0:00:03 > 0:00:05Across some of the most beautiful
0:00:05 > 0:00:07and remote landscapes of the British Isles...
0:00:07 > 0:00:11This is not a bad office, is it? You know, look at it.
0:00:11 > 0:00:14..Scotland's farmers carve a living...
0:00:14 > 0:00:16Everything has got a time and a season.
0:00:16 > 0:00:20- Nature doesn't stop. - ..breeding sheep and cattle...
0:00:20 > 0:00:21There's a lot of old friends here,
0:00:21 > 0:00:24they've come to the end of their working life. Quite a sad day.
0:00:26 > 0:00:27Wait a second!
0:00:27 > 0:00:29..bringing new life into the world...
0:00:31 > 0:00:33..and battling with the elements.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37They're all cute in their own way,
0:00:37 > 0:00:39and especially if they end up on your plate as a lamb chop, yum.
0:00:41 > 0:00:45Over a year, five very different families
0:00:45 > 0:00:47let cameras onto their farms...
0:00:47 > 0:00:49Hell of a size of nuts on him.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52..and into their lives, to share their struggles...
0:00:52 > 0:00:56- I don't know why you want the... - Do you need to do this?
0:00:56 > 0:00:57..and their triumphs...
0:00:57 > 0:01:02Look at my baby. He's alive.
0:01:02 > 0:01:06..as they try and turn a profit in testing economic times.
0:01:06 > 0:01:08That's just depressing, that, really.
0:01:08 > 0:01:10There's cause for celebration...
0:01:10 > 0:01:12Gorgeous.
0:01:12 > 0:01:14..and a time to reflect.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17I feel sad that I haven't provided the next generation
0:01:17 > 0:01:19to carry on here.
0:01:19 > 0:01:20But it's never dull.
0:01:20 > 0:01:22I'm not letting go!
0:01:22 > 0:01:24It's not a job, it's a way of life.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39We look back over a hectic and dramatic year for the farmers.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44A year dictated by the changing seasons.
0:01:46 > 0:01:49For many, the working year kicks off in the autumn.
0:01:51 > 0:01:54Autumn can be, sometimes, the most beautiful time of year.
0:01:54 > 0:01:56The colours can be stunning.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05It's also pretty frantic because there's timescales to get to,
0:02:05 > 0:02:09and things that have to be done, so it is a busy time of year.
0:02:10 > 0:02:16No-one enjoys going from summer into autumn, in the summer
0:02:16 > 0:02:22we have daylight at midnight and it's just a joy to be out and about.
0:02:23 > 0:02:28Then the year turns and the nights start drawing in very fast
0:02:28 > 0:02:30and we know where we're going.
0:02:40 > 0:02:44On the Isle of Lewis, in the Outer Hebrides, 30 miles off
0:02:44 > 0:02:45the north west coast of Scotland...
0:02:47 > 0:02:50..the heavy autumn schedule of sheep work
0:02:50 > 0:02:51is about to begin for
0:02:51 > 0:02:54barrister-turned-crofter Sandy Granville.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59Autumn is one of the busiest times of the year.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02There's plenty going on, there's plenty going on on the croft,
0:03:02 > 0:03:03gathering and sorting of animals.
0:03:05 > 0:03:09Today, Sandy is heading out of Lewis to an uninhabited island
0:03:09 > 0:03:14called Seaforth, to gather up the island's only residents -
0:03:14 > 0:03:15sheep.
0:03:17 > 0:03:19Get out of there, man!
0:03:19 > 0:03:21HE WHISTLES
0:03:21 > 0:03:24As dictated by tradition, the flock are all owned by different
0:03:24 > 0:03:28crofters but have been grazing together on common land.
0:03:28 > 0:03:32- Come here!- That'll do, Blake, come here.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34Crofting is a tradition that's unique to the
0:03:34 > 0:03:36Highlands and Islands of Scotland.
0:03:36 > 0:03:37Stay there, now!
0:03:37 > 0:03:40Dating back to the late 19th century,
0:03:40 > 0:03:43crofts are small plots of poor quality land with
0:03:43 > 0:03:46common grazing rights that are part of a community
0:03:46 > 0:03:48where much of the work is shared.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50I love this.
0:03:50 > 0:03:52I can think of nothing better to be doing than
0:03:52 > 0:03:55being on the hills and the islands.
0:03:55 > 0:03:58It's one of the greatest ways to spend your life
0:03:58 > 0:04:01working these wild sheep.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03But it's a tradition that's disappearing.
0:04:04 > 0:04:09These hills and islands used to be full of sheep and now there's very
0:04:09 > 0:04:12few, just people from a few villages and mostly we're pretty old.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15It's been said that if you come to one of our sheep gatherings,
0:04:15 > 0:04:17it's like a Saga outing.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22The group are trying to drive a flock of 60 sheep
0:04:22 > 0:04:26into the handling pens by the shore for sorting.
0:04:26 > 0:04:28But the sheep, who've been living wild here
0:04:28 > 0:04:31for the last year, have other ideas.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42At the pens, they need to weed out the male sheep
0:04:42 > 0:04:45destined for slaughter, from the ewes that only need to be sheared.
0:04:45 > 0:04:47They're bad buggers, aren't they?
0:04:49 > 0:04:52The ewes aren't Sandy's.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55But everyone chips in with the shearing using traditional
0:04:55 > 0:04:58tools that have been around for centuries.
0:04:58 > 0:05:00Well, you're an old woolly.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03Most people here use the shears or they call it the jeavish.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08It's not as fast as using mechanical shears but you can shove them
0:05:08 > 0:05:10in your pocket and take them anywhere.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16Shearing done, the wedders, or castrated male sheep, need to
0:05:16 > 0:05:20be taken back to Lewis where they are destined to become mutton.
0:05:22 > 0:05:24- Do you want me to come back or stay over?- No, no. Stay over.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26The only way is by boat.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31Six at a time.
0:05:33 > 0:05:35So they must ferry them across in shifts.
0:05:40 > 0:05:44All aboard, they set off on a ten-minute boat ride.
0:05:51 > 0:05:55Sea shepherding, moving livestock between islands,
0:05:55 > 0:05:59has been a common practice in the Scottish Isles for centuries
0:05:59 > 0:06:03but if crofting were to die out, so would this unique tradition.
0:06:05 > 0:06:09I have a role in what is a dying way of life.
0:06:11 > 0:06:15And I would love to think that we could get another generation
0:06:15 > 0:06:19doing this, producing this great meat.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22But if we are the last, we're having a great time doing it.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41As autumn rolls along, sheep work is also
0:06:41 > 0:06:45the order of the day for hill farmers Sybil and George Macpherson.
0:06:47 > 0:06:49They farm 2,000 sheep
0:06:49 > 0:06:51in 15,000 acres
0:06:51 > 0:06:55of rugged mountain terrain, in Western Scotland.
0:06:56 > 0:07:00I don't farm because I think I'm ever going to be rich,
0:07:00 > 0:07:03especially not in this part of the world.
0:07:03 > 0:07:06But I do farm because I passionately enjoy it
0:07:06 > 0:07:09and I do think that we are producing something very meaningful,
0:07:09 > 0:07:11not only in that as custodians of the land,
0:07:11 > 0:07:14but also in the type of food which we produce.
0:07:17 > 0:07:20This is the time of year for gathering sheep.
0:07:20 > 0:07:24Today, they're going to bring in a flock of 500
0:07:24 > 0:07:27scattered over six square miles,
0:07:27 > 0:07:29for mating or tupping.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31In, in, in.
0:07:34 > 0:07:36So they're taking their best dogs
0:07:36 > 0:07:39and enlisting the help of friends Jake and Arthur.
0:07:40 > 0:07:44- There we are.- Now, no scrapping.
0:07:44 > 0:07:45Will, that's directed at you.
