- 5 days ago
Springtime on the Farm Season 9 Episode 3
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00:03Spring has finally arrived and with it comes the busiest period in the farming
00:07calendar. Do you realize that that lamb has actually pooed on your jacket? I do now.
00:11It's a good job you are cute my friend. Farmers right across the country are
00:14getting ready to welcome new additions to their flocks and their herds. It's no
00:18different here at Cannonell Farm in South Yorkshire where Rob and Dave
00:22Nicholson alongside their team are in the peak of lambing season. Now the
00:27Roundhouse here may be the busiest place in Barnsley right now but rest assured
00:30we are going to bring you all the action from right across the farm making sure
00:33you don't miss out on a thing. So here is what's coming up. Rob and Dave are on the
00:40trail of a champion bred mover and shaker that could boost their beloved heritage
00:44clan. Coming to Scotland it's a long way but it's a beautiful place. It is. I'm just
00:50hoping it has the heifer of our dreams as well. JB Gill tries not to get in a spin.
00:55Start it off gently. I'm going to say that. I'm going to start it off at five. As he learns
00:59the art of making Italian gelato with fresh Yorkshire milk.
01:03Press that and then there's a button on the top.
01:06Oh it's good. And kind of helping hand from science. It's the first time we've done
01:11artificial insemination. Help Rob and Dave expand their precious herd of gentle giants.
01:17There's every chance but shires are rare for a reason. Today is the moment of truth. It's still pooing. Welcome
01:25to springtime on the farm.
01:48I'm going to say it now the shires are some of my favourite animals. He doesn't mean it. Don't listen
01:54to him.
01:55They're so majestic and noble aren't they. Go on poo in his other pockets.
01:59Well maybe not quite as cute as these. Now this year the boys are planning to welcome some 500 new
02:04lambs to the farm but right across the site there are many other new arrivals coming too as I found
02:10out earlier.
02:14This is Big Red. She's one of Rob and Dave's best cows. A prize-winning shorthorn who stands out a
02:23mile.
02:23Wow. That colour. Amazing isn't it. Big Red is heavily pregnant and due to give birth at any moment but
02:33there's a problem with her udder.
02:35So what's the issue then because it it all looks from this side quite full. I think it's just hard
02:41dead tissue. Yeah.
02:42I think she got an infection when she dried off unbeknown to us and that quarter of her udder no
02:48longer functions.
02:48We've had a feel there's no heat there. Yeah. So I think it's just a waiting game now. We just
02:54have to see what happens when she calves.
02:56We're watching her like a hawk. Throughout the night I'm checking the camera and I'm hoping that there might be
03:01someone staying locally who might give us a hand.
03:03Well, shall we leave her to it? But my guess is we could be back here at midnight.
03:07Yeah.
03:16And sure enough, Big Red went into labour in the small hours, meaning another sleepless night for the boys.
03:24But Rob was alert enough to make sure he caught the moment on his phone.
03:29Right. I've been watching her and not much progress really. So I've rung Philip, I've rung David.
03:35There are membranes and possibly placenta appearing now, which is definitely a red flag.
03:41So we're going to have a look and see what's going on and hopefully get this calf delivered.
03:49The calf is too big to be born naturally and it takes all of Dave and Philip's strength to deliver
03:55her.
04:02She's a big calf. She's big but she's beautiful. It's a very, very productive night and we are now three
04:08happy farmers.
04:17Morning, lads.
04:18Morning, Jules. Or is it afternoon?
04:20Well, it could well be for you two. I've heard the news.
04:22Oh, look!
04:23Wow.
04:24She was a smasher.
04:25I was expecting a phone call. The phone was by my bed, ready to go. What time in the morning
04:29did this all happen?
04:30Well, Rob phoned me. I didn't answer.
04:3220 times.
04:34So he had to knock on me window.
04:36Had you been out?
04:36Yeah, I'd been out.
04:39But hey, what a lovely thing to wake up to this morning though. No wonder you two are smiling.
04:44Well, we weren't smiling last night because it wasn't straightforward.
04:49It looked like the afterbirth was coming out before the calf.
04:52It could have been the placenta. That's a real red flag because that means the calf's not travelling properly.
04:58So that's the point. You get stuck in and get that calf delivered.
05:05Mum and calf are getting along fine.
05:07But there's still the issue of the damaged udder.
05:12So the calf looks like it wants to feed.
05:14Yeah, but the worry is, Jules, that she might be sucking a dummy.
05:18Yeah.
05:19That that teat might not be functioning.
05:20And if it is, there might be no milk there at the moment.
05:23Mum needs to be separated from her newborn and secured before we can get a look at the udder.
05:28So if she starts to push Jules, it's our job to hold her steady.
05:32There's a lot of cow here to keep on.
05:33Yeah. Well, there's probably 800 kilos.
05:38Right, we've got it.
05:40Right, hopefully Jules will be able to draw milk from that front teat on this side.
05:44It's quite a big moment.
05:48Yeah, that's working lovely, that.
05:50Yeah, yeah, yeah.
05:51Yeah, we're not going to waste it because that calf needs it.
05:53That's the other front one.
05:54Yeah, that's working.
05:57Yeah, perfect.
05:58So three out of four, all good?
