- 5 weeks ago
Springtime on the Farm S09E02
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00:09So much to look forward to.
00:11Now, if any animal epitomises this season, it has to be the spring lamb.
00:15And the Nicholson family have been farming on this site for over 65 years.
00:19They started with a modest 150 animals.
00:22Now, they've got over 1,500.
00:24Most of them are sheep.
00:26Now, all that expansion, of course, is good news,
00:29but it does create one major problem.
00:32Where do you keep them all?
00:36The original roundhouse was built in 2008
00:40and has been home to thousands of animals since.
00:43But with hundreds of lambs, piglets and goat kids
00:47being born on the farm each and every spring,
00:50it's in danger of bursting at the seams.
00:54So Rob and Dave have decided they need more space.
00:58Since we saw them in winter, the boys have had the builders in.
01:01And as the seasons have changed, so has the landscape of the farm,
01:05with work well underway on a brand new roundhouse.
01:09The plan was to have it up and running by the beginning of the lambing season.
01:13But the soggy start to the year has pushed the build back.
01:17Because of the weather, because of difficulties in the build, we're behind.
01:22And if we don't catch up soon, we won't have it finished for lambing time,
01:26and that is causing me high levels of anxiety and stress.
01:31It's a real race against time now, because we've got sheep that need to come in soon.
01:36We've got a building site here that is incomplete.
01:39I'm going up today to have a look to see the levels of progress
01:43and to see when we think we can get the sheep in.
01:46But by the look of this track, by the look of this weather, it's looking a challenge.
01:51Oh, my gosh.
02:01Right, this is what worries me most.
02:03If this road is shut down, then the site's shut down.
02:08I'm not unhappy with how the lads are getting on. They're doing a great job.
02:11There's steel work going up left, right and centre.
02:14The concrete panels will be going in later today, so they're doing well.
02:17I just hope that Mother Nature gives us a break, stops raining,
02:23and this road can dry up if this archery blocks were stuffed.
02:31I mean, how much rain have we had?
02:33I mean, this were empty yesterday. We've had a yard of water overnight.
02:36It just don't give us a chance.
02:38Project manager Joe Stokoe has been dealing with the foul weather for weeks.
02:43We've had around two months of rain now,
02:45so I think it was 40 days in a row at one point.
02:48And so, yeah, a little bit behind schedule.
02:51Never one to stand on the sidelines, Rob's here to do his bit.
02:56By digging this drain now, we're actually draining the site,
02:59and this is what we need to do.
03:03Yeah, yeah, that's it, you're in.
03:06With every pipe, it takes water away from the site.
03:10Just when you think you're making progress, it starts to rain again.
03:14The clock is ticking.
03:16The first of the 500 newborn lambs Rob and Dave are expecting this spring have already arrived.
03:23The plan to move hundreds of ewes and their newborns into the new roundhouse has to go ahead.
03:29Rob can't afford any more hold-ups due to the weather.
03:33The pressure is on.
03:35There's just loads to do.
03:37You know, I think maybe I've underestimated the job in hand.
03:42Perhaps I've set an impossible task.
03:44But those sheep need to come up here.
03:47They need dry conditions.
03:49We need to lamb indoors.
03:50But I'm not certain they're going to get there.
03:56And we'll find out later if the builders manage to finish the new structure in time,
04:00ready for the hundreds of new arrivals expected here on the farm over the next few weeks.
04:05But we're heading now to the existing roundhouse,
04:08where new lambs are coming thick and fast.
04:11But, as Helen discovered, not every birth goes according to plan.
04:15Just a warning that the next story does contain scenes that some of you may find upsetting.
04:25Rob and Dave are busy on lambing duty, and there's a crisis unfolding.
04:32We've got a pedigree Dutch spotted sheep.
04:34She's lambing.
04:35She's scammed for a single, so it's going to be quite a big lamb.
04:38That lamb might be getting stressed, so it's time to get it out.
04:42There isn't time for a caesarean.
04:44The lamb's life is in imminent danger.
04:46The boys have seen mum pushing for an hour,
04:48and so have decided to take matters into their own hands.
04:52There's going to be some time spent here to get this to a position where a lamb can come out.
04:56It feels big, it feels massive, and it feels upside down,
04:59so it couldn't be a lot more wrong.
05:01If we just try and pull it out now without it being sufficiently stretched,
05:05it would just be trauma for the lamb and trauma for mum,
05:08and it wouldn't end well.
05:12This is going to be a real test for Rob, Dave and Philip.
05:17I've just stepped out of the way because you know when it's really serious.
05:20Oh, my days.
05:21Mm, it's not good.
05:23It's not straightforward, anyway, though, at all.