0:07:49 > 0:07:53The plan is to head to the top of the hill and spread out.
0:07:53 > 0:07:55C'mon, c'mon, c'mon on up.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58Perfect day for gathering sheep.
0:07:58 > 0:08:00Sybil, Jake, Arthur and their dogs
0:08:00 > 0:08:03will approach from one end on foot...
0:08:05 > 0:08:08..while George will advance from the other side on his quad bike.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14If all goes well, they'll meet in the middle
0:08:14 > 0:08:16and drive the whole flock towards the loch
0:08:16 > 0:08:18and along the glen to the farm.
0:08:18 > 0:08:24It really is just us in a line making the sheep aware that
0:08:24 > 0:08:28we're coming behind them so they'll start to move the right way.
0:08:28 > 0:08:29Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey!
0:08:31 > 0:08:35It's a job that takes some skill.
0:08:35 > 0:08:37A lot of being able to gather hills is to do with having sheep
0:08:37 > 0:08:40sense and understanding what they're likely to do,
0:08:40 > 0:08:43what their capabilities are, how fast they can run,
0:08:43 > 0:08:46and being tactical, as well as actually having tremendous dogs.
0:08:46 > 0:08:50You can get away with quite a lot if you can read the situation.
0:08:50 > 0:08:54Trying to control sheep used to living wild across such
0:08:54 > 0:08:57difficult country has its risks.
0:08:57 > 0:08:59The terrain's quite steep and there's a lot of peat bogs,
0:08:59 > 0:09:03underground water channels that you could lose yourself in.
0:09:03 > 0:09:07I do get a bit tense at gatherings in case anything goes wrong,
0:09:07 > 0:09:09because, well, it's dangerous ground.
0:09:09 > 0:09:11It's pretty important to try and get it right and I do worry.
0:09:13 > 0:09:15Hello, George?
0:09:15 > 0:09:17Hello, George?
0:09:17 > 0:09:18- OVER WALKIE-TALKIE:- 'Hello.'
0:09:18 > 0:09:20Remember to keep your finger on the button
0:09:20 > 0:09:23when you're speaking to me, darling!
0:09:23 > 0:09:25'Get your finger out, darling!'
0:09:25 > 0:09:28OK, we're slow, sorry, we're coming now quickly!
0:09:30 > 0:09:34Now the entire party must synchronise their efforts or
0:09:34 > 0:09:38the sheep could escape and if any of the weaker ones are left behind,
0:09:38 > 0:09:41they won't survive the harsh winter.
0:09:41 > 0:09:43We're working as a team here, we're all in a line.
0:09:43 > 0:09:45There's Sybil above me and then Jake.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48George was further forward than us this morning,
0:09:48 > 0:09:52so we have to go quickly to catch up, otherwise the line,
0:09:52 > 0:09:54the sort of sweep line is broken.
0:09:58 > 0:10:01Together for 18 years and married for 12,
0:10:01 > 0:10:05Sybil and George are used to working as a team.
0:10:05 > 0:10:07We get on extremely well together,
0:10:07 > 0:10:09I know how incredibly lucky I am,
0:10:09 > 0:10:13that we can work all day and very seldom a cross word.
0:10:13 > 0:10:17Two hours should take us home, so we should be fine, eh.
0:10:20 > 0:10:23Now, it should be fast work driving the sheep down
0:10:23 > 0:10:25to the holding pens on the farm.
0:10:29 > 0:10:32No, it's a pleasure. This is the best part of our job.
0:10:32 > 0:10:34It's a fantastic office.
0:10:39 > 0:10:41Do you want me to open the gate?
0:10:41 > 0:10:43Please!
0:10:43 > 0:10:44Eh?
0:10:44 > 0:10:45Please!
0:10:46 > 0:10:50Finally, the sheep are in. Tomorrow, they'll need sorting.
0:10:51 > 0:10:55'At this time of year it's important to look through all the sheep
0:10:55 > 0:10:57'that, if there's anything a bit dodgy...'
0:10:57 > 0:10:58Come on, ladies!
0:10:58 > 0:11:01'..can either treat it and it hopefully recovers,
0:11:01 > 0:11:04'or else decide that that sheep's not really fit for living out
0:11:04 > 0:11:07'here any more, in which case she has to go to market.'
0:11:07 > 0:11:10For now, it's time to take a break.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13Now we're at the post gather party!
0:11:13 > 0:11:16It's tradition in the west coast when you come in off the hill,
0:11:16 > 0:11:21you get a dram and a beer and we're very much into tradition!
0:11:21 > 0:11:23HE LAUGHS
0:11:27 > 0:11:32The seasons dictate many of the key events in the farming calendar.
0:11:32 > 0:11:35Autumn is also mating or tupping time for the sheep.
0:11:37 > 0:11:42The loss of daylight at this time of year brings the ewes into season.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45It affects their hormones so they're ready to mate.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50Autumn tupping means lambs in spring.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57In the north-east of Scotland, north of Aberdeen,
0:11:57 > 0:12:02cattle breeder Martin Irvine and his fiancee, shepherdess Mel,
0:12:02 > 0:12:04are getting ready to increase their flock.
0:12:04 > 0:12:09I'd said to Martin when I'd met him years ago that I like sheep,
0:12:09 > 0:12:12and did he realise that one day I'll just come home with sheep?
0:12:14 > 0:12:18Mel persuaded Martin to take on a contract to manage over
0:12:18 > 0:12:20500 ewes for the local estate...
0:12:21 > 0:12:24..as well as invest in their own flock of 134.
0:12:26 > 0:12:28Come on!
0:12:31 > 0:12:35To breed from their ewes and expand their flock,
0:12:35 > 0:12:37they went to buy some virile young tups.
0:12:40 > 0:12:45We're looking for a big strong manly tup with a nice round bum,
0:12:45 > 0:12:49a long back and the head, mmm?
0:12:49 > 0:12:51- Yeah, something that's pleasing to the eye.- Yeah.
0:12:51 > 0:12:53Ken, something with plenty of meat on it,
0:12:53 > 0:12:56something that's going to produce plenty of lambs, should I say.
0:12:59 > 0:13:00We always have a feel.
0:13:01 > 0:13:05And see that they're not soft or spongy, they're quite firm.
0:13:06 > 0:13:08Hell of a size of nuts on him.
0:13:13 > 0:13:17Today, Mel will find out if she chose well with her new tups.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20She's going to introduce them to the ewes.
0:13:23 > 0:13:27Her plan is to split them into small groups across different fields,
0:13:27 > 0:13:30so all the ewes get an equal slice of the action.
0:13:30 > 0:13:31Watch!
0:13:33 > 0:13:37For Mel's tups to earn their keep across the five-week mating
0:13:37 > 0:13:41season, they'll each be expected to get 50 females pregnant.
0:13:44 > 0:13:48Wouldn't be a bad life being a tup, you get to chill out all year
0:13:48 > 0:13:51and then there's five weeks of the year it's just bliss!
0:13:51 > 0:13:55They're away to get sex for the next five weeks!
0:13:55 > 0:13:56They're away to mate!
0:13:56 > 0:13:58They're away to mate for the next five weeks!
0:14:05 > 0:14:07Some of the ewes will actually come to the tups,
0:14:07 > 0:14:09- they'll be in season.- They're ready.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12They're ready, they know what's going on.
0:14:12 > 0:14:14The boys have been at the job before,
0:14:14 > 0:14:16they'll know what's going on, they'll be...whifft!
0:14:16 > 0:14:19To prepare the tups for their grand entrance,
0:14:19 > 0:14:22Mel uses a thick, oily paint called raddle
0:14:22 > 0:14:25so she can keep track of the ewes that have been mated.
0:14:25 > 0:14:27So when it comes to lambing,
0:14:27 > 0:14:29you're looking for the ones with the red bums
0:14:29 > 0:14:32- because when the tup jumps the ewe...- It leaves a mark.