05:59Three functioning teats, we know we've lost one, which means she's no longer a show cow,
06:03which is a real sadness, but she's given us a great calf that could become our show calf.
06:09Now here's a fellow who's seen plenty of show calves, Rob and Dave's dad, Roger.
06:15He's been the godfather, the don, the number one here at Cannon Hall since taking on the farm
06:20as a 16-year-old, almost 70 years ago.
06:24So he knows a prize winner when he sees one.
06:29What do you think, just a job?
06:30Yeah, just a job.
06:32She's going to have a real length about it, I think.
06:35Yeah.
06:35She's got a good future.
06:37And it's your favourite colour, Dad, as well?
06:38It is my favourite colour.
06:40There you go.
06:40I like the Roman ones best.
06:42It's only just been your birthday, hasn't it?
06:44So that's the best present you could have.
06:45Yeah.
06:46Well, shall we let little Roan and Mum back together and get used to the world?
06:51Yeah.
07:00Congratulations, Big Red, a beautiful springtime addition to the farm.
07:05And well done to Rob and Dave for getting there in the mick of time in the early hours of
07:08the morning.
07:09Proof, if ever we needed it, that farming is a 24-7 profession.
07:13Now, that kind of commitment doesn't stop there.
07:15Over the last few years, Rob and Dave have championed a great British species, one that is sadly still on
07:22the endangered list.
07:22But the boys have been doing everything they can to make sure that they not only survive, but thrive.
07:31Rob and Dave have had Grayshire horses on the farm for many years now.
07:36She's a tall horse, isn't she?
07:38And they're always keen to try new ways to expand the herd.
07:41This is Grace. She's the kind of horse that deserves to leave a legacy.
07:46If we could get a colt foe off Grace by Hercules, our dearly departed stallion, that would be a head
07:53-turner.
07:53That would be something to aim for.
07:57Hercules was Rob and Dave's much-loved rare greyshire stallion, who impregnated May's Ruby and Brooke before he sadly passed
08:05away last year.
08:08But Rob and Dave are hoping that's not the end of the champion in the making story.
08:15They want to try artificial insemination for the first time, with the help of a couple of seasoned vets,
08:21to see if there's even a slim chance of extending Hercules' bloodline yet again.
08:27Marco and Shona are coming down to scan Grace. Hopefully she's in season.
08:31If she is, we've got some of Hercules' frozen semen ready and waiting.
08:36Hopefully it's viable. Hopefully Grace is compliant. Hopefully the whole thing works.
08:41A lot of hopefulies there.
08:43Hello.
08:44How are you doing?
08:44This is Grace.
08:46What do you think?
08:47She looks very well.
08:48Have you got somewhere where we can scan her?
08:50We'll walk up to the top. We've got some stocks.
08:52And she just about fits in, Marco, but only just.
08:55I bet.
08:58Shire horses are known for their huge strength, feathered legs and gentle nature.
09:04She's actually only average size, Shona. It's just David who's really small.
09:09Yeah, yeah, yeah.
09:11But a scan could spook Grace, so Rob and Dave are taking all the precautions they can.
09:17These stocks are designed to keep Marco the vet safe and the horse safe.
09:21They're a necessity in a job like this.
09:24This is a ultrasound scanner.
09:26We will check what stage of the season she is and if she is ready or when she will be
09:33ready eventually for us to inseminate her.
09:38Okay.
09:40Let's see how good she is.
09:42They can actually see the reproductive tract, which is below the rectum, so you can scan the uterus.
09:48She is in a kind of a transitional phase, but nothing that is jumping out at the moment, okay?
09:58So not disappointing?
10:00No, not there yet.
10:00Just not quite ready yet?
10:01Not there yet.
10:02Right.
10:03It's not the news that Rob and Dave were hoping for.
10:06So a few days later, Marco returns to see another of the boy's mares, Silver, on the off chance she
10:13might be ready instead.
10:17Even though Silver's got a foal, a horse will naturally breed every year, so we're hoping that we can get
10:23her pregnant again.
10:24With Hercules semen reserved for Grace, the plan would be to source sperm from another pedigree shire,
10:31giving Rob and Dave their first experience of AI and strengthening the herd's gene pool at the same time.
10:40It's quite promising.
10:41All right.
10:42She's coming along into season quite nicely.
10:45Right, so we're in a position now to get some semen lined up there.
10:48Yeah, absolutely.
10:49You just need to pick your stallion now.
10:51Just show her two pictures.
10:53Yeah.
10:53Let's see what...
10:54White left, swipe right.
10:55She's swiping at me at the moment, so I'm not sure.
10:58I'm not sure that's right.
11:00Give up.
11:00Silver, being on the brink of her season, is an unexpected bonus, so it's time to spring into action,
11:06which means an hour and a half's drive for Dave to a stud farm in Nottinghamshire.
11:12Right, Dave, I'll send you the address.
11:14The lady's called Sarah.
11:15She's really lovely, so you'll be in safe hands.
11:18No problem.
11:18I'll get straight off.
11:20Right.
11:21Coming up, the lads go to a farm in the beautiful Scottish countryside.
11:26Right, come on, let's have a look at it.
11:27On a quest to find their perfect cow.
11:30What a beauty.
11:31Yeah.
11:32You must like a bit of an apple, actually.