05:26What he's doing now is fitting a rope around the lamb's head.
05:29Right.
05:30Because it's a big lamb.
05:32Then he'll get the ropes on the legs,
05:34and then we can draw everything out together nice and steady.
05:41Just giving her some pain relief.
05:42It's going to start acting as soon as it can.
05:44I'm just hoping for a good outcome.
05:46Oh, I can see feet.
05:47This is the bit where your heart's in your mouth.
05:49So this might not be a great outcome,
05:53but the guys are doing everything they can.
05:59The boys have been at it nearly half an hour,
06:01and hope is fading fast.
06:06Anna?
06:07Let me just put my hand back in.
06:09Let me put my hand back in.
06:11Quick as you can, just on these ropes.
06:13You can tell that Rob, Dave, Philip and Hannah,
06:17not to mention that you,
06:19are really aware
06:23of how bad this could end.
06:27That's got it.
06:36The lamb is out,
06:39but there's no sign of life.
06:53Not a lot you can say, is there?
06:56It's a bitter blow.
06:57The lamb is stillborn.
07:01So the boy's focus turns towards mum.
07:04They act to see if she will adopt a different lamb.
07:07This is a tried and tested farming practice
07:11that pairs orphan or triplet lambs with bereaved ewes.
07:16All you can do when that happens is try and foster one on.
07:20You know, try and give mum something to go away with.
07:23So that's what's happening right now.
07:25You're trying to put afterbirth on it.
07:26What we've got to do now
07:27is make mum think that that is a newborn lamb.
07:30We've lost a good lamb,
07:31but it's got another lamb
07:33that hopefully it'll mother up with
07:34and form a bond with
07:36and be some consolation to.
07:38If she doesn't have a lamb,
07:39she'll be calling out tonight looking for one.
07:41So the only thing you can do in a bad job like that
07:43is to give her a lamb,
07:45look after her as best you can,
07:46and she's got a 95% chance of making a full recovery
07:50and having a lamb next year.
07:51So that's all you can do in this situation.
07:54Oh, I'm sorry.
07:55It's just not...
07:56We wanted it to be better,
07:58but it not always.
08:08Well, a sad outcome,
08:10but as the boys know only too well,
08:12that is the reality of farming.
08:14And thanks to the swift action of the team,
08:16it's good to know that mum has come through the ordeal unscathed.
08:20Now then, still to come.
08:22I road test a vital piece of farmyard equipment.
08:26What do you think?
08:27Oh.
08:29You're like a couple of bull elephants.
08:31JB's got his hands full,
08:32helping move a flock of sheep.
08:34These three lads are a bit scared of jumping over that plank.
08:39Look, he's back with his mum now.
08:41All right.
08:41There, that's what success looks like.
08:43Yeah.
08:44And we visit the farm celebrating spring in a special way.
08:48I'm glad you guys are all here
08:49because it's just been me and the cows.
08:51What we're going to do next is to let the cows out.
08:55All right.
08:56Tell me welcome, Harry.
08:57OK.
09:00OK.
09:17Mmm.
09:17Welcome back to springtime on the farm.
09:20Now, we have already seen some heavy-duty construction work
09:23as Rob and Dave's contractors battle the elements
09:26to get the new roundhouse ready
09:27ahead of the arrival of baby lambs and goat kids.
09:31And when Jules heard that there was jobs to be done,
09:34he offered to bring his toolbox.
09:35Rob and Dave agreed.
09:36But if he thought they were going to let him loose
09:39on their prized new roundhouse,
09:41he was sadly mistaken.
09:43Foolish, I know!
09:45With over 1,000 animals on the farm,
09:48there's always something somebody needs doing somewhere.
09:52So, I'm heading to the Shorthorn Cow Shed
09:54to help Rob and Dave with their latest upgrade,
09:57a cow brush.
10:00We've got these.
10:01Oh!
10:01Sensible size, I like them.
10:03Hey!
10:03Should we get them fitted?
10:04Hang on a minute.
10:05Oh, yeah!
10:06Hey, you, beauty!
10:07Oh!
10:08What do you think?
10:10It's the perfect shape for a cow.
10:12It hangs down.
10:13Yeah.
10:13Like that.
10:14And the cows can put their heads on it.
10:16So, that little shape actually is quite good, isn't it?
10:19A cow brush is a piece of equipment
10:21that gives the cows a way of scratching,
10:24grooming and massaging themselves.
10:26Basically, a DIY spa for whenever the mood takes them.
10:31I mean, it'd be nice to see if they use it.
10:34I mean, what are the chances?
10:35We're going to find out, Jules, aren't we?
10:37We're going to find out, Jules.