0:14:32 > 0:14:34..his chest will be on her bum and her back
0:14:34 > 0:14:38and that's where the paint and raddle will rub off.
0:14:38 > 0:14:39Slap it on.
0:14:40 > 0:14:42So that's him got his war paint on.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45Girls! Come on!
0:14:45 > 0:14:47Right, boys.
0:14:47 > 0:14:48Come on, girls!
0:14:49 > 0:14:51He knows what he's doing.
0:14:52 > 0:14:54It's showtime for the tups.
0:14:58 > 0:15:00It's quite good watching all the tups run away,
0:15:00 > 0:15:01chasing all the women.
0:15:01 > 0:15:04It lets you know they're in the mood and excited.
0:15:08 > 0:15:10This is tupping time.
0:15:12 > 0:15:14Now, that ewe that's standing,
0:15:14 > 0:15:17I would say that she is probably ready to be served.
0:15:20 > 0:15:23That's it. That was it.
0:15:23 > 0:15:25I feel pretty good when I see this, like.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28HE LAUGHS
0:15:28 > 0:15:31Some folk might think it's a bit creepy standing them there
0:15:31 > 0:15:33and doing their job but
0:15:33 > 0:15:36this is what we've bought them for and this is what they're going to
0:15:36 > 0:15:38do, that's the only thing that they need to do
0:15:38 > 0:15:40- is stay alive and make babies.- Yeah.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43Look down there, we've got a girl with a red bum here,
0:15:43 > 0:15:46another one with a red bum, another one with a red bum.
0:15:48 > 0:15:52The new tups seem to be up to the job and with any luck,
0:15:52 > 0:15:55come spring, Mel will increase the size of the flock
0:15:55 > 0:15:57and the farm's income.
0:15:58 > 0:16:00And there goes another one.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03Done. Where there's a willy, there's a way!
0:16:17 > 0:16:18Winter.
0:16:18 > 0:16:24It's cold and wet and the days are getting shorter
0:16:24 > 0:16:26but there's no let-up for the farmers.
0:16:29 > 0:16:31We're on a farm.
0:16:31 > 0:16:36Nature doesn't stop and everything has got a time and a season
0:16:36 > 0:16:40that happens irrespective of what happens round about.
0:16:40 > 0:16:42The farm has got to work and everybody's got to get on
0:16:42 > 0:16:44and do what they have to do.
0:16:44 > 0:16:48You can't leave the animals stuck in a place where they can
0:16:48 > 0:16:51get into distress or into trouble, you've got to look after them.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02Winter for me is a busy time of the year.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05It's real long hours. Dark days.
0:17:05 > 0:17:09With all the cows inside needing fed and bedded every day,
0:17:09 > 0:17:11cows coming into calf.
0:17:11 > 0:17:14When everyone else is winding down for the Christmas holidays,
0:17:14 > 0:17:17farmers, we've to work 24/7, right through it.
0:17:27 > 0:17:31One of the winter jobs for the Macphersons is to send
0:17:31 > 0:17:34some of their cattle away to Lowland farms,
0:17:34 > 0:17:37to be kept indoors during the cold winter months.
0:17:37 > 0:17:39Come on, 99! Good girl.
0:17:40 > 0:17:44George is bringing them down from the hills today.
0:17:44 > 0:17:48Having lived mostly wild since the spring, some are a little lively.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52Oi, Rhona, you behave, you already got me.
0:17:55 > 0:18:00Most of this herd are breeding cows that live for around 14 years,
0:18:00 > 0:18:02so during their time on the farm,
0:18:02 > 0:18:04George and Sybil get to know them well.
0:18:06 > 0:18:10Follow on, everybody, in you go. On you go, come on.
0:18:10 > 0:18:12You're very skinny, Bonny.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15'I've got a much softer spot for some than others.'
0:18:15 > 0:18:17Come on, 209, on you go. Come on, lass, on you go.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19'They're all a different character,
0:18:19 > 0:18:22'they respond to different situations differently,
0:18:22 > 0:18:24'just like human beings do.' Come on, Willy.
0:18:24 > 0:18:26'And yeah, we get very attached to them.'
0:18:26 > 0:18:29Just to let you know I'm behind you.
0:18:29 > 0:18:33That's Willy, Twisty, Tiny, Moira,
0:18:33 > 0:18:35Grant, Rhona...
0:18:35 > 0:18:39No, this one hasn't got a name, 606, it doesn't have a name.
0:18:40 > 0:18:45Come on, Clunky. That Rhona's a bully, she boxes everybody.
0:18:45 > 0:18:47She boxed George coming down the hill.
0:18:49 > 0:18:51Didn't you, Rhona? You're naughty.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53COWS MOO
0:19:00 > 0:19:03The majority of the herd are Saler crosses.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06They would struggle to stay fit and healthy
0:19:06 > 0:19:08living outside in an Argyllshire winter.
0:19:11 > 0:19:13Without sheds to house them,
0:19:13 > 0:19:16sending them away is Sybil and George's only option.
0:19:16 > 0:19:18The transporter lorry is here.
0:19:26 > 0:19:27It is not the bonniest day
0:19:27 > 0:19:30but it is usually a day like this when we do this, I can assure you.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35The weather has turned really, really nasty.
0:19:35 > 0:19:39Sadly, the wind and the rain has made the cows quite spooky.
0:19:39 > 0:19:41They hate the wind.
0:19:41 > 0:19:43The weather isn't the only hurdle.
0:19:43 > 0:19:47The calves, now six months old, need to be weaned to help their mothers
0:19:47 > 0:19:50recover from constant milking,
0:19:50 > 0:19:52so they're going to be separated.
0:19:52 > 0:19:56COWS MOO
0:19:58 > 0:20:01For a few days the cows will break their hearts looking for the calves
0:20:01 > 0:20:04and it is quite sad to be removing them.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07Management-wise and condition-wise for the cows, it's the very best
0:20:07 > 0:20:11thing that can happen because they need a break from, from milking.
0:20:11 > 0:20:14When the weather turns bad and the grass stops growing
0:20:14 > 0:20:17and the cows are milking and they lose condition quickly.
0:20:17 > 0:20:21But for the first few days, they roar and roar and roar,
0:20:21 > 0:20:24and the calves will cry and cry and I must say, I find it quite,
0:20:24 > 0:20:26quite upsetting to listen to them.
0:20:28 > 0:20:29It is very stressful.
0:20:29 > 0:20:33COWS MOO
0:20:33 > 0:20:35Come on, Woolly.
0:20:35 > 0:20:39The mothers and calves will be going to different farms and need to
0:20:39 > 0:20:43be loaded into separate compartments on the lorry for an easy delivery.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47The calves are first on board.
0:20:51 > 0:20:55C'mon, guys, it's for your own good, I kid you not.
0:20:55 > 0:20:56It's for your own good.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04Come on. Come on.
0:21:04 > 0:21:08Enticed by the scent of their young, the mothers follow.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13Finally, they're all on board.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16It's a huge relief to know that tonight, all those calves,
0:21:16 > 0:21:19wee calvies will be lying, you know, knee deep in straw in a shed.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22OK, they'll be breaking their hearts looking for their mothers,
0:21:22 > 0:21:24but they'll be out of this wet, wind and rain.
0:21:27 > 0:21:29The lorry will deliver this first batch of mothers
0:21:29 > 0:21:32and their calves to separate farms 100 miles away.
0:21:34 > 0:21:38The cows will return when the harsh winter is over.
0:21:45 > 0:21:49150 miles away, on the other side of Scotland,
0:21:49 > 0:21:52the cattle at Martin Irvine's farm are housed in sheds
0:21:52 > 0:21:54through the cold winter months.