11:33Yeah.
11:34JB Gill takes fresh milk from a Yorkshire dairy.
11:36So we're just going to do it to four kg.
11:39Okay.
11:40Just over.
11:41And whips it into fine frozen fare.
11:44Yes.
11:45Crunch, banana, toffee, beautiful.
11:48And a compact Casanova is asked to prove his baby-making credentials.
11:53Right, Magic Man, you need to look your best.
11:55You've got a hot date lined up.
11:57But will he actually pony up the goods?
12:00I think they're ready to see Magic Man, and Magic Man ready to see them.
12:20Welcome back to springtime on the farm, where earlier we saw shire horses Grace and Silver
12:26were scanned to see if they were in season to be artificially inseminated.
12:30Well, sadly, Grace wasn't.
12:32But Silver was.
12:33And that meant that Farmer Dave had to move fast.
12:40With the arrival of spring, Silver the mare's hormones are peaking, which gives a narrow window
12:46for her to conceive again.
12:48So Dave's come to Hockerwood Farm in Nottinghamshire to see if he can collect a sample of fresh semen
12:54from Ben the stallion.
12:58Here he is, Ed.
12:59He's really bad, isn't he?
13:00Yes, he is.
13:01He's lovely.
13:01He's got a lot of hair.
13:02Look at him.
13:03I love his mane.
13:04He's beautiful.
13:04He's got such a pretty face.
13:06Well, we'll leave you to it.
13:07We'll give him a little bit of privacy.
13:09I think he needs it.
13:10He definitely needs it.
13:13With shire horses weighing in at around 1,000 kilos, artificial insemination is said to be
13:18safer than a stud trying to cover a mare naturally.
13:22But it does rely on a stallion being able to perform on cue.
13:26We've literally given him two hours' notice to get him ready for the job, and he's not
13:33quite ready yet.
13:34After all the preparations, it's a tense wait for Dave.
13:39But finally, good news.
13:41You're talking to him, obviously he did the trick.
13:45Is he?
13:45Yes.
13:46Really?
13:46Yeah.
13:47It's taken 20 minutes, but Ben's come up trumps and produced a sample.
13:52Oh, it's alive.
13:54And Dave now has some precious cargo to courier up north.
13:58We're sending you with 60 mil.
14:00If we were posting it, we'd maybe send 40.
14:02We could send a smaller box.
14:03Well, we appreciate the extra.
14:05Let's hope it goes a long way.
14:07Thank you ever so much for being patient with us.
14:09See you later, then.
14:10Bye.
14:11Bye.
14:11Bye.
14:12A few hours later, and Dave is back in Barnsley.
14:17Special delivery.
14:18Where Marco, Rob, and Silva, of course, have been eagerly awaiting his arrival.
14:24Hopefully, this is the final piece of the plan, which will see Silva artificially inseminated.
14:31That's it.
14:33So that went as well as we could have done, Marco?
14:35Pretty smoothly.
14:36Everything was perfect so far.
14:38We scanned it in two weeks to check if we have got a little embryo there.
14:49And we'll find out later if Marco's magic touch means that the boys will soon be adding to
14:54their already impressive number of shires here on the farm.
14:57But it's not just the shire numbers they're looking to grow.
15:00When it comes to cattle, they have around 150 here.
15:03But ensuring they have premium stock is vital to the future of the farm.
15:07So the boys went on a road trip, hoping to increase their number, but only by one.
15:15The spring sunshine is out in Barnsley, and that means it's playtime for Rob and Dave's hundreds
15:22of lambs, goats, and donkeys.
15:25And the sun is also shining in Scotland, where these highland cows, or hairy coos, as they're
15:31sometimes called here, are making the most of it.
15:35These beauties are one of the most ancient cattle breeds in the world.
15:40And this high-quality herd belongs to championship stockman Graham Easton, who lives near Breakin,
15:46on Scotland's east coast.
15:48Cowboy!
15:50And today, Rob and Dave are making the 330-mile journey north to see it in all its glory.
15:57Coming to Scotland, it's a long way, but it's a beautiful place.
16:01It is. I love the scenery.
16:03I'm just hoping it has the heifer of our dreams as well.
16:06Yeah, I mean, we want to breed quality.
16:09So if we have to travel a few miles to get it, I think it's well worthwhile.
16:13Graham and Rebecca, to find out they've got a heifer that they might let go, is a real
16:19coup for us.
16:20It's not the sort of thing you come across every day, and I think we could be on to something
16:24here that'll turn a few heads back in Yorkshire.
16:28Graham, how are we doing?
16:29Hard news.
16:30Really good, thanks.
16:31Good.
16:31Nice to see you.
16:32Yep.
16:33Those cows are an absolute credit to you.
16:36And if I were an island cow, I'd want to live in this field, looked after by you.
16:40Yeah, ideal scenery as well, just ideal job.
16:43So which is she, and where can we find her?
16:45She's not here.
16:46She's hidden at home, in the shed.
16:48Right.
16:49Under lock and key.
16:50Under lock and key.
16:51Right, come on, let's have a look at her.
16:53Rob and Dave already have a small herd of pedigree highland cows, including Fern, who won reserve
17:00champion at the Great Yorkshire Show.
17:03But they're hoping the new heifer will bring them even greater success in the show ring.
