckon that would give me...
23:13Yeah, I reckon that would probably, yeah.
23:16It's tempting just to touch it though in it,
23:18just to see what it would feel like, but no.
23:20And I don't recommend doing that at home.
23:24The shock is at a safe level and won't harm the cows.
23:27Just send them a strong enough signal
23:29that they need to stay in this field.
23:32Well done.
23:33Electric fence up.
23:35It's working 7,000 volts.
23:37So that'll certainly keep the cows at bay.
23:54It's another beautiful spring day on the farm.
23:57And we're all up and at it and ready for anything.
24:04Oh, look at you in them shoes.
24:06Not used to being in them.
24:08Where's your wellies, Kelvin?
24:10We look too hot in it for wellies.
24:12It seems that Liz doesn't think I'm quite ready.
24:16I bet you've had them shoes 20 years.
24:18They're so old that they're now back in fashion,
24:21you know that, don't you?
24:22Have they? Yeah.
24:24Fashion guru, Kelvin.
24:26Wear it for long enough and it will come back in fashion.
24:29There's your tip.
24:32Liz is right.
24:33I probably should have wore my wellies
24:35as this next job could get very messy.
24:38Yeah, a big thing we talk about farming is poo.
24:42Sheep poo.
24:43But today we're going to get the sheep in
24:46so we can collect some samples.
24:49They're checking the poo for worms basically
24:51because worms are a big problem for sheep
24:53and if you get too many, it is deadly.
24:56Last year we lost quite a few lambs so now it's a bit warmer.
25:00We're just going to be as proactive as possible
25:04and try and pre-empt any sort of worm issues.
25:08Which means today's task is simple.
25:10Gloves on, pick up poo, send it down to the vets, they'll examine it, give us a reading.
25:23If they need a drenching, we drench them.
25:25If they don't, then that's it, it's good news.
25:27Drenching is basically the way we administer medicine to the flock.
25:35Into their mouths using a dispenser.
25:39Come on, Gindja.
25:40So, in an attempt to build up the flock's resilience, we've waited to treat.
25:51And the samples we collect today will let us know how well the flock are faring.
25:55So, we need to get these hurdles off.
25:59First, we need to build our holding pen before we herd them down.
26:03And we have a mixed track record of this going well.
26:06I'm not going to get involved in the plan today.
26:08I'm going to do exactly what Kelvin says.
26:11Which will be music to his ears.
26:14The sun's shining.
26:16You know, we'll go with the flow.
26:18Line them up separate, babe.
26:19Six footers and four footers.
26:21What a gorgeous day to be working together.
26:24We've still not got a sheep handling system.
26:27That's the problem.
26:29But other things happen and then you end up spending your money on something else.
26:35It's not as warm as it looks, is it?
26:38No.
26:39Wear this.
26:40Aww.
26:41I've got two t-shirts on.
26:42Aww.
26:44He's such a jank, Kelvin.
26:49Look at that.
26:52There we go.
26:55Now I'm dressed for farming.
26:57Right, so this is our corridor.
27:01Once we've got all the sheep in here, we open the gate.
27:06Like so.
27:07That gate's closed at the bottom and we fill this up.
27:10What could possibly go wrong?
27:13Right, I think that's it, darling.
27:14I know.
27:15All this for some poo.
27:16You ready?
27:17No.
27:19Right.
27:20Come on.
27:21Sheep in.
27:22Don't forget.
27:23Teamwork makes the...
27:26Dreamwork.
27:27Just remember, no matter what, you still love me.
27:30I still love you.
27:31I've got to keep reminding myself of that.
27:33Remind yourself.
27:34When you're dealing with sheep, just remember, you love your wife.
27:37Remember, your wife's not against you, she's with you.
27:41That's the hardest thing to remember when you're dealing with sheep.
27:44Remember that you still love each other.
27:45The flock are scattered around our top field, so my job is to drive them down to Liz so we can herd them into the new pens.
28:00These are those jobs.
28:01It's intense.
28:02It's really serious.
28:04It's, you know, really important.
28:07And these are moments where you have to focus.
28:10And I get distracted quite a bit sometimes, you know, and they'll be like, Liz!
28:17I'm like, oh, a butterfly!
28:22Yeah, man!
28:24With almost 100 sheep and lambs, and just the two of us, there's no time for daydreaming.
28:35Come on, little lamb, that way.
28:38Just as a thought.
28:39The sheep just do whatever they want.
28:41And the lambs are all calling, so they all split up.
28:44But we'll get there.
28:45First part of the job is done.
29:05Next, it's time to collect the poo samples.
29:08Did I really say this was the life we dreamt of?