0:21:55 > 0:22:00Winter is one of the two main calving periods and it's busy.
0:22:00 > 0:22:04Over 60 calves have already been born this year
0:22:04 > 0:22:07and the latest is about to arrive.
0:22:11 > 0:22:16Five-year-old Limousin heifer, Duchess, is ready to give birth.
0:22:16 > 0:22:18Martin's family have gathered as they fear this
0:22:18 > 0:22:20calving could be difficult.
0:22:25 > 0:22:27COW MOOS
0:22:27 > 0:22:32Duchess is overdue and overweight and last year her calf died.
0:22:33 > 0:22:37The problem I've got with this calf is the umbilical cord's
0:22:37 > 0:22:41right up at the front here, so it's going to get snapped early.
0:22:41 > 0:22:43So that only gives us minutes to get this calf out
0:22:43 > 0:22:46so we have to be quick as we can getting this calf out.
0:22:46 > 0:22:50If that cord snaps, soon as we start pulling,
0:22:50 > 0:22:53you've only got two to three minutes to get this calf out and going.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57Duchess has been in labour for almost four hours.
0:23:00 > 0:23:04The size of the calf's feet confirms Martin's fears.
0:23:06 > 0:23:08That's the left leg.
0:23:08 > 0:23:12It's unusually big and Duchess will need help to get it out.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18OK, through the other side.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21They need to use a calving jack, a piece of equipment that needs
0:23:21 > 0:23:25expert handling or it can damage the calf.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28It attaches to ropes around the front legs
0:23:28 > 0:23:30and can provide powerful leverage.
0:23:33 > 0:23:35Hold on. So that's the ropes on the feet.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37Dad, he'll work the jack and I'll make sure
0:23:37 > 0:23:40the head and everything's coming up the right way.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43So, Dad, put a bit of pressure, stop.
0:23:43 > 0:23:45It's too big.
0:23:48 > 0:23:49She's tight.
0:23:55 > 0:23:57Right, we need ropes for the head.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01Where's my ropes for her head?
0:24:01 > 0:24:02The calf's head is stuck.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11COW MOOS
0:24:11 > 0:24:13Right, pal, watch yourself.
0:24:13 > 0:24:16COW MOOS
0:24:18 > 0:24:20COW MOOS
0:24:23 > 0:24:25It's going to go!
0:24:28 > 0:24:30Just keep going, she's not going to push that hard.
0:24:30 > 0:24:33Right! Right, right, go, go, go!
0:24:35 > 0:24:36Stop!
0:24:39 > 0:24:41Wait till the calf's turned.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44Finally, the massive calf is born.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46But it's hardly responding.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49COW MOOS
0:24:49 > 0:24:52- Dangle him. Dangle it.- Lift it!
0:24:52 > 0:24:53Lift it!
0:24:56 > 0:24:59They need to get it to breathe and fast.
0:25:03 > 0:25:04Steven!
0:25:04 > 0:25:06Over the wall, Martin.
0:25:06 > 0:25:08HE BLOWS
0:25:10 > 0:25:12- Over the wall, Martin. - Just wait a second!
0:25:15 > 0:25:17HE BLOWS
0:25:19 > 0:25:22Lift him now, lift him straight up!
0:25:22 > 0:25:24Mel, lift!
0:25:24 > 0:25:25Swing, to me.
0:25:27 > 0:25:29Drop!
0:25:32 > 0:25:34It looks brutal but this could save its life.
0:25:34 > 0:25:35Over the wall, Martin.
0:25:38 > 0:25:41The calf still isn't breathing, its eyes are dull.
0:25:46 > 0:25:48Throw his heid ower.
0:25:50 > 0:25:52Right, front leg. Front legs!
0:25:54 > 0:25:58COW MOOS
0:25:58 > 0:25:59It's coming , it's coming.
0:26:02 > 0:26:06Holding the calf upside down helps clear the glut or
0:26:06 > 0:26:08amniotic fluid blocking its throat.
0:26:09 > 0:26:11OK, throw him back.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18At last, it takes its very first breath.
0:26:18 > 0:26:22Unless they cough and splutter, they don't get that bit up
0:26:22 > 0:26:24and then they drown.
0:26:24 > 0:26:26So that's why it was all systems go.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29- Thick, very thick.- It's just like jelly, aye.
0:26:33 > 0:26:35It's been a huge ordeal.
0:26:37 > 0:26:41When he was out he was gone, there was nothing in the eye.
0:26:41 > 0:26:43Until he just got a bit of air in his lungs,
0:26:43 > 0:26:44his heart was still going.
0:26:44 > 0:26:46So I had to blow and get a bit of air into his lung
0:26:46 > 0:26:48and get him going again.
0:26:48 > 0:26:50Everything that could have went wrong, kind of did go wrong.
0:26:50 > 0:26:52Everyone has a bit of a panic.
0:26:52 > 0:26:53This could be worth 30 grand.
0:26:55 > 0:26:59He's still got a bit of glut in his lung, so Mel's
0:26:59 > 0:27:01tickling his nose pretty much to make him cough.
0:27:01 > 0:27:04Make him kind of gasp and push his air out a bit better.
0:27:04 > 0:27:06He's almost there doing it. That's better.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09What you want to do is see him shake his head.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13- Yeah, there we go!- There you go. - Yay!
0:27:13 > 0:27:15Yay!
0:27:18 > 0:27:20- Bedtime.- All right.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25The massive calf will be called Jumbo.
0:27:36 > 0:27:40December on the farm for me is a grim time of year.
0:27:40 > 0:27:45I absolutely loathe the winter, I hate the long dark nights.
0:27:45 > 0:27:49I hate the fact that the weather is normally cold, wet,
0:27:49 > 0:27:53inclement and uncomfortable for outdoor animals.
0:27:53 > 0:27:55It really is a very, very unpleasant day,
0:27:55 > 0:27:57here in Argyll this morning.
0:28:00 > 0:28:04They're long, cold, hungry months and I don't like them.
0:28:06 > 0:28:08- RADIO:- 'BBC Radio Scotland.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11'Met Office amber "be prepared" warnings are in place
0:28:11 > 0:28:13'for the west coast and also the Highlands...
0:28:13 > 0:28:16'Winds gusting up to 80mph, there'll be disruption...
0:28:16 > 0:28:19'Severe weather over the Atlantic is predicted to cause high seas
0:28:19 > 0:28:22and strong winds across Scotland overnight...'
0:28:22 > 0:28:25On the Isle of Lewis, in the Outer Hebrides,
0:28:25 > 0:28:28winter brings wind and fierce storms.
0:28:32 > 0:28:34The weather's quite wild really, really wild.
0:28:34 > 0:28:37This is the first really good gale of the winter.
0:28:38 > 0:28:42Sandy has 12 Highland cattle and today he must bring them
0:28:42 > 0:28:46down from the hill because the vet is coming to check them.
0:28:47 > 0:28:50Force 11 winds won't prevent Sandy from carrying
0:28:50 > 0:28:52out his crofting duties.
0:28:52 > 0:28:53Come, come. Come by.
0:28:58 > 0:28:59OK, we're off.
0:29:02 > 0:29:06As a crofter, Sandy's cattle graze on the island's common land.
0:29:16 > 0:29:19He's hoping to find his herd sheltering amongst
0:29:19 > 0:29:21the rocks on one of their favourite hills.
0:29:29 > 0:29:32The wind is blowing at over 60mph.
0:29:41 > 0:29:45It's a fine thing to be testing yourself against
0:29:45 > 0:29:47a hard physical challenge.
0:29:48 > 0:29:51Many people would think it doesn't look very pleasurable
0:29:51 > 0:29:54but for others, there's a lot of joy in it.
0:30:11 > 0:30:14Highland cattle originated in Scotland
0:30:14 > 0:30:17and are ideally suited to these harsh conditions.
