The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Sheep => Topic started by: Azzdodd on March 23, 2014, 08:50:38 pm
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BBC 2 tune in guys Kate is at it again haha
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She is, and you can't help but love her enthusiasm, but....
I wish she hadn't been taught to handle sheep by hauling them about by their fleece - and I especially wish that this method of handling wasn't shown on telly. :rant:
What did everyone else think about the 'important things to look for when choosing Badger-faced Welsh Mountain sheep'? Apparently the most important thing is that the ears are small, and the next that there's a black stripe running down from the chin, under the belly and not quite to the very end of the tail. No, Kate, no, Kate, no. The most important thing when buying any sheep is health and conformation, feet, teeth and teats. Cosmetics last. Please.
Loved all the farmers though. ;D (Except the one selling her the BFWMs.)
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I SO agree that sheep should not be handled or lifted by their fleece. Having seen some after slaughter which had been handled that way I remember many bruises in their flesh >:(
It also annoys me when ewes which will lamb perfectly well on their own have their lambs pulled just for the sake of the cameras.
And for heaven's sake Kate, when you bottle feed a lamb, don't give it all that air - tip the bottle up a wee bit :sheep:
She's very enthusiastic though.
This year's Lambing Live is being filmed just a few miles up the road from us - all that rolling landscape you see is what we have too :)
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What did everyone else think about the 'important things to look for when choosing Badger-faced Welsh Mountain sheep'? Apparently the most important thing is that the ears are small, and the next that there's a black stripe running down from the chin, under the belly and not quite to the very end of the tail.......
I'm saying nothing. ;D
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Definately agree about leaving the ewe to just lamb herself - totally unnecessary for her to have interferred like that. Would have made better viewing to see the lamb born with just the ewe doing it in her own time. Also same thoughts on bottle feeding the lamb :-\. That aside, it was nice to have something on the telly worth watching and have to say that the Bevans are still my fav family.
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Yep how to interfere with a perfect birth and how to fill a lamb with air. Perfect. I did enjoy the other bits though ;). Apart from the you can tell the best ewe by the size of the ears ???
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I enjoyed most of it. Like others I found a few a things a bit off. Will be watching the rest.
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Just looked over all my BFWM's and they fail the ear test. Ho hum!
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Good lord marches farmer. Youll have to get rid of the lot! ;)
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Good! I was just coming on here to ask what others thought about her pulling the lamb! I couldn't believe it.... Touch wood, and into second lambing - mine just pop em out on the field whilst you're not looking ;D
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4000 sheep on the borders farm.Haw would you start /bevens for me too. I dont think kate handels meney sheep thats why she has too pull them about .I put round the head and talk to them no fuss.
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OH was yelling at the telly, "Teeth??? Feet??? Udders????" about the ears bit, and I too wish she would just let the sheep get on with it, but in general I love the programmes, and I know this year's family, so especially looking forward to the new series.
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Don't get me started ??? ??? :rant: .
But the families were lovely and I did enjoy most of the programme ;D (and will watch the rest, if I'm not out in the field with my ewes)
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This time a bit more information on different breeds so enjoying hearing about that. I was brought up with the Black Face Sheep, my uncle had a huge flock. Its right when they say a farmer knows his sheep. he could tell even from a distance if things where not quite right. In those days all lambing was outside and that was hard I expect. now with CTV, big barns to lamb in and home comforts not quite the job it used to be. Still if it goes wrong more lambs must be saved when farmer is around.
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Not enjoying watching the ewes trying to lamb their second lamb in the confines of a pen either. Wouldn't surprise me if the first lambs get squashed from time to time.
Not sure why they are doing this series, you'd have thought they'd have exhausted it by now.
Better sheep watching can be found in "The Hill Farm" on BBC2 currently. Might be Wales only, but also available on iplayer: BBC iPlayer - The Hill Farm: Episode 1 (http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b03yvl4l/)
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As I understood it from the prequel, they had hoped to be filming on a farm that lambs outdoors this year, so very different from what they've done before. But with the floods and so on, the farmer had had to bring the sheep inside. So now the BBC know a little about how the weather dictates how you farm! lol
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Yes, it would have been much better to see an outdoor lambing setup. The BBC should have had the courage to put the program on hold for a year, or move to another farm.