17:09Here she is, round the corner here.
17:11Well, I'm excited to see you.
17:12Yeah, I hope you are.
17:14What a beauty.
17:16This two-year-old heifer is one of Graham and his wife Rebecca's favourite youngsters.
17:21What's her lineage?
17:22How long have you had the families?
17:23The mother's one of the older cows in the fold.
17:27I think, is she 16?
17:2816 or 17.
17:2816 or 17.
17:30We have sisters of hers and other relations as well.
17:35They've all been very showy animals.
17:37She's got like a bit of presence, an attitude about her, hasn't she?
17:41That you want in the show ring.
17:43Yeah, you need a bit of spark for a show animal.
17:45She looks like a bit of handful, actually.
17:47The thing that strikes me is that length of body, a great coat of hair, a feet standing
17:53in the right place without trying.
17:55You know, I think that's something you can't always get.
17:57Great horns, and look how she's stood.
18:00Yeah.
18:00You know, she's showing herself off without even trying.
18:03What's her name?
18:04Frank Ag Big.
18:06Her what?
18:08Frank Ag Big.
18:10Can we call her Franny, for sure?
18:12Yeah.
18:13Well, my granny was a Franny.
18:16Mine was too.
18:18I can see how much you love her.
18:20So, we've got a job here, Dave, haven't we?
18:22To keep her looking like that, and to make sure she has some great calves in the future
18:26and a great life with us.
18:27Yeah.
18:28Right, straight, nope.
18:30With Franny's father having already bred a few champions, this purchase could be a game
18:35changer for Rob and Dave, who should be able to use her for breeding pedigree calves,
18:40for 15 to 20 years.
18:42When you're buying an animal, you try and keep your cards close to your chest.
18:46You say, yeah, it looks all right, but it's got a bit of a fault there or there.
18:49But with this one, we absolutely blurted out we love her straight away.
18:52I think the price is the price.
18:54Yeah.
18:55And if you want it, you're going to have to pay it.
18:58That's a girl.
18:59But as she's the most expensive animal they've ever bought...
19:02She's worth that money.
19:03We're happy to pay it.
19:05We're happy to take her home.
19:06Let's hope all goes well when she joins her new clan in South Yorkshire.
19:18What a beautiful heaven and a gorgeous part of the world.
19:21I can see why Rob and Dave were so keen to bring such a premium animal back to the farm.
19:26And I am sure they're hoping that she has lots of calves of her own over the years to come.
19:31Now, for most animals, mating is an instinctive process.
19:34But every now and again, they need a little bit of encouragement.
19:37Just a little warning.
19:38If you have any small children in the room, you might want to cover their eyes for a few minutes.
19:46Even though spring is blossoming nicely here,
19:49it seems that love hasn't for some of the farm's American miniature horses.
19:54Because months after being introduced naturally to some pedigree sperm,
19:59some of the mini mares remain suspiciously bump-free.
20:04We fear as though we might have a problem.
20:08Magic Man, our little spotted stallion,
20:10is supposed to have covered all these mares.
20:13We were expecting falls this year.
20:15Now, two of them have come into season.
20:17They're going to need mating again this afternoon.
20:19So, we could have a real problem.
20:22Okay, are you going to be good?
20:24We're covering all bases by asking Marco to blood test these mares
20:28to let us know if they're pregnant.
20:29If they're not, then we've got real issues with Magic Man.
20:33He could be a dud.
20:34We fetched him in from Germany at great expense.
20:36And he could not be fertile.
20:38With Magic Man failing to cast his spell over all the girls...
20:42Come on, lad.
20:43We're a bit worried about you.
20:45Rob's getting the pint-sized pony ready for a repeat rendezvous
20:49with the two on heat.
20:51We generally serve the mares in hand.
20:54And that means on a halter with a lead rein
20:58so that we can be sure that the mare's kept safe,
21:01that he doesn't bite her.
21:02I'm hoping that we don't put him off.
21:04I'm hoping he can perform.
21:06This is quite a big moment.
21:08Farm animals have different reproductive cycles
21:11depending on their species.
21:12For American miniature horses, the breeding season usually runs
21:16from spring to late summer.
21:19I've got Kiki here.
21:21And I've got Pearl.
21:23They've both just had a bath.
21:24First one this year.
21:26I think they're ready to see Magic Man and Magic Man ready to see them.
21:30With the girls hot to trot...
21:33Right, Magic Man, you need to look your best.
21:35You've got a hot date lined up
21:37with two very lovely little ladies.
21:41The smallest stallion on the farm is about to have
21:44what you might call a 50 shades of hay kind of day.
21:49Right.
21:50Can you bring Kiki?
21:53You're going to like this one, Magic Man.
21:55As soon as his penis is all the way out, we know that he's ready.
21:59We can then let him mount her.
22:00But at the moment, he's nuzzling, he's sniffing.
22:03He's, he's, he's...
22:04Look at that.
22:05That shows his...
22:06Yeah, I think that's the seal of approval.
22:09If he decides to go...
22:10Yeah, we're there.
22:15Magic Man's very much in favour of the relationship being consummated.
22:18So, hopefully, in 11 and a half months' time, we should have a fall.
22:22Good boy.