0:30:19 > 0:30:23Their coats are double layered with a fine, insulating inner coat
0:30:23 > 0:30:26and a well oiled, shaggy outer coat.
0:30:28 > 0:30:32Highland cattle, they wouldn't be chosen by
0:30:32 > 0:30:35farmers in softer places, but they're suited to our hills,
0:30:35 > 0:30:38they live outside all the time.
0:30:38 > 0:30:40They've usually got a cheery
0:30:40 > 0:30:41smile on their face
0:30:41 > 0:30:43'no matter how fierce the weather.'
0:30:44 > 0:30:47Pretty grim, pretty grim. Probably going to get worse yet.
0:30:50 > 0:30:54Sandy only needs the calves but they won't come down
0:30:54 > 0:30:56without their mothers so he must try to lead the
0:30:56 > 0:30:59whole bedraggled herd down to his pens.
0:31:04 > 0:31:08In a way it gets harder as you get older, but in other ways
0:31:08 > 0:31:14we get cleverer and manage to make jobs easier for ourselves.
0:31:14 > 0:31:19In the end, we'll be too old and weak to carry on,
0:31:19 > 0:31:21but we haven't quite reached that point yet.
0:31:31 > 0:31:34Winter is the hungry season, when nothing is growing
0:31:34 > 0:31:39and animals depend on fodder, or conserved food to survive,
0:31:39 > 0:31:43and this means extra work for the farmers.
0:31:43 > 0:31:46But spring is now just around the corner.
0:31:46 > 0:31:53I don't particularly like the winter months, I really miss the sun.
0:31:53 > 0:31:55I like sun, I like to feel the sun on my back.
0:31:57 > 0:32:00I always feel spring's round the corner when you start to
0:32:00 > 0:32:01see the bulbs coming out.
0:32:01 > 0:32:04The snowdrops are popping through, and then you'll get the crocuses
0:32:04 > 0:32:07and the daffodils and that's when I feel,
0:32:07 > 0:32:09"Oh, spring's just about there."
0:32:09 > 0:32:11And you feel just the brightness.
0:32:14 > 0:32:17We're waiting and waiting and waiting for spring to come
0:32:17 > 0:32:21and today we heard the first curlew, which is a big lift,
0:32:21 > 0:32:24it's about ten days late, I think. But the noise of a curlew
0:32:24 > 0:32:28on a spring morning is just music to my ears, I just love it.
0:32:28 > 0:32:30So many signs that we look out for every year.
0:32:30 > 0:32:33It may seem totally daft, but they're big
0:32:33 > 0:32:37tick-offs in our springtime diary - the bumblebee, the first frogspawn.
0:32:39 > 0:32:43The seasons of the year, they are very linked with farming.
0:32:43 > 0:32:46You all have particular jobs you have to do,
0:32:46 > 0:32:49you're starting to prepare for lambing time and you are sorting
0:32:49 > 0:32:50the ones you're going to keep,
0:32:50 > 0:32:53so everything is linked and I like that.
0:32:55 > 0:32:58In the far north of Scotland, near Inverness,
0:32:58 > 0:33:03large-scale farmer, John Scott runs a successful business with over
0:33:03 > 0:33:071,000 acres and 4,000 sheep.
0:33:07 > 0:33:11As a farmer being out and about every day,
0:33:11 > 0:33:14you're always looking for the first signs of spring.
0:33:14 > 0:33:17There are signs and there are smells.
0:33:17 > 0:33:20It's a great time of year, that's when the farm looks its best,
0:33:20 > 0:33:23everything's growing, the crops are through the ground.
0:33:23 > 0:33:26But I suppose for us, as sheep farmers,
0:33:26 > 0:33:28the real sign of spring is lambs.
0:33:32 > 0:33:36Lambing here is on an industrial scale
0:33:36 > 0:33:39and John's huge sheds are now full of pregnant ewes.
0:33:44 > 0:33:47Up to 300 lambs will be born every day.
0:33:54 > 0:34:00But every year, John can lose over 15% of his lamb crop.
0:34:00 > 0:34:04This morning, there's one ewe whose progress
0:34:04 > 0:34:06John is particularly worried about.
0:34:07 > 0:34:13Rotten. So these lambs are rotten. Most likely dead.
0:34:13 > 0:34:16Don't know why, one of these things.
0:34:18 > 0:34:20This isn't going to smell very good.
0:34:22 > 0:34:23But...
0:34:25 > 0:34:28..all we got to do now is get them out of there...
0:34:30 > 0:34:32..because it's bad for the ewe
0:34:32 > 0:34:33to have them in there, obviously.
0:34:33 > 0:34:37If a lamb dies inside the womb, it can cause a fatal
0:34:37 > 0:34:40infection for the mother, so John must act quickly.
0:34:42 > 0:34:45The problem is if the belly is swollen behind it,
0:34:45 > 0:34:48I won't get this out here.
0:34:48 > 0:34:50LAMB BLEATS
0:34:52 > 0:34:55John's suspicion is confirmed.
0:34:55 > 0:34:57Unfortunately, the first lamb is dead.
0:35:00 > 0:35:02LAMB BLEATS
0:35:07 > 0:35:09This lamb's alive.
0:35:11 > 0:35:14I don't know how long it will be alive for.
0:35:17 > 0:35:20It never ceases to amaze me, how this lamb can be in there next to
0:35:20 > 0:35:24that rotten lamb and it's alive at the moment so...
0:35:24 > 0:35:27Sometimes a live lamb in a situation like this will give...
0:35:27 > 0:35:29LAMB BLEATS
0:35:29 > 0:35:32..the ewe the encouragement she needs to
0:35:32 > 0:35:33get up and try and live.
0:35:36 > 0:35:38It's not a great result having dead lambs...
0:35:38 > 0:35:40SHEEP BLEAT
0:35:40 > 0:35:43..but on the plus side, you've got one live one and that's what
0:35:43 > 0:35:46keeps you going, that's what gives you a bit of a boost.
0:35:52 > 0:35:54At Martin Irvine's farm, spring
0:35:54 > 0:35:55means starting at the very
0:35:55 > 0:35:57beginning of the life cycle.
0:36:00 > 0:36:02Today, he plans to collect some
0:36:02 > 0:36:05semen from his stock bull, Powerful Irish.
0:36:05 > 0:36:07Come here.
0:36:09 > 0:36:14This strong, well muscled animal has excellent and valuable genes
0:36:14 > 0:36:18and will hopefully father many future generations of calves.
0:36:19 > 0:36:23Good boy. Stop, stop, stop, stop.
0:36:24 > 0:36:25Oi.
0:36:25 > 0:36:28For this rather specialised procedure,
0:36:28 > 0:36:32Martin calls on the help of bull breeding consultant David Fleming.
0:36:32 > 0:36:35Yeah, you need a good sense of humour for this job, I think.
0:36:35 > 0:36:37And David, he's got a good sense of humour.
0:36:37 > 0:36:40Broad shoulders and thick skin, I tell you, it goes a long way!
0:36:40 > 0:36:42HE CHUCKLES
0:36:42 > 0:36:46Martin's haltered up a heifer, Eyecandy,
0:36:46 > 0:36:51to try and tease Irish into mating, but will she live up to her name?
0:36:51 > 0:36:54If she does, it's up to David to intervene
0:36:54 > 0:36:57and collect the semen sample using an artificial vagina.
0:36:57 > 0:37:00Between the time the bull approaches the heifer
0:37:00 > 0:37:03and he serves the heifer, naturally it's seconds, there's no
0:37:03 > 0:37:06foreplay, there's no foreplay at all for the bull, he's quick,
0:37:06 > 0:37:10so David's got to be extra quick to intervene
0:37:10 > 0:37:12to trick him and get the sample.
0:37:15 > 0:37:18It's not a job for the faint-hearted.