They said the ewes are outside during the day ... so why haven't we seen any film of outdoor lambings yet? (I don't think viewers really care if it isn't live) Or do Scottish sheep only lamb during the night ;).
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Have you noticed how they are being very particular not to pull lambs when not necessary, even when the presenters suggest it? :thumbsup: Things must have been said after previous series. So far I love this family - very phlegmatic and unflappable and cope very well with the awful Humble laugh..and the Henson one too :innocent:
It's good to see them emphasising the differences between the breeds they keep, their management and their part in the stratification system.
It is a shame they couldn't lamb outside, but that's the farmer's decision not the BBC's. I would like to see how they do it on a large scale.
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Yes, well done Hamish for telling Kate that there really was no need to interfere with the 2nd lamb being born :thumbsup: as she was obviously keen to start pulling it out again :huff:. I imagine all her own badger faced ewes get the Humble hand inside them before it's necessary.
Finding Adam Henson really annoying with his know it all attitude. The actual family who own the farm seem lovely.
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Or do Scottish sheep only lamb during the night ;).
Actually, Cumbrian ones mostly do, yes. In the few hours around dawn seems to be favourite - I bet a good half of our lambs are born at this time, and a third of the rest at or around dusk.
But the problem with trying to film a lambing outdoors is that with space to get away, the ewe would simply be disturbed and move away from the cameras, wouldn't she? Whereas in the lambing shed, their ability to get away from the disruption of filming is extremely limited.
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They need those "rock-cams" etc that they've used on other wildlife programmes ... they've done dolphin-cam and penguin-cam ... why not "sheep-cam"! lol
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The best by far .The animals are top stock the bull top price the blue face rambs top price .They are very good farmers the rambs they bort was just right. To get good price for youre stock you need very good stock. When i get back into getting stock im going to get less but better stock.I had 200 im going for 50 and go for mules .I carnt belive haw good there stock is .Not onley sheep the cattle were good . Very good bbc getting back to Adam his dad told me he messed up the cattle and most caws were emptey a normal farm would of gone bust whith no carfs .My dad judges sheep at thainstone so i no a good sheep they was some very nice sheep at the smallholders at lanark well done.
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I'm not entirely sure that outdoor lambing would make very good TV.
Theres one......
Theres another one....
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Yes, yes :excited: :excited: :excited:. Watched first episode of The Hill Farm' and will watch second on replay. No other replies Foobar so maybe just on in Wales.
Our neighbour knows the family from collie trials. Down to earth folk they say. Our farming neighbour thought it showed a bit of the realities of hill farming.
Not seen Lambing Live yet ...
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I can't get over the ears and stripe comment, it's a bit like people in the horse world who just want a certain colour with , four whites, some just don't seem to care about the conformation.
I always think of Kate as an over enthusiastic puppy, she s just a bit too much for me, Adam s great, explains things to the laymen in such a good way I think, would much prefer Julia Bradbury to be doing the show to be honest though rather than Kate. Great farm, in awe of they're sheds, they're system and the way they keep they're stock, and the quality of it x
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I hope all the anti-wind farm folk noticed how much noise the windmills WEREN'T making in Wales. And I'm sure it wasn't just down to super performing mics. :)
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This is one off the better one no humble sticking her hand up and any chance she's useless :roflanim:
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I'm not entirely sure that outdoor lambing would make very good TV.
Theres one......
Theres another one....
:roflanim: It would be realistic though.
For the Dykes, it would be good to at least have a look at how their Blackies lamb, although they may not have started yet; we haven't.
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I'm loving it and the webcam, it's giving me such memories of last year that I can smell that lambing aroma while watching ( strange I know :innocent: ) Really missing the lambing this spring after being at a farm last year, poor Sally had a lot to put up with, taking on a complete novice like me but was so patient. I loved it. :hugsheep:
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Really missing the lambing this spring after being at a farm last year, poor Sally had a lot to put up with, taking on a complete novice like me but was so patient. I loved it. :hugsheep:
Not a bit of it. You were an absolute delight to work with, a natural with sheep, and with your veterinary nursing you brought us some skills too. Welcome anytime :-*
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Agree with the general sentiment regarding kate humble's prowess in the lambing shed but in redressing the balance a little I just wanted to say that I'm fairly sure that I am ever so slightly besotted and have been for years. Springwatch has been a desert since she left and a whole week of my beloved is close to heaven. My OH is fully aware of my affliction and happy to allow me this one small indiscretion
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Loved that lamb that had half a white face and half jet black with one white and one black ear! - you just caught a glimpse of it as it was being held in the lambing pen.