22:23What we need to do now, he needs to just have half an hour,
22:27have a cup of tea,
22:27and hopefully summon all his strength to go again.
22:32Pearl's been waiting patiently.
22:34Everybody wants to sit in nice, cute, looking foes up there.
22:37And it is important for us and the breed as well.
22:40So Rob can only hope Magic Man has recovered his mojo.
22:53Steady, lad, steady, steady.
22:55He's certainly eager.
22:58But it's important that if he jumps on too soon and he's not ready,
23:02then nothing good will happen.
23:03It'll just annoy Pearl.
23:05I need to make sure he don't kick me as well.
23:06Steady on, lad.
23:07Look at me, I'm your friend.
23:08Without me, you'd have none of this.
23:10There's nothing happening yet, but it's quite a big ask.
23:13You know, normally you'd try and leave it a few hours between matings,
23:15but when you've got two mares in season at the same time,
23:18you're asking him to go the extra mile,
23:20to roll up his sleeves and do it for the herd.
23:31He's done it again. He's a good lad.
23:33It just shows, when spring is in the air,
23:36nature often has no trouble taking its course.
23:42That's gone incredibly well.
23:45He's proved himself to be quite the sire.
23:48Pearl and Kiki are definitely in season.
23:50And all we can do is make sure that they've got every chance
23:53of having a fall next year,
23:55if they're not going to have one this year.
23:58It's been a busy day of hands-on farming.
24:01Right, let Pearl have a chat to her pals.
24:04The old-fashioned way.
24:06They're going to compare notes now.
24:10Here you are, lad.
24:11A fair day's pay for a fair day's work.
24:19Coming up, a mum in labour faces a lamb-napping threat
24:23to her first twin.
24:24We've got another ewe now come in to try and take that lamb from her.
24:29He's got a lot to contend with.
24:31And a South Yorkshire dairy farmer's innovative approach...
24:34So these are our milking robots.
24:37Proof smart tech and happy cows go hand in hoof.
24:42The cow chews us when she comes in.
24:45Yeah.
24:46They're quite clever.
24:47Mmm.
25:03Welcome back to springtime on the farm,
25:05where it is wall-to-wall births here.
25:07So far we've seen lambs, calves, even a gorgeous foal.
25:11But are any of them quite as cute as this little fella?
25:15I doubt it.
25:16Well, from new births to new technology,
25:19we're heading down the road now
25:20to another farm here in South Yorkshire
25:22who are embracing the very latest agricultural innovation
25:25to try and help their farm run as smoothly as possible.
25:28And they are milking every drop of efficiency along the way.
25:35It's the early hours in the Pennine foothills.
25:41And the dawn chorus at Kidfield Farm
25:43is being accompanied by another sound
25:45and this place knows well.
25:49This is the tanker from the local dairy.
25:52So it comes every other day,
25:53puts its pipe on and takes all the raw milk away
25:56for processing to, essentially,
25:58a lot of nice dairy products,
26:00butter and cheese and cottage cheese, mainly.
26:05James Hill and his family have been dairy farming the hills
26:07around Hoyland Swain near Barnsley for four generations.
26:11It's a process they've got down to a fine art.
26:16So when the cows are milked,
26:18all the milk gets pumped into this tank here,
26:20the raw milk,
26:21and then we take it off there for processing.
26:23They then take whatever we don't use away to the dairy there.
26:27As well as supplying a large-scale external dairy,
26:31the family's 100 Holstein and 10 Jersey cows
26:34keep local shops and cafes stocked.
26:38And helping make it all possible
26:40is an utterly game-changing bit of tech.
26:45So these are our milking robots.
26:49The robots are available for the cows to come in 24 hours a day
26:52and the cow chooses when she comes in.
26:54We're not stood like a normal parlour,
26:56stood waiting for them or pushing them through.
26:58They're doing it all themselves.
27:02Each cow wears a collar
27:04which sends a signal to open the gate
27:06so the system can milk her.
27:09After which, her teats are sprayed with iodine
27:11to protect her from infection.
27:16This is the robot just telling us what's going on.
27:19It's cow number 58.
27:20So we actually weigh the cow.
27:21That's very important.
27:23So she's actually coming in at 830 kilograms.
27:25So she's a fairly big cow.
27:27And this is how much milk she's given.
27:29So at the minute, we're getting up there
27:30at 12.6 litres currently.
27:33And then the robot's actually then telling me
27:35the butterfly concession, the protein,
27:38and basically how good the milk is.
27:45And James' cows aren't just adept at mooing.
27:50They've also mastered the art of queuing.
27:53So these cows here are all stood quite happily
27:55waiting for this cow to finish
27:57so then they can go in and be milked.
28:00They're quite clever.
28:02For James and his team,
28:04cow welfare is of the utmost importance.
28:07The whole aim, I suppose,
28:08on a dairy farm is to keep the cow as happy as they can be.
28:11They can feed when they want,
28:13lay down when they want,
28:14go to a meal when they want,
28:15go and drink when they want,
28:16and just be themselves.
28:17And the actual beds there are actually
28:19a 50mm memory foam that the cow's laying on.
28:22So we're trying to keep them as comfy as we possibly can.
28:29I found that fascinating,
28:30especially as I grew up on a dairy farm.