29:15The sun's shining, the sheep are behaving, and while Liz and I round them up to collect samples
29:27to test for worms, back at the farm, Milo is on feeding duties.
29:35There it is.
29:36One, two, three!
29:39I've got to feed the chicken.
29:41There we go.
29:42Let's go.
29:43Jump, jump!
29:44Come on!
29:45It's great that Milo is now old enough to take one of the many farm jobs off my hands.
30:00What I've got to do is put that like that, and give them something.
30:17Then let's get the lid.
30:21We can do that.
30:22We can do that.
30:23Ba-ba-da-ba-bum-bum-bum-bum-bum-bum-bum.
30:30Right.
30:33All done.
30:36When you hear a crock-clone do crock-clone-doo-doo, it means to another chickens, quick there's
30:46danger.
30:47Back up at the top of the farm, we've moved our entire flock of sheep into a holding pen.
31:02Our next task is collecting fresh poo samples to get tested by the Vet for Worms.
31:07Look at these little owls, aww you're so cute.
31:17The lambs are still only a few weeks old and this is a good opportunity to check how they're getting on.
31:24Come on then. Lamb.
31:27These are our first triplets. Look at the size of them now.
31:31Really good long legs, beautiful face.
31:35My and his little Jacobs are so cute. They are so cute.
31:40It is absolutely exhausting doing this, it's physical work.
31:46All farming is physical work.
31:49Now we've got to take the poo samples.
31:50How far are you going in? I thought you were just picking up off the floor.
32:01Sample number one.
32:03Got to get ten different samples from across the ewes.
32:06We get the mums in this size so we know that the poo in this section is from the mum.
32:12And we know that the poo in that section is from the lamb.
32:14So when we're checking it, we know.
32:17Are you enjoying that?
32:19That is one, two, three, four, five.
32:24You've got to get five more.
32:25Five more.
32:26Here you go.
32:27Three.
32:28Three good ones there.
32:30I'll just spot the poo.
32:31I'll make you collect it.
32:33It's amazing how there's any romance left in our relationship.
32:36Well, there is.
32:37He's still there.
32:38I've seen you do some things in my time.
32:42This is a day day, isn't it?
32:44Oh, me and Liz had a lovely day together the other day.
32:47Wow, what did you do?
32:48We just picked up a load of poo together.
32:50Did you run that?
32:52Well spotted.
32:53Grass fed.
32:55That's the ew poo taken care of.
32:58And now we need ten samples from the lambs.
33:01Do you want to do five and I'll do five?
33:03No, honestly, you can have that one.
33:04You're doing a great job.
33:06Which is easier said than done.
33:08I found one on the floor so far, which is obviously not ideal.
33:14I'm going to have to actually go into the lambs bum and...
33:18Just give me a little finger.
33:22Pick the poo out.
33:23What, you need gloves on?
33:25Yeah, I'm going to get a glove on.
33:26I won't be letting him cook my dinner again if he does it that way.
33:28This is something the vet's done in the past.
33:32We've never actually done it.
33:34We take his lamb samples before.
33:36We've always just taken it from the ewes
33:38and it's there in abundance on the floor.
33:43It's just not that easy.
33:47Time to phone the vet for some advice.
33:51Hello, it's Kelvin.
33:52We're just trying to get some poo samples from the lambs.
33:56I'm struggling to get my hand in there to get a sample.
33:59So, glove on, I suppose, just...
34:02It's just one finger with a lamb.
34:04Yeah.
34:05But it can be, if there's nothing there,
34:07it can be a bit difficult to actually collect it.
34:10I'm still in a smaller hand.
34:12And how's the best way of doing it?
34:14Do we need to put any lube on?
34:15Is it nicer, isn't it?
34:16You've just got to kind of, yeah, literally wiggle about a bit
34:21so you can get them up to it.
34:23Make a sweep.
34:24All right, great stuff.
34:25We'll give it a go.
34:26Brilliant.
34:27All right, well, thank you very much for that.
34:28Cheers.
34:29Bye-bye.
34:32My hands are too big.
34:33You need delicate, cute, little, beautiful hands.
34:37Do you know anyone?
34:39Do you know anyone?
34:40But that little finger...
34:41We'll do it for the lamb.
34:42Yeah?
34:43Oh, good.
34:44We'll do it for the life of the lamb.
34:46That's the spiritless.
34:50Right, you just make sure it don't kick.
34:58Oh, God!
35:00Are you in?
35:01He's just, like, erm...
35:03There's no poo there.
35:05I don't think there's any poo there.
35:06Right, just have a feel.
35:07Have a good root around.
35:09No, you can't just have a root around.
35:10That's not nice.
35:11Would you like someone to stick a finger up your bum?