10:37As well as making the cattle feel good,
10:39scratch brushes help them get rid of lice, mites and other parasites,
10:44which become more common as the temperatures rise in spring.
10:49This is a proper farm workout.
10:52The brush is being attached to a girder in Sultan the bull's pen.
10:57Let's hope he doesn't hog, sorry, bully his way to exclusive use.
11:04So, we need to choose the correct height for that bull to get a good scratch.
11:09Exactly.
11:10I think you're too high at that.
11:12I think it's too high.
11:13Do you?
11:13Yeah.
11:14Come down a bit.
11:15Let's put it there.
11:16You know what?
11:16There might be some instructions that'll tell us exactly what.
11:19Hold that there, Jules.
11:21Hang on a minute.
11:22Okay.
11:22Get up with it.
11:23There.
11:23There.
11:24One will split difference.
11:25Mark it there.
11:27Right.
11:27Can I lift it down now?
11:29There you go.
11:32Are we happy?
11:33There you go.
11:34Righto.
11:35The ladder.
11:35I've got the ladder.
11:41I thought Jules was a bit of an expert.
11:43Yeah.
11:44Don't think he's any better than us.
11:45I think he just needs a bit of brute force.
11:47We're going to be losing light soon, Jules.
11:49That is tough.
11:51I'll nip round the top, I'll drill it from the other side, and I'll give it a bit of force.
11:55Bit of welling.
11:55Yeah.
12:03There.
12:04Piece of cake.
12:05What's all that with the hips?
12:06I had to give you some pressure, didn't I?
12:08I'll tell you what, mate.
12:10That's a technique I've never seen before.
12:12Well.
12:13It worked.
12:13He's like Elvis Presley.
12:15He got banned for something like that in the 1950s.
12:17I honestly thought that with Jules as hell, this will be up in moments.
12:21I thought we'll be back to lambing and enjoying our afternoon.
12:24Well, it's an absolute shambles.
12:26Jules, I found instructions.
12:28Ah, better late than never.
12:31Right then.
12:32Ah, here we are.
12:33Do not allow Rob, Dave and Jules to put this up.
12:38With the bracket finally firmly in place.
12:41Oh, there is some weight in it.
12:43Right, do not hesitate here.
12:47We've reached a pivotal moment.
12:50I've always liked working place to be with you, lads.
12:52Oh, that's nice.
12:53How lovely.
12:55Yeah, hurry up, Dave.
12:57I'm done.
12:59Can I have it go?
12:59Yeah, there you go.
13:00I have to say, for all the effort, though, that is looking good, isn't it?
13:04I think they'll enjoy it a lot.
13:05Well, if they don't, I know one farmer and one temporary farmhand who will.
13:11I'm keen to...
13:12Oh, yeah.
13:14Come on.
13:15You're like a couple of bull elephants, but never mind us.
13:19Let's see what salt makes of it.
13:20Come on, big man.
13:21Come on.
13:22He's such a handsome boy, isn't he?
13:24Right, he's seeing it, look.
13:25He's not interested in the slightest.
13:28But after all that graft, Dave's not giving up that easily.
13:32I'm going to get him a bit more air.
13:36Ah, look, contact.
13:37There we are.
13:38That's exactly the right eye.
13:39Look at that.
13:40He's using the full length of the bush.
13:41And getting into the curve of the brush.
13:43Yeah.
13:43He's scratching behind his ears, isn't he?
13:45He's going to be getting a quiff like Dave a bit time.
13:48Everybody needs a good brush in the morning.
13:52Well, I think Sultan has given it his seal of approval.
13:55Not just any old Sultan.
13:56Sultan of Barnsley.
13:57Doesn't get much better than that, does it?
13:59Come on.
14:06The cow brush is in place, and there's good news elsewhere on the farm, too.
14:10A break in the weather means real progress is being made in the roundhouse, where the concrete
14:15floor has finally been poured.
14:18We're just creating a tank finish, so it makes it rough finish, so animals don't slide on it.
14:24Big push now to get it finished.
14:32But just as things seem to be getting back on track, another problem.
14:38And this time, it's the gates.
14:41The bar's not going in.
14:42It's playing up a bit.
14:44Until the gate can be opened and securely closed, the animals will have to wait.
14:50It's yet another setback that Rob and Dave can do without.
14:55Earlier on, we saw this ewe having a very traumatic birth.
14:58She is one of Rob and Dave's prize news.
15:00They were concerned about her.
15:02She did make it through the birth.
15:04Sadly, the lamb did not.
15:06Since then, she has successfully adopted this little lamb, and there is every chance that
15:10she will go on to have many more successful pregnancies.
15:14Now, whether it's brushes to scratch their backs, or a roof over their head to keep them
15:17dry from the rain, we know just how much Rob and Dave do to protect and care for their
15:21animals.