28:32Now, earlier, we saw Rob and Dave
28:34delivering Big Red's calf.
28:36Sadly, Jules missed the actual birth,
28:38but he more than made up for it
28:40during a very special moment in the roundhouse.
28:44Rob and Dave might not have a robot to care for their cows,
28:48but their CCTV keeps watch on the livestock around the clock.
28:54It's transformed animal care too,
28:57flagging early signs of discomfort
28:59so farmers can step in quickly.
29:01And today, it's picked up something
29:04that could be a concern in the lambing shed.
29:07Right, Jules, we've got a ewe there
29:09that's circling round,
29:10and I'm pretty sure that's a water that's hanging down.
29:13The cameras are great, aren't they?
29:14Allowing you to keep a close eye,
29:16because wherever you turn,
29:17something exciting is about to come into the world.
29:19We'd be lost without them,
29:21and it means that can get me beauty sleep
29:23and still look after the animals.
29:25There are around 150 ewe's in the roundhouse at the moment
29:29that are either new mums or pregnant.
29:33And the one we're going to see is carrying twins,
29:36and Rob's noticed that her waters are about to break.
29:41Just having a little spin around there,
29:43that would suggest to me that we're almost at the point.
29:46Yeah, when she drops down and starts pushing,
29:49we know we're at a point where we could see legs
29:51or a head appearing, and then she'll have it herself.
29:55The only thing that sort of concerns me a little bit
29:58is the fluid is slightly dark.
30:00There's a sign it could have passed fetal dung in there,
30:03and that is a sign the lamb could be in distress.
30:07Having twins can carry higher risks
30:09for both the mum and babies
30:11than the birth of a single lamb.
30:14Which one is it?
30:15She's just pouring the ground there.
30:16Oh, yeah.
30:17So Dave's arrived to offer some backup.
30:21She's down again now.
30:22Yeah, now she's properly pushing now.
30:24No, she's really...
30:25She's got her head back, hasn't she?
30:26What you don't want is that just the head come out,
30:29and then she's got problems.
30:32There's nothing appeared, right,
30:34and we've given her plenty of time.
30:35The fluid's dark.
30:36I think we should intervene.
30:38Right.
30:38As much as they can,
30:40Rob and Dave prefer to let nature
30:42take its course.
30:43This is where she wanted to give birth,
30:44so let's let her do it to you.
30:46But this ewe has been struggling
30:47for over half an hour,
30:49so she needs some support.
30:51Do you want to assist Jules?
30:55That's it.
30:56Just take your time.
30:58Really, really gentle.
31:00There we are.
31:01Great.
31:02Good girl, mother.
31:03Do you want to take the lamb round to see your mum?
31:05Yeah, sure.
31:06There we are.
31:08He's straight on.
31:09It's like a switch has clicked in her brain,
31:12isn't it?
31:12And she knows that she needs to clean that lamb.
31:15She needs to get it standing and get it feeding.
31:18We've got another ewe now coming to try
31:20and take that lamb from her,
31:22and that's what can happen.
31:24When the ewe is so immersed in delivering
31:26the second one,
31:28that one wanders off,
31:29another one takes it,
31:30and she's got a lot to contend with.
31:31I think what we'll do is go and deliver
31:33that second lamb,
31:34given the fact we know that she's struggling
31:35to look after the first lamb,
31:37we can simplify things.
31:38And then you can get a pen down.
31:39Exactly.
31:40Get that bonding process going.
31:42Time really is of the essence now
31:45to get the second lamb out.
31:47Right, Jules.
31:47Yep.
31:48It's all yours.
31:49Just kind of break the sack.
31:51That's it.
31:52Okay.
31:53Two legs.
31:55That's it.
31:56There we are.
31:59That's it.
32:00There we are.
32:01Nice.
32:05It's the dilemma that we face.
32:07When to assist,
32:08when to leave well alone.
32:10I think on this occasion,
32:11that lamb needed help.
32:12If she'd had them by herself,
32:14you've seen some of the other ewes come over,
32:16they can steal a lamb quite easily,
32:18and then they lose that bond.
32:20Thanks to the boys' intervention today,
32:22the roundhouse can now welcome
32:24a pair of healthy new additions to the fold.
32:26It really is amazing.
32:28That's what springtime's all about.
32:30You're right.
32:34Coming up,
32:35JB Gill discovers what happens
32:37when Italian tradition meets Yorkshire milk.
32:41Oh, that smells nice already, doesn't it?
32:42No, it's very strong.
32:43And...
32:44Come on, guys.
32:45This is the moment of truth.
32:47Will Rob and Dave's first go
32:49at artificial insemination
32:51help build the next generation of shire horses?
32:55There's a lot at stake.
32:56This would be a real bonus.
32:57If she was pregnant, it would be great.
33:13Welcome back to springtime on the farm.
33:15Now, earlier, we saw the Hills high-tech dairy farm
33:18producing milk that some of which
33:20ends up here at Rob and Dave's farm.
33:23But what happens to it next, I hear you ask?
33:25Well, funny you should ask.
33:27JB Gill has got the scoop.
33:30So much of life here is devoted
33:33to protecting the animal's lineage.
33:35And it's a passion that extends beyond the fields, too.
33:39Tucked away on the farm
33:41is a nod to the Nicholson family's Italian side.