35:13Yeah.
35:19Just use your little finger.
35:20There's no poo there.
35:21Oh, God, oh, God, oh.
35:23There's no poo there, Kate.
35:24Look, there's no poo on my finger.
35:25There's no poo there.
35:26We've dealt with enough dirty nappies
35:28to not be afraid of a bit of poo.
35:30But these samples aren't easy to get,
35:33so we'll take what we have to the vets
35:35and hope it's enough to test for worms.
35:37You check this at the vets.
35:46That's...
35:47That's...
35:481, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.
35:5310 samples of you poo.
35:55Gorgeous.
35:56And just one sample of lamb poo.
35:59Right.
36:01I'll see you later.
36:02Good day.
36:03I'll let you know.
36:04Good news on the worms.
36:05Yeah.
36:06Or bad news.
36:07All bad news on the worms.
36:15today we're getting our young calves used to being on the halter ahead of their appearance
36:31in this year's cheshire show come on ray little ray's not even a year old he's a baby but he's a
36:40big powerful baby so you've just got to have that respect especially when you've got kids around
36:51he's a lovely calf isn't it a lovely color isn't it he likes this it seems like ray is i mean he's
37:02behaving impeccably now i think for the calmness of the wash today the cow
37:10wash i think ray wins he's certainly been the easier the two i might take him for a little bit
37:16of a walk the young calves are nowhere near ready for the kids to take the reins but there's always
37:22other jobs they can help us do to get them show ready right what i'm going to do now marnie i want
37:29you to pretend that you're the judge you're the stock judge this is my calf i'm going to walk him
37:37around the yard and i want you to stand in the middle and be watching us both we'll have a
37:42rehearsal a practice a practice show and next up is the lincoln reds come on come on come on come on
38:00come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come on come
38:30I haven't one of you guys walking him yet.
38:32I think we still need to do a little bit more training with him
38:35because he's even pulling Daddy around.
38:38Trying to dominate Dad.
38:41No-one dominates Dad.
38:43I'm the boss.
38:46I've no doubt Marnie will be the boss of these calves soon enough
38:49and bring home another win for the Fletcher herd.
38:53I actually feel like Ray handled it very well.
38:57I hope, fingers crossed, that we win again.
39:00But I would like another wall of rosettes.
39:04So, yeah, this is going to be the wall of champions.
39:24Today, the whole family is taking a break from farm work,
39:28trading hay bales for rugby balls
39:30as they come and cheer me on in a local rugby tournament.
39:35So, Kelvin's put a team together,
39:37so they're going to play rugby for the incredible charity,
39:40which is David Lewis.
39:41They come to the farm once a week.
39:43We've kind of set them little jobs on the farm
39:45that just gets them outside, gives them a bit of independence.
39:48So, we're here, we're playing something called Rugby Sevens,
39:51which I've never heard of before.
39:52Kelvin's got his team together, he's got a good set-up over there.
39:55And we're here as a family, the sun's out, it's glorious.
39:59The local charity work with adults and young people with additional needs,
40:03and today, they're here supporting us too.
40:06I'm really excited, really excited.
40:09I don't think it's something we're going to win,
40:11but, you know, we'll have a good time and we'll have a good laugh.
40:14This is your kit, Anthony.
40:15This is some goodies in there.
40:17Oh, perfect.
40:17You've got our playing kit, shorts, socks and a top.
40:20And you've also got a candle.
40:22Oh, nice.
40:23Oh, and a candle.
40:23Yeah, I forgot about that, actually, yeah.
40:25Everyone's for the girlfriends.
40:26Have you got them a scissor?
40:27Yeah, yeah, she's coming down, actually.
40:28Well, there you go.
40:29I may not have much experience on a rugby pitch,
40:32but luckily, I know a few people who have.
40:35So I've signed up ex-England players Danny Maguire and Gareth Ellis,
40:39along with experience forward Mark Flanagan.
40:43When lads get together, their banter is so much fun.
40:47They're all comedians, aren't they?
40:49I think Kelvin's definitely going to get a bit of stick today
40:51because he's not amazing at rugby.
40:54He should probably stick to chasing sheep around, not rugby balls.
40:57The teams will play each other in turns
41:01in rounds of quick 14-minute games.
41:04It's fast, fun, and I'm just hoping I can keep up.
41:09Firstly, thank you for all...
41:11It's proper team talk, isn't it?
41:13Genuinely, you know, thanks for coming here to have a good time today.
41:17We're here to have fun, but ultimately,
41:19putting ourselves out of our comfort zone,
41:20people, as you'll know, doing that day in, day out.
41:22So that's kind of the spirit of the game.
41:25Let's just have some fun.