0:37:18 > 0:37:20Irish weighs close to one tonne
0:37:20 > 0:37:25and has been kept away from the ladies for five weeks.
0:37:25 > 0:37:28Martin's hoping it will have put him in a romantic frame of mind.
0:37:30 > 0:37:33David's on high alert.
0:37:33 > 0:37:37That's why we have the two bales here, just adds safety and security
0:37:37 > 0:37:40so as the cow can't move around too much.
0:37:45 > 0:37:46That's it, good boy, good boy.
0:37:46 > 0:37:48Right, Martin, pull him down.
0:37:48 > 0:37:51- Down, man. Down you come.- Good boy.
0:37:51 > 0:37:53That's a boy.
0:37:53 > 0:37:55That's fine, we'll have a look at that.
0:37:58 > 0:38:02That's my boy. That's my boy.
0:38:05 > 0:38:07The semen sample is off for analysis.
0:38:07 > 0:38:10What Eyecandy makes of it all is anyone's guess.
0:38:12 > 0:38:14This measures the sperm count.
0:38:15 > 0:38:18That's got a saline solution in there and there's a light
0:38:18 > 0:38:22goes through and obviously the thicker the semen is,
0:38:22 > 0:38:25then the better quality is, like, you know.
0:38:26 > 0:38:30Irish's semen goes through several test processes.
0:38:30 > 0:38:33Movement and density are measured which will add up to give
0:38:33 > 0:38:34a quality rating.
0:38:34 > 0:38:36Yeah, that's good.
0:38:36 > 0:38:39That's a four on motility on a scale of zero to five.
0:38:40 > 0:38:44And it's five, five mil,
0:38:44 > 0:38:46so it's a fair old amount he's
0:38:46 > 0:38:50given for such a youngster, but he's a good producing bull,
0:38:50 > 0:38:53which is ideally what you want.
0:38:53 > 0:38:54Yeah, I'm happy with that.
0:38:54 > 0:38:57Ken, Irish you could see he was wound up, he was in the mood,
0:38:57 > 0:39:00he knew exactly what was going on and he knew what was happening,
0:39:00 > 0:39:04So we just took a bit of time to tease him
0:39:04 > 0:39:06and cool him down a bit cos he was a bit too excited at the start.
0:39:06 > 0:39:09And then, good on David for doing what he did,
0:39:09 > 0:39:12because you have to be quick, really quick there,
0:39:12 > 0:39:15so it's a good sample, so we're happy, like.
0:39:19 > 0:39:23Spring has definitely sprung as far as Irish is concerned.
0:39:24 > 0:39:27David and Martin manage to harvest another three
0:39:27 > 0:39:30samples before standing the young bull down.
0:39:30 > 0:39:33Good boy, that's it. That's it.
0:39:34 > 0:39:37The semen will be sent to a lab where it's frozen
0:39:37 > 0:39:40and stored in small units called straws.
0:39:41 > 0:39:45After a few sums by David, Martin can see how much
0:39:45 > 0:39:48was harvested from Irish today.
0:39:48 > 0:39:52So we did four jumps today, normally we'll do three jumps
0:39:52 > 0:39:55but the third jump was quite good, so we went and tried a fourth jump
0:39:55 > 0:39:57and it looks like it was worth it.
0:39:57 > 0:39:59It was definitely worth it, in fact.
0:39:59 > 0:40:01THEY LAUGH
0:40:01 > 0:40:05So the first jump, 240 straws,
0:40:05 > 0:40:07second jump, 170 straws,
0:40:07 > 0:40:10third jump, 195 straws,
0:40:10 > 0:40:15and the fourth jump 220 straws, so delighted, really delighted.
0:40:20 > 0:40:25Martin has ended up with a bumper crop of over 12 hundred straws.
0:40:26 > 0:40:30As each can sell for £25, Irish's efforts this
0:40:30 > 0:40:33afternoon could bring in over £30,000.
0:40:35 > 0:40:36It's a lucrative income,
0:40:36 > 0:40:40and a way of future-proofing the bloodline of his pedigree herd.
0:40:55 > 0:41:00At John Scott's farm, his pedigree herd is about to get a new addition.
0:41:00 > 0:41:03Spring is also a busy calving time for him
0:41:03 > 0:41:07and tonight, he's keeping an eye on one of his pedigree shorthorns.
0:41:08 > 0:41:10She's in labour.
0:41:10 > 0:41:15So we've just got a two-year-old heifer calving at the moment.
0:41:15 > 0:41:17She has been calving probably three hours now.
0:41:17 > 0:41:19I'm just a wee bit concerned she's, she's one of our smaller
0:41:19 > 0:41:23heifers so we're just going to take her in and examine things.
0:41:23 > 0:41:28I suspect we are going to have to help her give birth to the calf.
0:41:31 > 0:41:35With the heifer safely secured, John examines her to gauge how
0:41:35 > 0:41:39likely it is for her to give birth unaided.
0:41:39 > 0:41:42Her pelvis is too narrow to get that calf out of there.
0:41:47 > 0:41:49I'm going to phone the vet for assistance.
0:41:51 > 0:41:54It's just before 12.30 when the vet arrives.
0:41:58 > 0:42:00Have you been to bed yet?
0:42:00 > 0:42:01Not yet.
0:42:01 > 0:42:04Barcelona-born vet Paco Morera has been
0:42:04 > 0:42:07practising in Scotland for 15 years.
0:42:07 > 0:42:10Is it worth having a check? What do you think?
0:42:10 > 0:42:13I think you should have a check, yes.
0:42:13 > 0:42:16The heifer has been struggling in labour now for over four hours.
0:42:20 > 0:42:23First, Paco wants to assess the calf.
0:42:23 > 0:42:26I'm just trying to check if it's still alive.
0:42:26 > 0:42:27I'll be disappointed if it's not.
0:42:27 > 0:42:29She's not been going, 8 o'clock start?
0:42:31 > 0:42:32Yeah, still alive.
0:42:33 > 0:42:34We'll open the side
0:42:34 > 0:42:39and it will, we will have more chances of having an alive both.
0:42:39 > 0:42:41Paco decides on a Caesarean.
0:42:41 > 0:42:45It's a major operation but he does at least 30 a year.
0:42:47 > 0:42:51A live calf, very narrow pelvis,
0:42:51 > 0:42:55small heifer... We could try,
0:42:55 > 0:42:59but if we try, you know, just to get it out through the back
0:42:59 > 0:43:01and it gets stuck at the pelvis,
0:43:01 > 0:43:06we are likely to damage the heifer and maybe lose the calf.
0:43:07 > 0:43:09The heifer is able to stand throughout
0:43:09 > 0:43:12with just her side anesthetised.
0:43:12 > 0:43:14Whoa, lass, whoa, lass.
0:43:14 > 0:43:18A straightforward Caesarean should take about an hour to perform.
0:43:18 > 0:43:20- You ready?- I'm ready.
0:43:20 > 0:43:23Paco has to cut through several layers of muscle
0:43:23 > 0:43:26and then the womb wall to reach the calf.
0:43:27 > 0:43:29Stop it, lass, come on.
0:43:30 > 0:43:32There's a lot at stake.
0:43:34 > 0:43:38This heifer here's probably worth something in the region of
0:43:38 > 0:43:40£2,500 to £3,000.
0:43:40 > 0:43:43Don't like putting any pressure on Paco when he is doing the job but...
0:43:43 > 0:43:45HE CHUCKLES
0:43:45 > 0:43:4920 minutes into the operation, Paco hits a problem.
0:43:50 > 0:43:52He's trying to get hold of the calf...
0:43:54 > 0:43:55..but the calf has other ideas.
0:43:56 > 0:44:00Just moving away from me, the calf.
0:44:01 > 0:44:03I suspect it's a pretty big calf.