15:22And it's exactly the same at a special farm near Watford, where there's a herd of cows
15:26who get the VIP treatment every day.
15:32Spring is a big moment at New Gokul Farm.
15:35This working sanctuary is rooted in Hinduism, and one of the most important events of the
15:41year is fast approaching, and it's all about the cattle.
15:47We've got ten milking cows at the moment.
15:50They come in every day, and they get milked at 7am and 7pm.
15:56Achuta Misumi is the chief herdsman.
15:59In kind of Hindu Vedic traditions, cows are revered like mothers.
16:03So mother cow will provide you with milk from the time our own biological mother stops
16:08giving us milk.
16:09So they're kind of respected and revered like mothers in society.
16:12The milk is sold to the public as ahimsa milk.
16:16That's milk produced without harming the animals.
16:19As ever, the care and welfare of the cows is paramount.
16:26The farm sits in the grounds of a Hare Krishna temple, originally gifted by George Harrison of
16:32the beetles. It provides protection for cattle, a practice known as gushala in India.
16:40One of the names of Krishna is Gopal. Gopal means protector of cows, and he's always depicted in all the
16:47paintings with cows.
16:50Alongside the traditional breeds are some cattle that hail from foreign climes.
16:55We have six miniature zebu cows. We actually got them from a farm in Yorkshire.
17:01You get zebu cows in kind of warmer climates. They're a lot more tolerant to heat.
17:06And they've got their hump works like a camel's hump, so they've got fat and water stored in there, mixed.
17:13We love that they're from Yorkshire. We're not giving them back.
17:21Where possible, the team avoids modern tractors, preferring more traditional means, like oxen, to work the land.
17:29It's lower impact and less polluting, and is more in keeping with the farm's pre-industrial principles.
17:35So what we're doing now is dung spreading. We don't use any fertilisers here, so the dung is used as
17:42fertiliser on the fields.
17:42We've got Ram on the right, and Baladev on the left. They've grown up together.
17:48They were kind of born around the same time, and they're a really good pair for working.
17:54Springtime is celebrated on this Hare Krishna farm in a very special way.
17:59It's when the festival of Go Machana at Sava happens.
18:03Literally, the festival of letting the cows out.
18:06But there's still lots to be done before the cows are let loose.
18:12We need to replace this post, because they are rotten on the bottom.
18:17We have retired cows this side. We have ox. We have our breeding bull.
18:22So we don't want to mix them. Because of that, we have to make sure all the fencing is done
18:27properly.
18:34We are preparing for the letting the cows out festival.
18:37There are lots of members of the public, locals, members of the temple.
18:42They all come here and watch the cows being let out after they've been inside for the whole winter.
18:48So it's like a little festival we do every year.
18:51Eagerly awaiting their imminent release, the cows are currently indoors, being looked after by a dedicated bunch of volunteers.
18:59And it's clearly a give and take relationship.
19:03They give you so much warmth, and that feeling can only be sensed when you are with the cows, working
19:10with the cows, caring with the cows.
19:15One of my main reasons that I volunteer here is it gives me such a sense of peace being here
19:19at the Cow Sanctuary.
19:21Being amongst the cows makes me realise how important they are, not only to myself, but to humanity.
19:27It doesn't matter what's been happening in your week, what's been you doing in your day-to-day life,
19:30you come here and you feel very grounded, very peaceful, and you're serving something a bit beyond yourself, which is
19:37really cool.
19:41It may be a haven of calm inside, but back out in the field, Achuta is a little worried about
19:47his impending deadline.
19:50We've got such a short amount of time, so every day we're going to be out here doing lots of
19:54fencing.
19:54Going to do some overtime, some evenings maybe.
19:58Well, hopefully we'll get it done before the festival.
20:00Should be all gone. Should be all good.
20:04Coming up, there's a worrying moment in the roundhouse when a newborn foal fails to bond with its mum.
20:10It's always a worrying time, because it's one thing getting unborn, it's another thing getting unbonded and fed.
20:16But Dave has a trick up his sleeve.
20:18Just going to put some salt on the foal, so when she licks it, she's going to like the taste.
20:23Just encourages them to mother up a bit.
20:26Yorkshire Rose, the one-year-old shire horse, prepares for the biggest day of her life.
20:31We're going to be very on edge, we're going to be very nervous.
20:34We're going to possibly be very frightened as well at some point, but at least it's not rain.
20:38And it's the day of the Big Spring Festival at New Gokul Farm, where even the oxen get to look
20:44their best.
20:45We paint them, it's kind of like doing their make-up, and it adds some colour to the festival.
21:02Welcome back to Springtime on the Farm.