41:26Let's just have a good laugh.
41:27I need one thing we have to do.
41:29We have to beat at least one team.
41:31Yeah? Right, then.
41:33Come on, all in.
41:34Farmyard Flyers on three.
41:36One, two, three.
41:38Farmyard Flyers!
41:41Team talk done, now it's game time.
41:44And I've been benched by the team captain, Mike Flanagan.
41:48Kelvin's not made the first team
41:49because they don't really know what he's doing.
41:51He's an actor, he's a farmer, he's a great dancer.
41:53Well, when it comes to rugby, I'm not quite sure he knows what he's doing.
41:55So I think it's a good chance for people
41:57who might be a bit more experienced like these guys.
42:00Kelvin can get his notepad out and make a few pointers
42:02and see how he goes.
42:04My own team, I've not even made the starting line-up.
42:07I think I've become player-coach now, yeah, player-coach.
42:13I've not barked a single-command yet, though.
42:18With the whole family supporting me and the Farmyard Flyers,
42:22the games get underway.
42:23So the good news is we're raising lots of money,
42:33but the bad news is that they're losing.
42:35Hopefully people feel sorry for them and putting more money.
42:39After being benched for the first half,
42:41I finally get in on the action
42:43and a chance to salvage some pride.
42:46Push, push, push, push!
42:48These lads are big, but they're not as big as the cows.
42:49I've seen him sort them out.
42:51He'll be all right.
42:52He'll be all right.
42:54But what is it they say pride comes before?
42:57I got pummeled good there, didn't I?
43:03Took you out.
43:04Remind me of that time that sheep took me out.
43:06That was just what he was like.
43:07Do you remember?
43:08We just don't know the rules.
43:10Just get the ball and run.
43:11That's all you've got to do.
43:13I think we should have gone into the social competition.
43:15Oh, you're in the row one.
43:16You're in the professional.
43:17Oh, God.
43:18One solid tackle later
43:20and I'm feeling a little worse for wear.
43:23Little injury.
43:26I'm hoping, fingers crossed, I've not,
43:29but it feels like I've tore my bicep.
43:31And, yeah, so, um...
43:33Not exactly ideal timing,
43:38especially with the Cheshire show fast approaching.
43:41Man's injured.
43:43Oh, come here.
43:44Oh, do you need looking after?
43:48I do, actually, yeah.
43:49I'll see if I know any problems.
43:52Oh, but my main concern is,
43:54can you still pull the cow on Tuesday?
43:56That's what I'm worried about.
43:57They have to get you in.
43:58Oh, God.
43:59Super sub.
44:00I don't know if he's pulled a muscle.
44:03Snap the tendon.
44:04Whatever's happened.
44:05I want to make sure that he can lead the cow.
44:09It's the arm that you would lead the cow on as well.
44:12So, yeah, we've got to get him strapped up
44:16and make sure he's all right.
44:17With the last game played,
44:20time to announce how the Farmyard Flyers got on.
44:23Right, guys, well, thank you for today.
44:26I've just found out we came fifth.
44:28That was six, so...
44:29I think that's the result.
44:30We had...
44:30We had...
44:31Yeah!
44:31Yeah, round of applause.
44:33Yeah, yeah, yeah.
44:34Finally, and I think mostly Paul,
44:36I just want to say thank you to Darren
44:37and everybody at David Lewis for turning out today.
44:41Hopefully you've had some good engagement with people
44:42and a good bit of fundraising.
44:45That's what it's all about.
44:46All in all, despite the bruises,
44:49it's been a fantastic day.
44:51Now, if someone could kindly direct me
44:54to the nearest A&E, that would be great.
44:57It's been a good day.
44:58The weather's been good.
44:59Everyone's smiling.
45:00Everyone's happy.
45:01But we have got an handful of injuries.
45:03There's going to be some soul bodies tomorrow.
45:05My biggest concern now is getting fit for Cheshire Shaw,
45:09for cow duties, so we'll have to see how it goes.
45:11So, thanks again, guys.
45:13Hopefully this is the first of many.
45:14So, cheers to you all.
45:16Cheers, guys.
45:18Cheers, boys.
45:25Next time on our farm,
45:27Liz and the twins bust out their funkiest moves
45:30in a desperate bid to summon some rain.
45:32Show your jeeps.
45:33We find ourselves turning to some unconventional halter training techniques.
45:46Good boy.
45:46Good boy.
45:48Good boy.
45:49And now I find myself trying to explain the romantic escapades of sheep.
45:54This year, when you send Viper out,
45:57he's not just got three girlfriends,
45:59he might have ten.
46:01Animals are weird.
46:03Yeah.
46:03Like, cringey.
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