0:44:06 > 0:44:09Paco needs to get the calf into position
0:44:09 > 0:44:12so he can pull it out without tearing the womb.
0:44:13 > 0:44:17Because of its size, he has very little room to manoeuvre.
0:44:19 > 0:44:22It's going to be difficult even with that, OK?
0:44:23 > 0:44:26At last Paco gets hold of a foot.
0:44:27 > 0:44:30Yeah, is that good? Help?
0:44:32 > 0:44:35With such a large calf packed into such a tiny space,
0:44:35 > 0:44:39it takes the strength of three men to winch it out.
0:44:39 > 0:44:42Keep going. Keep going.
0:44:45 > 0:44:48Work on the calf, I'll deal with the mother.
0:44:48 > 0:44:51John moves in quickly to make sure it's breathing.
0:44:51 > 0:44:54I'm just making sure the calf's OK.
0:44:54 > 0:44:57I think it's, it's fine
0:44:57 > 0:44:59but that is far too big a calf
0:44:59 > 0:45:01for a heifer, it's a heifer calf.
0:45:01 > 0:45:04It's fine. We're happy with that, it's living.
0:45:04 > 0:45:06Yeah, it's just huge, though.
0:45:06 > 0:45:09Yeah, it would have never come out the other end.
0:45:10 > 0:45:14You know, there's no doubt that the right decision was made
0:45:14 > 0:45:16to give Paco a shout.
0:45:17 > 0:45:19Cos if we'd try to calve that ourselves,
0:45:19 > 0:45:21that would have ended in disaster.
0:45:23 > 0:45:25The calf is a healthy female.
0:45:26 > 0:45:28Now Paco and John must focus on her mother.
0:45:28 > 0:45:31Now we probably have about half an hour,
0:45:31 > 0:45:3340 minutes of checking stitching, you know,
0:45:33 > 0:45:39making sure that we do everything first, to make sure that she's OK.
0:45:39 > 0:45:43But second, if we can, to make sure that she can carry on having calves.
0:45:45 > 0:45:50The calf at the moment is fine, it's just that looking around,
0:45:50 > 0:45:54surveying the world that it's just arrived into.
0:45:54 > 0:45:56Before too long it will be thinking about trying to get up
0:45:56 > 0:45:58and looking for a suck from Mum.
0:45:58 > 0:46:02It's been a long operation but it's gone well.
0:46:03 > 0:46:06Euch. The joys of being a vet, eh?
0:46:08 > 0:46:11- How lovely.- Good, thanks, Paco. - Take care.- Yeah.
0:46:11 > 0:46:13- OK. See you, bye.- Cheers. Yeah.
0:46:26 > 0:46:29It's the middle of spring but in the north-east of Scotland,
0:46:29 > 0:46:34an unseasonable blast of wintry weather arrives at the worst
0:46:34 > 0:46:36possible time for the Irvines.
0:46:40 > 0:46:43It's just over five months since they tupped their sheep
0:46:43 > 0:46:45and they are now in the middle of lambing.
0:46:48 > 0:46:50Ten days into lambing
0:46:50 > 0:46:55and the weather's decided to go wrong for us, really.
0:46:59 > 0:47:01The lambs are born in the shed,
0:47:01 > 0:47:04and would usually be put out into the fields within a few days.
0:47:07 > 0:47:11But the weather's too cold for them to survive outside,
0:47:11 > 0:47:15so Mel and Martin must keep them indoors and monitor them all.
0:47:16 > 0:47:18If I see any lambs with empty bellies or hunched up,
0:47:18 > 0:47:21they're not looking well, obviously they've not found their mum
0:47:21 > 0:47:23so I'll have to pair them up again or pen them.
0:47:23 > 0:47:25SHEEP BAA
0:47:25 > 0:47:28We'll just take a walk through them and see how things are.
0:47:36 > 0:47:38Martin finds a lamb that needs help.
0:47:38 > 0:47:41Number 119 was born in the middle of the night,
0:47:41 > 0:47:45but his mother was not producing enough milk to feed him.
0:47:45 > 0:47:47Now he is critically weak.
0:47:47 > 0:47:49This is one of the twins,
0:47:49 > 0:47:51and see this hyper extending,
0:47:51 > 0:47:53he's throwing his head back,
0:47:53 > 0:47:54he's an empty belly.
0:47:56 > 0:47:58It doesn't look good so what I'll do is go fill his belly with milk,
0:47:58 > 0:48:00put him under a heat lamp.
0:48:02 > 0:48:04He doesn't look like a happy camper.
0:48:07 > 0:48:09The lamb is severely dehydrated.
0:48:09 > 0:48:14Martin takes him straight to the pet pen where weak or rejected lambs
0:48:14 > 0:48:16can be handfed and more closely watched.
0:48:25 > 0:48:26Morning.
0:48:26 > 0:48:31Mel and Martin have been lambing now for ten days and ten nights,
0:48:31 > 0:48:35snatching sleep in the caravan whenever they can.
0:48:38 > 0:48:41The huge workload is taking its toll.
0:48:44 > 0:48:45I can't function with...
0:48:50 > 0:48:52..not enough sleep.
0:48:54 > 0:48:57Mel is up to handfeed 119.
0:48:57 > 0:49:01We'll give it a bellyful of milk, we'll give it a chance.
0:49:01 > 0:49:03If it won't survive with a belly full of milk
0:49:03 > 0:49:06and a heat up, then there's something wrong with it.
0:49:06 > 0:49:08If it doesn't survive that, it will die pretty quick, really.
0:49:12 > 0:49:14The lamb is too weak to suck from
0:49:14 > 0:49:17the bottle so Mel has to pass a tube
0:49:17 > 0:49:19down his throat so she can syringe
0:49:19 > 0:49:21milk directly into his stomach.
0:49:23 > 0:49:25With the way that lamb's looking,
0:49:25 > 0:49:29I give it about a 20% chance of living the rest of the day.
0:49:30 > 0:49:33If it's going to come round, it'll come round in the next
0:49:33 > 0:49:36couple of hours, if not, it'll just deteriorate and get worse.
0:49:42 > 0:49:45119 is in such a bad way,
0:49:45 > 0:49:48Mel decides to keep a closer eye on him.
0:49:48 > 0:49:53The little pet lambs are all crowded round the heat lamp,
0:49:53 > 0:49:56so to give this one a better chance,
0:49:56 > 0:49:59I'm just going to keep him in the caravan,
0:49:59 > 0:50:03which is nice and warm, wrap him in a towel...
0:50:05 > 0:50:08..keep him warm for a wee while so he doesn't get piled up on.
0:50:11 > 0:50:16Almost half of lamb deaths happen within 48 hours of birth,
0:50:16 > 0:50:18so the next few hours are critical.
0:50:27 > 0:50:31Three hours later, Mel checks up on 119.
0:50:35 > 0:50:37Look at my baby!
0:50:40 > 0:50:42He's alive!
0:50:44 > 0:50:46LAMB BLEATS
0:50:51 > 0:50:53The little lamb has made it.
0:50:54 > 0:50:58Now he can join his twin, also 119.
0:51:11 > 0:51:14Summer arrives at last.
0:51:14 > 0:51:18It's a time of year that many of the farmers look forward to.
0:51:18 > 0:51:20Long days, better weather, grass growing...
0:51:22 > 0:51:25..and the chance for animals to graze freely outside.
0:51:26 > 0:51:29Summer's finally here and I love it.
0:51:29 > 0:51:31I can finally get out of my wellies and waterproofs.
0:51:31 > 0:51:35The grass is lush and green. Everything is thriving,
0:51:35 > 0:51:37calves, sheep, lambs.
0:51:37 > 0:51:39And for the farmer it is the best time of year because
0:51:39 > 0:51:41we get outside and enjoy the sun.