21:05It is, of course, the season of new life, with newborns like this one popping up right across the farm.
21:11Now, any farmer will tell you that the ideal birth is an unassisted one, but the moment soon after can
21:17be the most vulnerable for mum and baby.
21:20And as we're about to see, there are times when farmers have no choice but to step in.
21:28With more than 1,500 animals on the farm, Rob and Dave need eyes everywhere.
21:34Thanks to a network of CCTV cameras, the boys can keep a check on all their lovely livestock 24-7.
21:43And using this tech, just a week ago, they saw this.
21:48Brooke the shire horse giving birth to her very first foe.
22:00Now, what's happening at the moment, Brooke's laying down, the foal's fine, it's got its head up, but they're transferring
22:08blood through the navel.
22:09And then, you know, she'll get up, she'll break the cord, we'll dip the foal's navel, and then it's all
22:15about getting it to drink.
22:18What have we got?
22:19Well, this one looks like a grey.
22:21Oh, well done, sweetheart.
22:23But we've got to remember, this is her first foal.
22:25Yeah, she might not be sure what's going off or what to do.
22:28Like, she's, ooh, what's that?
22:31But Dave and Ruth could already be facing a problem.
22:35Usually, mares nuzzle and lick their foals within minutes of giving birth to help clean them and develop their bond.
22:44But Brooke's not showing any interest in her baby.
22:48Oh, the foal's moving away.
22:50What?
22:50With Brooke on her feet, Ruth takes the chance to tie up her placenta, which hopefully will pass naturally later.
22:58Good girl.
22:58Before helping Dave disinfect the foal's navel.
23:02I need it.
23:03Right, so I can...
23:07That's it.
23:08I got it?
23:09Yeah.
23:10Good girl.
23:11What is it, a boy or a girl?
23:14A boy.
23:16A little cold.
23:17All right.
23:18But there can't be too many celebrations just yet, because Brooke still hasn't acknowledged her little boy.
23:27It's always a worrying time, because it's one thing getting unborn, it's another thing getting unborned and fed.
23:33We feed her next to the foal, and I think her then step away.
23:36Exactly.
23:36Let's give her half an hour to recognise her, hopefully to love it, and then we'll sort of out going
23:40and it fed.
23:42But after an initial glance, Brooke's drifted off again,
23:46and the team has to make the difficult decision to intervene.
23:52If you put it right where she's interested, she can't move away then.
23:56Finally, a flicker of recognition from Brooke.
24:00That's perfect.
24:01And Dave hopes an old farming trick could help seal the deal.
24:06Just going to put some salt on the foal, so when she licks it, she's going to like the taste.
24:12Just encourages them to mother up a bit.
24:14But 45 minutes after the colt was born, he's still on his own.
24:19Which can sadly happen when first-time mums are confused by the birthing process.
24:26I'm going to break the seal on the teats, get some colostrum out of the mare, and hopefully, I'm going
24:32to bottle feed the foal.
24:34It's vital it gets the colostrum pretty quick.
24:39Really encouraging that she's giving milk so freely, and that she's so really good to deal with.
24:45This is liquid gold, this.
24:48This will fight infection.
24:50It'll make the foal nice and healthy.
24:55It's not a bad colour.
24:58Hopefully, it'll do the job.
25:00Without that colostrum, that foal will probably die.
25:03So, literally, it's life is in your hands, so let's just hope it sucks.
25:07And feeding the foal is a big risk.
25:10He desperately needs the first milk, but intervening too much could make Brooke reject him even more.
25:20It's drinking well.
25:22Her mum's really mothering it now.
25:24I mean, that is like flick to switch in her mind, doesn't it?
25:27I wonder if it's the smell of the milk or the noise of the sucking.
25:29But all of a sudden, she loves it.
25:33She's licking it like an ice-lobby on all day.
25:37Yeah, and now she's passed the placenta.
25:39Look at that.
25:40That's three stars of all the line in two minutes.
25:44She's mothering the foal.
25:46The foal's drinking.
25:47And the placenta's been passed.
25:49I mean, that's just brilliant.
25:51It's a heck of a good thing, you know.
25:52Could be our selling of the future.
25:54He's champion.
25:57It's been a stressful few hours for everyone involved.
26:01It's done amazingly well.
26:04You need to give a little bit of time and then probably check in probably an hour.
26:08Right, pot of tea.
26:10I'm going to have a beer.
26:11I'm going to have a wash.
26:14Well, I'm going to have a wash and a pot of tea.
26:22What a moment.
26:23It was such a relief to see Brooke bonding with her foal.
26:26And it is so heartwarming to see the lengths that people will go to for the animals that they love.
