Marchweeke Farm,

Each month we provide an update on the activities and events that have taken place at Marchweeke Farm as we develop our own beef, lamb, pork and poultry enterprises.

Although the last month has seen plenty of rain it has been remarkably mild with daffodils flowering and even the frogs fooled into believing that spring has sprung as proven by a large lump of spawn discovered in a rain-filled tractor rut on January 27 th. Two dry days and suddenly the collared doves are collecting twigs for the jumbled collection that constitutes their nest. Having selected a rafter in the hay barn as their nesting site they have been protected from the worst of the subsequent rain.

The poll Dorset ewes and October–born lambs have been strip-grazing the fodder rape. Twice a day we move the electric fence forward a few metres so that they have fresh grazing. If they were allowed complete access they would gorge themselves for a few days but tread and waste much of the crop. The gateways and area around the feeding troughs are muddy and badly poached but the lambs are in good condition and growing well; certainly better than when housed and fed on hay and barley as we did last year.

Just as I think that we have matters under control, trouble strikes. A neighbour telephoned one afternoon to say that a stray dog was chasing a group of our weaned lambs in Lower Broom Close at the lower end of Westcott. It is a shepherd’s nightmare; what damage has been done; whose dog is it? I grabbed the shotgun and hurried as fast as it was possible through the squelching fields arriving out of breath to discover the lambs in a huddle by the gate; one was covered in mud, one had lumps of wool dislodged and one was missing. A large hound was retreating from the fray; I hastened his exit with a discharge of pellets but he was well beyond range. It didn’t take long to find the missing lamb; it had been trapped against the netting and was dead; wounds to the shoulder and neck. At least I knew where the hound came from. Subsequently we found that the muddy lamb had also been bitten; the wound was treated for the next few days and the lamb is making a good recovery. We can only be thankful that it wasn’t the pregnant ewes that had been chased as the consequences would have been far more serious.

More trouble when a thud on the mat confirms another large envelope from Defra. This time it’s a 35 page booklet on Rules For Identifying Sheep. The slackers…..only 35 pages; their colleagues in the Cattle Movement Service managed 58 pages in their booklet and it was the second version. It’s raining again so I settle down for an hour’s entertainment! “All lambs born after January 11 th 2008 that are destined for slaughter within 12 months of age must carry a single tag with the flock number as well as the individual number;” (fine so far). “In the event that the lamb losses the tag and you know the number” (which I won’t because I can’t even remember the pin number for my credit card) “then you need to replace it with an identical tag. If you don’t know the number then replace with a tag with a different individual number UNLESS the lamb was born on another holding in which case you must replace it with an identical tag; if you know the number; or obtain another identical tag from the previous owner. Failing either of these you can replace the missing tag with a single R tag provided you make a cross reference to the lost and replacement tags within your flock register table in columns 4, 5 and 6”. It’s no wonder the prisons are so full; half the occupants are shepherds who can’t follow Defra instructions! Two hours later I have only reached page 23; I’ve a head ache developing and it’s still raining. I decide that pushing cattle slurry around the yard in the pouring rain is the much preferable option. As I load the dung spreader I wonder how long it would take me to drive the tractor and spreader to Exeter to discharge the contents over the plush lobby carpet in the Defra offices! What with the high price of diesel and the fading light I decide I’ll move the electric fence for the sheep before it gets dark. Maybe tomorrow….. !

Have a good month. Simon, Julie and Rebecca