0:51:41 > 0:51:44When the weather's right, farming's a great job and I enjoy it.
0:51:46 > 0:51:50There is a freedom to the long days of summer, when you can
0:51:50 > 0:51:55carry on working outside till midnight, if you choose.
0:52:00 > 0:52:04Today, hill farmers Sybil and George are welcoming some of their cows
0:52:04 > 0:52:06and new calves back to the farm.
0:52:09 > 0:52:12Wee baby calves are absolutely beautiful.
0:52:12 > 0:52:15They run and play and skip as soon as they're, as they're able
0:52:15 > 0:52:17and that's, that's fantastic.
0:52:17 > 0:52:19Sent away in November,
0:52:19 > 0:52:20the mothers have spent the winter
0:52:20 > 0:52:23months under cover in the Lowlands.
0:52:24 > 0:52:25You're OK, girls.
0:52:25 > 0:52:28Just steady, steady, steady, steady, steady.
0:52:28 > 0:52:30They're still feeling a bit spooky having come home
0:52:30 > 0:52:34from their winter shed quarters to the great outdoors.
0:52:36 > 0:52:39The cattle's returning was delayed by about three weeks this year.
0:52:39 > 0:52:42Because the weather was so cold and wet,
0:52:42 > 0:52:46there was absolutely no grass here to bring them home to.
0:52:46 > 0:52:47You're OK, girls.
0:52:47 > 0:52:51It's important just to let them settle down, it's a huge transition,
0:52:51 > 0:52:54coming out of a shed and a big journey on a lorry,
0:52:54 > 0:52:57so, you know, we have to keep a careful eye on them
0:52:57 > 0:53:00for that first week or two, really, when they first come home.
0:53:00 > 0:53:03Many of the cows calved while they were away.
0:53:04 > 0:53:06For them probably this year,
0:53:06 > 0:53:08it was very much a good idea that they calved, most of them
0:53:08 > 0:53:12calved away from home, in a sheltered shed rather than being
0:53:12 > 0:53:14outside during the month of May,
0:53:14 > 0:53:17which was so exceptionally cold and wet here.
0:53:17 > 0:53:19There's a wee calf there with his mum.
0:53:19 > 0:53:23With such young calves now a part of the herd,
0:53:23 > 0:53:25Sybil and George are being cautious.
0:53:25 > 0:53:29Will you let me come close to you? Hello, Squeaky!
0:53:29 > 0:53:30No?
0:53:30 > 0:53:33You've just got to be wary of them, especially when just a wee
0:53:33 > 0:53:37baby born can, can stir the maternal instinct of the other cows.
0:53:41 > 0:53:45It's great to see them home, really, especially when the weather is
0:53:45 > 0:53:49reasonable like it is today and it's got a bit milder, and well,
0:53:49 > 0:53:51the calves are just the next generation
0:53:51 > 0:53:53and they play and fight and have fun,
0:53:53 > 0:53:57just like any youngster, and it's great to watch them.
0:53:57 > 0:53:58Hello.
0:53:58 > 0:54:00Will you come and speak?
0:54:02 > 0:54:07I'll never forget how lucky I am to have the opportunity to farm,
0:54:07 > 0:54:09it's something that I love.
0:54:11 > 0:54:15Nature is absolutely incredible and to be involved with it
0:54:15 > 0:54:18and be as close to it as I am, with my work on the farm in this
0:54:18 > 0:54:21type of environment, I think I'm extremely lucky.
0:54:32 > 0:54:36At the Irvine's family farm in the north-east of Scotland,
0:54:36 > 0:54:38Martin can also let his Limousin cows
0:54:38 > 0:54:41and calves out of the sheds, into the fields.
0:54:42 > 0:54:45Such a nice feeling getting them outside.
0:54:45 > 0:54:48This is official, when the cows go outside, to us,
0:54:48 > 0:54:49that's summer beginning, really.
0:54:49 > 0:54:50Are you all right, girls?
0:54:52 > 0:54:55COWS MOO
0:54:55 > 0:54:59They'll enjoy this. The 25th of October they came inside,
0:54:59 > 0:55:02and they've been inside since then every day through the winter,
0:55:02 > 0:55:06getting fed, pretty much the same ration, same company.
0:55:06 > 0:55:08So when you let them out, the legs will be in the air,
0:55:08 > 0:55:11the tails will be up in the air and they'll be off.
0:55:11 > 0:55:12It must be a good feeling for them,
0:55:12 > 0:55:15it must be a good feeling getting outside in the field again.
0:55:15 > 0:55:19The sun's out and it's quite warm so, yeah, about time.
0:55:21 > 0:55:24Jumbo is now six months old.
0:55:24 > 0:55:27He and his fellow calves have never been outside before.
0:55:27 > 0:55:29So Jumbo, he's in here.
0:55:29 > 0:55:34Jaya, Jurassic, Juventus, what they need is to get outside
0:55:34 > 0:55:39and get exercise and stretch their legs and eat grass, pretty much.
0:55:39 > 0:55:41Come on, then, come on, then!
0:55:43 > 0:55:44Go on.
0:55:51 > 0:55:52Go on.
0:55:53 > 0:55:55Come on, guys.
0:56:00 > 0:56:02So that's Jumbo, that's his batch out,
0:56:02 > 0:56:05so that's all the back end calfers out.
0:56:05 > 0:56:08That'll be the most exercise they've had their whole lives.
0:56:08 > 0:56:10They'll run about for a couple of hours,
0:56:10 > 0:56:13it'll be a new experience for them, freedom.
0:56:13 > 0:56:15Hopefully, this summer they'll just
0:56:15 > 0:56:19thrive on and mushroom and just keep growing, that's what you want.
0:56:24 > 0:56:27Now it's time for the pregnant heifers,
0:56:27 > 0:56:30carrying the next generation of calves.
0:56:36 > 0:56:39That feeling there, for them must be a great feeling.
0:56:39 > 0:56:42Just getting back out onto the grass again and away,
0:56:42 > 0:56:44stretching their legs.
0:56:44 > 0:56:49They'll run about for about half an hour, just playing, to be honest.
0:56:49 > 0:56:51They'll just run about as a group,
0:56:51 > 0:56:53smelling everything, seeing everything.
0:56:58 > 0:56:59Big, strong, sweet.
0:57:01 > 0:57:03This is like the elite pretty much, this is our best,
0:57:03 > 0:57:05this is the cream of our crop in front of us here.
0:57:05 > 0:57:06This is our future.
0:57:08 > 0:57:10And to me it's looking good.
0:57:15 > 0:57:17Farming is just in you.
0:57:17 > 0:57:21And you don't do it for money, you do it because you enjoy it.
0:57:23 > 0:57:25I love it. There's nothing like,
0:57:25 > 0:57:29nothing like a day on the hills or the moors with your dogs.
0:57:33 > 0:57:36I don't know why I love pigs.
0:57:38 > 0:57:40It's hard to beat seeing a pile of lambs,
0:57:40 > 0:57:44maybe 50 lambs racing up and down a fence line and really having fun.
0:57:44 > 0:57:46That's probably the best sign of spring for me.
0:57:47 > 0:57:51We live and work in a fabulous part of the world.
0:57:51 > 0:57:54Things that we can see and experience are just unique.
0:57:54 > 0:57:56Will, good lad. Come on, Will!
0:57:56 > 0:57:59We're not going to get rich farming on this type of land,
0:57:59 > 0:58:02but the lifestyle is good.
0:58:07 > 0:58:10If you're a farmer, it's bred into you,
0:58:10 > 0:58:13you don't want to do anything else, it's what you love doing.
0:58:20 > 0:58:23She's just perfect, happy with that.
0:58:23 > 0:58:25Farming life, it changes every day.
0:58:25 > 0:58:28Every season there's something different.
0:58:28 > 0:58:30It's not a job, it's a way of life.