26:32It's time now to return to New Gokul Farm near Watford,
26:35where the community there not only care for their animals, but consider them sacred.
26:43There's a real buzz on the farm today,
26:45as last-minute preparations are underway for the big springtime festival.
26:53Organiser Ochoota Misumi is in the thick of it.
26:57Feeling a bit nervous today.
26:59Hopefully it doesn't rain.
27:01The forecast doesn't seem too bad, but you never know with British weather.
27:07Go Machana Utsava, literally the festival of letting the cows out,
27:12is a spring celebration that sees the farm's cows released
27:16onto lush green pasture after a winter indoors.
27:21It's a big moment.
27:23As the days lengthen, the flowers burst forth,
27:27and winter fields burst with fresh spring grass,
27:31farms up and down the country will be turning their cows out to greet the spring too,
27:36but none quite like here.
27:39This festival is really important because we want everyone to meet our cows,
27:44to connect with nature,
27:46and it's just an excuse to do a little festival and event
27:49and get together and eat some food.
27:53These oxen will be leading the opening procession,
27:56so it's important they make a big impression.
27:59We paint them because it's a nice event, it's a nice festival.
28:03We want to make sure they look good.
28:06It's kind of like doing their make-up,
28:07and it just adds some colour to the festival, so they look good.
28:12The cows are painted with non-toxic paints that easily wash off,
28:16but add just the right amount of colour to the occasion.
28:20If we can have everyone back, a little bit back, just behind the line.
28:24Okay, perfect.
28:25The oxen are now in place to receive the deities,
28:28the figures of Krishna and Radha, who will bless the festival.
28:32This is a temple, and the altar is just inside,
28:36so the priests are going to bring the deities out.
28:39The priests are going to take the deities up onto the cart,
28:42and then once they're seated and ready to go,
28:45they give us the thumbs up, and then we start driving the deities.
29:05Yeah, all going well.
29:08No calves have been scratched yet.
29:11Once at the farm, coconuts are lit and smashed
29:14to signal the start of the event.
29:17It's a bit like a natural firework,
29:20because it makes a big banging noise
29:21when you smash it on the floor.
29:27So the deities are now walking
29:29to where the cows are going to be let out in the field.
29:36After a welcome dance
29:37and the blessing of the festival food, the scene is set.
29:41It's lovely to have you all here.
29:43I'm glad you guys are all here,
29:45because it would just be me and the cows,
29:47and it wouldn't be fun, so thank you for coming.
29:49What we're going to do next is to let the cows out.
29:53All right.
29:57So I'm hearing in the walkie-talkie that the first ones are coming.
30:00So first, we're going to let out the bulls.
30:03OK, Shiva is out.
30:05So Shiva is two years and two months old.
30:09He's got two girlfriends.
30:11Can we welcome Harry?
30:13OK.
30:14We have the dry cows.
30:16The grandmothers, they're not as elderly,
30:18but they're around age of 15, 13 years old.
30:23Pretty safe to say, these cows are glad to be out.
30:27There's nothing like fresh spring grass
30:29to put a spring in your hoof.
30:35The last of the cows are out,
30:37and with that, the festival is done for another year.
30:41Everything went well.
30:42No-one got hurt.
30:43The cows, they didn't jump over any fences.
30:45It's gone really well,
30:46and I think everyone seemed to enjoy it.
30:47Overall, I'm pleased with the programme.
30:49I think it's gone really well.
30:53Coming up, it's showtime for Yorkshire Rose,
30:56and Ruth is feeling the pressure.
30:58We haven't done my legs or anything yet,
31:00which is nowhere near already.
31:01Go on, you'll get going.
31:02I'll catch you up.
31:03Philip's feeling the nerves,
31:04because obviously it's being rushed.
31:06That plant is in.
31:07It's not how I want it to be.
31:09I'll be very honest with you.
31:10And JB earns his shepherding stripes.
31:14The lambs so far have stayed with their mums,
31:17and they're getting a little nibble of the green grass
31:19on the other side of the fence.
31:21Let's go.
31:36Welcome back to Yorkshire,
31:37where the spring farming season is in full swing,
31:40and as ever, we are at the heart of the action.
31:43Last time, we saw farmers Ruth and Philip
31:45preparing the one-year-old shire, Yorkshire Rose,
31:47for her first indoor show.
31:50Well, the practice is over.
31:52The day of reckoning has arrived.
31:54Let's see how they got on.
31:57The National Spring Show in Cheshire
32:00is the biggest shire horse show of them all,
32:03with pedigree horses from all over the UK in competition.
32:08Go back.
32:09Go back.
32:09Today's more about an experience for her.
32:12If we come home with a rosette, absolutely spot on.