33:44And it's run by Rob's son, Tom,
33:47and fellow chef, Joss.
33:52Hey, Tom. Hey, Joss.
33:53Hello.
33:54Oh, hi. I'm so excited.
33:56When I heard I was making ice cream,
33:57I was like, sign me up straight away.
33:59Well, I'm glad you're excited,
34:01but I do just need to correct you on one thing.
34:02We're not making ice cream here.
34:04We're making gelato.
34:05OK. Wonderful.
34:07Well, that's me in my place.
34:08Yeah, yeah.
34:08Can I get stuck in, though?
34:09Yeah, absolutely.
34:10We just need to get you a chef suit
34:11and a hat on, so let's go and do it.
34:14All right.
34:15Gelato is different to ice cream
34:17in that it typically uses more milk and less cream.
34:21And using the locally produced milk,
34:24the parlour creates all kinds of flavours,
34:27including springtime favourites like hot cross bun.
34:31How do I look?
34:32Beautiful.
34:33Like a true gelatiera.
34:34There you go. You heard it here first.
34:37All right, I'm ready for my lesson.
34:38What are we making today?
34:40So I thought we'd have a go at banoffee pie.
34:42Oh, I like banoffee pie, yeah.
34:44And then we're going to try
34:45the good old classic chocolate as well.
34:47Perfect. My kid's favourite.
34:49All right, you ready to get cracking?
34:50Yeah. Let's go.
34:51So, literally, all we're going to do
34:53is pull the milk out of here, into here.
34:57And then we're going to take it and measure it.
34:59So we're just going to do it to 4kg.
35:02OK.
35:04Oh, I was touching it.
35:05Two, three, four.
35:07Just a bit over.
35:09But it'll be OK.
35:10OK.
35:10To the milk, Joss adds a banoffee flavoured paste.
35:15Oh, that smells nice already, doesn't it?
35:16It's very strong.
35:18Before an industrial-sized blender enters the mix.
35:22All right, half gently.
35:23I've got to say, um...
35:24We'll set it up at five, press that,
35:27and then there's a button on the top.
35:29Oh, that's good.
35:32How long do I have to blend it
35:34for it to be fully mixed in?
35:36It depends on the flavour.
35:38Yeah, yeah, yeah.
35:39So this is probably done now, right?
35:41Yeah.
35:41Yeah.
35:41OK.
35:42And we're just going to take it into the machine
35:44and pour it into there.
35:46The gelato machine churns and freezes the liquid
35:50at the same time to create a fine texture.
35:54Perfect.
35:55So just close the lid.
35:56OK, yeah.
35:57And then we're going to press this button.
35:59So it's foolproof?
36:00Yeah.
36:00To someone like me?
36:01Yes.
36:01Perfect.
36:02Let's hope so, because for the chocolate batch...
36:05Just pull this, right?
36:06Yeah.
36:07Yorkshire's newest gelatieri is taking charge.
36:11There we go.
36:12Perfect.
36:14So, Tom, how much of a benefit
36:15is it getting this milk fresh for the gelateria?
36:19In gelato, it's even more important
36:21that the milk's right.
36:22You taste the milk more than you do
36:25in traditional ice cream,
36:26but I think it all comes back to that freshness.
36:29JB seems to be finding his chefing sweet spot.
36:33All right, let's go.
36:34But he can't chill just yet
36:36because the banoffee is done
36:38and ready for a toffee and biscuit topping.
36:42So, Tom, this is kind of your baby, wasn't it?
36:45Tell me about how this all came about.
36:47What really kind of sparked it for me
36:49was my Nana was from Naples
36:51and we wanted to pay tribute to her
36:54because she moved from Italy to North Yorkshire
36:56and spent most of her life there.
36:58She was distinctly Italian.
36:59You know, you couldn't...
37:01You know everything in it.
37:01Absolutely.
37:02So, I'm hoping what we serve here
37:04is a mix of, you know, Italian and Yorkshire
37:06just like she was.
37:08With the banoffee complete,
37:09all that's left
37:11is to put it through quality control.
37:14Smells good.
37:17Yes.
37:18Crunch, banana, toffee.
37:22Beautiful.
37:23And with the chocolate ready to go,
37:25JB starts his shift in the shop.
37:28Mint chocolate chip.
37:30Coming right up.
37:32To earn his full set of gelatieri stripes.
37:36It's doing a good job.
37:38It's a mint chocolate chip.
37:40That's yours.
37:42And then what would you like?
37:43Yeah, I'll do the bunnies.
37:44I can't believe he's taken to it so well, to be honest.
37:46And there you go.
37:47That's yours.
37:49You're very welcome.
37:51Don't know how much it costs, but enjoy.
37:53Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.
38:00That is absolutely delicious.
38:03But will things turn out as sweet?
38:06For Sylva the Shire Horse,
38:07you may recall earlier we saw her being artificially inseminated
38:10following Dave's mercy dash,
38:12but was it all in vain?
38:14Well, the moment of truth arrived
38:15and Helen was on hand to find out.
38:19It's been a busy week for Rob and Dave.
38:22As well as all of the lambing to deal with,
38:25they've dedicated a lot of time
38:27to furthering their beloved Shire Horse breed
38:30by trying artificial insemination,
38:33which has meant numerous scans
38:34and Dave making a cross-country dash
38:37to pick up a semen sample.