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Loved that lamb that had half a white face and half jet black with one white and one black ear! - you just caught a glimpse of it as it was being held in the lambing pen.
Very very cute. My first thought was: I wonder what the genetics are for that?
What I would love to hear is the rumbling the ewes make to their lambs just before they deliver, and as they wash them. That is the most wonderful sheepy sound :love: Maybe you can't hear it in a crowded lambing shed, or maybe the film crew haven't noticed it.
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Yes that was a nice lamb! Cheryl was asking for you by the way, because I told her that the family in the program were not far from you and she thought
I was speaking to you, but I said I just saw it on the forum!
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I actually find Kate considerably less irritating than I used to. I think she has done a Maggie Thatcher and lowered her voice a bit (from the highest squeak to something just rather girlie); learned to control her inner Andrex puppy just a little bit (but not totally - she wouldn't be Kate if she wasn't exuberantly and happily enthusiastic, now would she?) - and I actually really liked her in Wild Shepherdess. Good job there, Kate :thumbsup:
Now if Julia had been doing Lambing Live, I've have had to have the sound off. Can't stand the woman. Not sure why. Possibly I find her somewhat patronising/condescending. Much prefer Kate's living up to her name ;), albeit in a very girlie and enthusiastic puppy way.
And yes, I too have wished they would give us a bit of 'Mother tongue', the nickering the ewe makes to her newborn. One of the loveliest sounds on the planet. :hugsheep: (And the one a cow makes to her calf similarly :hugcow:.)
And I just have to say this because I've only just seen it. May the Force be with you :leia:
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And yes, I too have wished they would give us a bit of 'Mother tongue', the nickering the ewe makes to her newborn. One of the loveliest sounds on the planet. :hugsheep: (And the one a cow makes to her calf similarly :hugcow:.)
As some of you may know, I'm lambing for the first time ever this year. The sheep talking to its lambs is soooooo cute, I never knew they chitter chattered away to each other like that!!
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My son says that's the happiest sound of lambing - it means all's well. Live ewe, live lambs, mothering up well. I'm glad they made the point about the Mountain ewes utilising rough grazing being at the heart of the stratification system. I hope George Monbiot was watching.
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I've emailed in requesting that we hear the rumbling noise of ewe/lambie contentment, but knowing me I've not sent it to the right place ::) Just on the offchance they like the idea, I'll be listening for it tonight ;D
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I missed most of the last episode, having my own Lambing Live Outdoors drama ::)
Did they feature any 'mother tongue'?
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I missed most of the last episode, having my own Lambing Live Outdoors drama ::)
Did they feature any 'mother tongue'?
No :(
I did get a generic reply so I sent it to the right place, but probably too late to be considered, maybe next year.
They seemed to go back to pulling lambs again this final episode, although they were all needed and that was explained. I also noted that they wore gloves this time - presumably there were comments about the night shepherd's manky hands and no gloves or gel.
I have enjoyed the programme but I can't help the nit-picking ::) I feel they are only interested in the actual emergence of the lambs. As soon as they've plopped out the camera is off somewhere else. Wouldn't it be nicer and more interesting/educational to show the ewe's aftercare of her lambs and the mothering up process?
SimonO - Hi to Cheryl and I'll be in touch :wave:
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Good point it would be good to see from start to the field and the sun on them. I start the 9th and thats it 12 months of .All stock sold spending time whith dad .
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Well, I am afraid I've just done a Kate Humble. Had a ewe been lambing for a while, probably would have been completely fine, but I need my cup of tea and bed, so I am afraid I intervened. She had the second one herself whilst I checked the other sheds though. Both now up and sucked. Roll on April 1st when our night chap arrives!
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the hill farm program is on bbc wales that you can find on sky, ive got it on series link ;D
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mowhaugh - that is totally forgiveable! Everyone needs sleep now and then!