32:16It's an indoor arena,
32:17something that Yorkshire Rose has never been in before,
32:20so that's going to be a challenge in itself.
32:22We're going to be very on edge.
32:23We're going to be very nervous.
32:25We're going to possibly be very frightened as well at some points.
32:28So everything about today is going to be a massive challenge for her,
32:31but at least it's not raining.
32:45I'm doing all this prep work,
32:47and Philip's going to take her in the ring,
32:49so if we do get all the rosettes,
32:51then Philip's going to get all the glory.
32:55This is a first for me in the show ring with the shire horse.
32:58I've helped prep them and run them
33:00and do all the work behind the scenes.
33:01In the ring's a different story,
33:03so this is all new for me.
33:05Stomach's doing nuts.
33:11Showtime is drawing nearer,
33:13and Ruth is feeling the pressure.
33:16You think you've got loads and loads of time,
33:18and then you look at your watch,
33:19and you're like, oh, my God, I'm not ready yet.
33:21I've still not got a mane in.
33:22Her tail's not finished.
33:24I need to finish grooming her.
33:25There's lots and lots and lots to do.
33:30Oh, my God, I'm not ready.
33:36Oh, my God, I'm not ready.
33:37Oh, my God, I'm not ready.
33:38Oh, my God, I'm not ready.
33:39We haven't done her legs or anything yet,
33:40which is nowhere near already.
33:42Go on, you'll get going, I'll catch you up.
33:44Go on.
33:45It's time to go.
33:47Yorkshire Rose is being called to the ring
33:48for her first ever indoor showing.
33:52We are extremely late.
33:54Really up against it now.
33:56Time's up.
33:59Ruth and Philip have done what they can
34:01in the time they had.
34:12Philip's feeling the nerves
34:13because, obviously, it's being rushed.
34:14That part, it's in.
34:17Alexander's clean is what I want it to be.
34:19She's in.
34:20That's all that matters.
34:21It's not how I want it to be.
34:23I'll be very honest with you.
34:25We have done our best
34:26with the situation we're in.
34:28Now it's just time to the judge.
34:34The judge is looking for confirmation.
34:36He's looking for how she walks,
34:38how she stands.
34:40The behaviour from her is absolutely spot on.
34:47These are tense moments for Philip and Rose.
34:50It's their turn next.
34:55Get her up, get her up, get up.
34:58Hold on, Philip, hold on.
35:00And we'll walk her back, Philip, walk her back.
35:09Yorkshire Rose has just done her run out
35:11and I must say she's done absolutely spot on.
35:14Can't ask for anything better.
35:16It doesn't matter where she comes in my eyes now.
35:18The judges are about to decide.
35:22We'll just watch and wait and see.
35:29So that's it.
35:31Decision made.
35:32So we're not last, I don't think.
35:40It's ninth place for one-year-old Yorkshire Rose.
35:44Come on, sweetie pie.
35:46But Ruth and Philip are looking to the positive.
35:50For the behaviour, she should have got top points.
35:52It's just unfortunate we've run out of time, didn't we?
35:55And it's just...
35:55She's got to finish.
35:56Maybe that's gone against her.
35:57I don't know.
35:58She's not disgraced herself.
36:00She's shown what she can behave like.
36:02We've not come away with a red rosette,
36:04but I think she's won.
36:06Yorkshire Rose is still only a young horse.
36:09She's got plenty of shows ahead of her
36:11and plenty of time to make the grade.
36:15Well done, Yorkshire Rose.
36:17Everybody has to start somewhere.
36:19Now, earlier we saw the builders battling the elements,
36:22trying to get Rob and Dave's new roundhouse ready
36:24for some of the 500 or so new arrivals expected this spring.
36:28But it seems the lambs didn't really care
36:30about the builders' schedule.
36:32With over half of them already here,
36:34it was time for Rob and Dave to start moving their flock
36:37with a little help from JB.
36:45After weeks of bad weather and setbacks,
36:48the new roundhouse is ready for its first guests.
36:52And with new lambs arriving every day,
36:54it's not a moment too soon.
36:57So Rob and Dave are eager to take the first flock of sheep
37:00to their new quarters.
37:02Right, come on, guys, you're moving out.
37:07And there's a familiar face to lend the lads a hand.
37:13How you doing, boys?
37:14Now then, how you doing?
37:17You're an honorary Yorkshireman, JB.
37:19I know.
37:20Are you feeling fit?
37:21Yeah.
37:22Right, these are going to a new home,
37:24crossing the woods, but we've got to get them there.
37:26So we're going to move them onto the trailer
37:28and then move them over?
37:29No, we're going to walk them across the field.
37:31It's going to be a lot easier.
37:32The traditional way.