38:39And for Sylva, this is what it's all been leading up to.
38:46Come on, guys.
38:47This is the moment of truth.
38:49Yeah.
38:49Do you feel nervous at this time?
38:52I do feel nervous.
38:53Always feel nervous.
38:54Oh, hello.
38:55She's absolutely majestic, isn't she?
38:58She's in great nick to say she's had the fall as well.
39:01She's stunning.
39:02What are the chances of Sylva being pregnant?
39:05The chances are pretty good.
39:07It's the first time we've done artificial insemination.
39:09There's every chance,
39:10but Shires are rare for a reason.
39:12Sometimes they miss a year.
39:14Sometimes it takes two or three ghosts to get them pregnant.
39:17They're an expensive hobby, right?
39:19They're an emotionally expensive hobby.
39:23But we feel as though it's worth the effort
39:25because both our grandfathers were in love with Shire horses.
39:28So I think there's something in our lineage that attracts us to them.
39:31And five falls this year,
39:33if we can get them all born successfully,
39:35would be something to be proud of.
39:36They are dying out.
39:37There's only probably 130 fillies and stallions registered each year.
39:42If people don't do more, they're going to be lost.
39:44I think if we can stem the decline,
39:47keep a healthy number,
39:49you know, keep some of the bloodlines that exist now
39:51and hopefully expand them a little bit,
39:52then we've got a horse here who can be a great riding horse,
39:55a great pleasure horse or even just someone's really big pet.
39:59No pressure then, Silver.
40:01After all the prep
40:03and a fortnight of nervous waiting following the insemination,
40:06it's now down to Marco, the vet,
40:08to scan Silver to see if she's in foal.
40:12Hello.
40:13Nice to meet you.
40:14Nice to meet you too.
40:14So, you've AI'd her.
40:16Yes, we have AI'd her two weeks ago
40:19and today is the moment of truth.
40:22Is that enough time to tell if she was pregnant, could you see it?
40:26Yes, we should be able to see it.
40:28Ideally, at this stage, they are around a couple of centimetres.
40:31We should be able to.
40:32Let's put these gentlemen out of their misery.
40:35We know that you want her to be pregnant.
40:37You want to support the breed.
40:39Yeah.
40:39Are you nervous?
40:40I'm always nervous in these moments
40:43because there's a lot at stake,
40:44so this would be a real bonus.
40:46If she was pregnant, it would be great.
40:47I'm always more nervous in the late pregnancy.
40:51Right.
40:51When you're waiting for the foal, you want that healthy foal.
40:53At the moment, this is, you know, it's part of the journey.
40:58OK, there is a chance we have something small.
41:04It's smaller than what I would have expected at this stage.
41:08Right.
41:10But there is a possibility, OK?
41:13Not 100%, but not absolutely no.
41:1650%?
41:1870%.
41:19Oh, wow.
41:20Oh, silver.
41:21That's pretty good there.
41:22Keep that salt leak there.
41:23She needs all the minerals she can get.
41:26Seeing only a small structure two weeks after insemination is normal.
41:30It's probably the sack around the embryo,
41:33and a clearer confirmation, such as a heartbeat,
41:36is likely to be visible a couple of weeks later.
41:41Oh, that's really good.
41:43You manage your expectations, and my expectations were low,
41:46so I wasn't going to be disappointed.
41:48Now, 70% sounds like a really great result.
41:52So, anyway, we'll see.
41:53So, what's the plan for her now?
41:55We don't need to change anything.
41:56We just literally keep feeding as normal,
42:00keep relaxed and happy as normal,
42:03and re-monitoring two days.
42:05There is nothing that we can do more.
42:08We just need to sit tight and wait.
42:10It's difficult to imagine a horse of that size
42:13having a baby that's, what, this big?
42:14Yeah, I'll just try to work it out about that, yeah.
42:17OK.
42:18A teeny tiny horse.
42:19Yeah, yeah.
42:20My little pony.
42:22That is absolutely brilliant news.
42:24Congratulations, silver.
42:26Congratulations, gents.
42:27Marco, good aim.
42:29Thanks, Marco.
42:34Next time on Springtime on the Farm...
42:36Oh, wow, it's all going on.
42:38How old are these piglets?
42:40Only a few minutes.
42:40We're just waiting on the next one coming.
42:42Yeah, OK.
42:43How are we doing?
42:44How are you doing?
42:44Yeah, good to see you.
42:46Nice to see you.
42:46Every time we come here, the weather's like this.
42:48I'm worried you're going to turn our walls off.
42:50I've not seen any feet yet.
42:52She's been down, she's had a push,
42:53but nothing's appeared, so that gives us concern.
42:56It could be breach, it could be back legs first,
42:58it could be anything at the moment.
43:02And that's New Springtime on the Farm tomorrow at 7.
43:0624-year-old Hendrik had never pulled a pint in his life,
43:08so what made him think he could run his own pub?
43:10Alex Polizzi's all year is new at nine.
43:13Next, a man has had a lucky escape after a bad car crash,
43:16but is he as well as he seems?
43:18Brand new Casualty 24-7,
43:21every second counts after the break.
43:24Thanks.
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