37:34Right, Rob's getting the gates.
37:37This is the first batch of sheep
37:39to make the move to the new roundhouse.
37:41Around three dozen of them
37:43will be making the half-mile journey,
37:45but that's plenty enough for JB.
37:48It's the first time that I've taken a sheep
37:50out with their lambs,
37:51so this is going to be interesting.
37:59Right, JB, you grab this lamp
38:01and I'll grab two
38:02and we'll just walk up to Mum.
38:05These little ones aren't daft.
38:07Why walk when you can be carried?
38:10These three lads
38:12are a bit scared of jumping over that plank
38:16and so they've lost their mums,
38:18but it's all right.
38:20That's what we're here for.
38:21Right, we just need them
38:23to reconnect with the flock, JB.
38:25Yeah.
38:25And then hopefully
38:26they'll walk across
38:28in a more orderly fashion.
38:29Look, he's back with his mum now.
38:30All right.
38:31There, that's what success looks like.
38:33Yeah.
38:44Why are we doing this on foot
38:46with the three of us
38:47rather than using a sheep dog?
38:48The sheep dog
38:49would not be well-received
38:51by you with young lambs.
38:52Oh, OK.
38:53They'd want to fight her.
38:54Yeah, yeah.
38:54And she's also approaching retirement.
38:56It's Pip, so...
38:57OK.
38:57It wouldn't be fair to her.
39:02This is why we're not turning him out.
39:04He's absolutely waterlogged.
39:06It's sodden.
39:09Now for a test.
39:12The flock's journey
39:13to the new roundhouse
39:14is blocked by a main road.
39:16We're going out of one field
39:17into another field
39:18and I'm very mindful
39:20of these sheep.
39:21I mean, the sheep
39:22have probably made this journey
39:23quite a few times,
39:24but the lambs
39:25is going to be the first time
39:26they're doing that
39:27and really, Rob and Dave
39:28want them to go together.
39:30JB, we're crossing the road now
39:32so we'd really need him
39:33to keep following.
39:34Don't let any lambs
39:35get stranded behind.
39:38Let's go.
39:40Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey!
39:43Hey!
39:45Hey!
39:46The lambs so far,
39:47apart from right at the beginning,
39:49have stayed with their mums
39:51and they're getting a little nibble
39:52of the green grass
39:53on the other side of the fence
39:55as they're going for their troubles.
39:56Although it's a lot
39:58on the lums and the legs,
39:59they're doing a good job.
40:01So I can see the new roundhouse
40:03in the background there.
40:04Yeah.
40:04It's usable now.
40:05It's not perfect,
40:06but it's usable.
40:12Against the odds
40:14and despite the weather,
40:16it's been a long haul.
40:19But the new roundhouse
40:21is a triumph.
40:24Almost there.
40:26That's it.
40:27Come on.
40:29We did it.
40:32All this extra space
40:34will make this springtime
40:35on the farm
40:36bigger
40:36and better
40:38than ever.
40:40Well,
40:41that's a job well done then.
40:42Well done.
40:42It was a first for me,
40:43it was a first for the lambs.
40:45I feel like we did a good job.
40:46I think you need some sheep of your own.
40:47Yeah.
40:48You definitely do.
40:50Do you know what?
40:51For my first time
40:52moving new lambs,
40:55I've never been outside.
40:56I feel like I did
40:57a pretty good job.
40:58These lambs
40:59have done fantastically well
41:00and I had two great mentors as well.
41:07Next time
41:08on Springtime on the Farm.
41:10Come on, guys.
41:12This is the moment of truth.
41:14Hello.
41:15She's absolutely majestic,
41:16isn't she?
41:17Oh, I am so excited.
41:19When I heard
41:19I was making ice cream,
41:20I was like,
41:21sign me up.
41:22How do I look?
41:23Beautiful.
41:23You heard it here first.
41:24Steady on, lad.
41:25Flip your neck.
41:25I'm your friend.
41:26Without me,
41:27you'd have none of this.
41:30He's done it again.
41:31He's a good lad.
41:31Coming to Scotland,
41:33it's a long way,
41:34but it's a beautiful place.
41:35It is.
41:36I'm just hoping
41:36it has the heifer
41:37of our dreams as well.
41:40And Springtime on the Farm
41:42continues tomorrow at 7.
41:44Can teaming up with a writer
41:46help a cop crack cases?
41:47Starring Nathan Fillion
41:49catch double bills
41:50of detective drama
41:51Castle weekdays from 3.
41:52While defending our shores,
41:54what's it like for crew
41:55when they encounter
41:56a suspicious vessel?
41:57We go on board
41:58in warship,
41:59life in the Royal Navy.
42:00You next.
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