0:00:30 > 0:00:34OK, Matt, just take a moment, let's stand still
0:00:34 > 0:00:36and just have a listen...
0:00:36 > 0:00:39BIRDSONG ..because all around us is life.
0:00:39 > 0:00:42- It's beautiful, isn't it? - Yeah, chirping in the hedgerows,
0:00:42 > 0:00:45creeping through the undergrowth and soaring on a wing
0:00:45 > 0:00:50because this is the magical landscape of the Somerset Levels.
0:00:50 > 0:00:51Yeah, this week, Anita and I are
0:00:51 > 0:00:53on the hunt for the common crane.
0:00:53 > 0:00:55Now, it's a bird that's been
0:00:55 > 0:00:56brought back from the brink.
0:00:56 > 0:00:58It's now thriving in this area,
0:00:58 > 0:01:00as it's been taken under the wing by the locals.
0:01:03 > 0:01:05They're up, they're up, they're up!
0:01:07 > 0:01:11Also on today's programme, in a brand-new feature,
0:01:11 > 0:01:15we get exclusive access behind the scenes of life as a rural vet...
0:01:16 > 0:01:19It's a little bit livelier than I was expecting, if I'm honest!
0:01:21 > 0:01:22..Charlotte uncovers a new threat
0:01:22 > 0:01:24thought to be hiding in our seawater...
0:01:26 > 0:01:29- So, that there, that is the superbug?- Yes, it is.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32..and Adam's down on the farm as winter's icy grip takes hold.
0:01:32 > 0:01:34It was blizzarding. I opened the gate
0:01:34 > 0:01:37and let the cattle out of this field into here,
0:01:37 > 0:01:40where there was more shelter for them. And some of them are here,
0:01:40 > 0:01:42but the rest of them have disappeared
0:01:42 > 0:01:44into this sort of scrubby area,
0:01:44 > 0:01:46so I'm going to go and find them. I don't know where they are.
0:01:57 > 0:02:01- MATT:- These are the Somerset Levels, a watery world
0:02:01 > 0:02:04where ditches, drains and rivers crisscross the land.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09It might look ordered, but this is a wild place.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13The Levels stretch across more than 230 square miles,
0:02:13 > 0:02:16much of it barely above sea level.
0:02:17 > 0:02:21The wetland draws up to 100,000 over-wintering birds
0:02:21 > 0:02:22at this time of year.
0:02:22 > 0:02:26This place is world-famous for its birdlife,
0:02:26 > 0:02:29but eight years ago, that fame shot sky-high
0:02:29 > 0:02:33when a bird that used to live here hundreds of years ago
0:02:33 > 0:02:35was back on the scene.
0:02:36 > 0:02:38The common crane.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41It was driven to extinction in the 16th century
0:02:41 > 0:02:44through overhunting and loss of wetland,
0:02:44 > 0:02:48but through the Great Crane Project, the birds have returned.
0:02:48 > 0:02:53Back in 2014, staff were committed to raising their brood,
0:02:53 > 0:02:55from the moment of arrival...
0:02:57 > 0:02:59These are the most precious things that we've got.
0:02:59 > 0:03:03We literally have all our eggs in one basket, so to speak.
0:03:03 > 0:03:07..to teaching the young cranes, well, how to be a crane.
0:03:07 > 0:03:08- WHISPERS:- This is wonderful.
0:03:10 > 0:03:14And at four months old, they were released onto the Somerset Levels.
0:03:14 > 0:03:16When I left them, everybody involved
0:03:16 > 0:03:19were holding their breath, they were crossing everything,
0:03:19 > 0:03:23just hoping that the main aim of the project would be fulfilled,
0:03:23 > 0:03:26that those hand-reared chicks would go on
0:03:26 > 0:03:29to have little ones of their own in the wild
0:03:29 > 0:03:32and I cannot wait to find out how they've got on.
0:03:34 > 0:03:39Damon Bridge from the RSPB has been keeping a close eye on the birds
0:03:39 > 0:03:40ever since their release.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43So, come on then, what's the latest?
0:03:43 > 0:03:46Well, the best news is that they have bred successfully in the wild.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49- Brilliant! - And we've got 11 chicks now,
0:03:49 > 0:03:51which have been produced over the last three years,
0:03:51 > 0:03:54which have joined that founding flock.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56The thing that's most striking
0:03:56 > 0:03:59is that the birds have clearly learned to be better at breeding.
0:03:59 > 0:04:02They've adapted and changed their nesting behaviour slightly,
0:04:02 > 0:04:05so there are pairs that have... This year might have been
0:04:05 > 0:04:08their third attempt at trying to breed successfully,
0:04:08 > 0:04:09but they've made it.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11And to think that, eight years ago,
0:04:11 > 0:04:14there were no cranes in this area and now, you know,
0:04:14 > 0:04:17you've got a population that's well and truly back.
0:04:17 > 0:04:18It's really special,
0:04:18 > 0:04:22particularly seeing the birds that we've reared with their own young
0:04:22 > 0:04:27and just behaving entirely like a wild parent crane should
0:04:27 > 0:04:30in rearing and tending very, very carefully to their chicks
0:04:30 > 0:04:32and they've made fantastic parents
0:04:32 > 0:04:36and that's so hard to imagine that that would have been possible
0:04:36 > 0:04:39from a chick that started life in an incubator,
0:04:39 > 0:04:42being reared by hand, so it's...
0:04:42 > 0:04:43Yeah, it's quite remarkable.
0:04:45 > 0:04:492017 was the project's most successful breeding year yet.
0:04:51 > 0:04:53But even though the cranes are thriving,
0:04:53 > 0:04:57a dedicated team are still keeping a watchful eye over the flock.
0:05:00 > 0:05:04Volunteers have tagged the cranes with coloured rings
0:05:04 > 0:05:05to help identify them.
0:05:10 > 0:05:13It's not easy to spot the cranes in this landscape.
0:05:13 > 0:05:17Volunteers like Liz, Di and Pete have got the patience
0:05:17 > 0:05:19and the keen eyes and ears that's needed.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25You can hear them now, can you?
0:05:25 > 0:05:27Listen, in the distance over there.
0:05:27 > 0:05:31I always think they sound a bit like a tuneful goose.
0:05:32 > 0:05:34Let's hope no geese are listening!
0:05:34 > 0:05:36THEY LAUGH
0:05:36 > 0:05:38Right, so nothing over this side.
0:05:38 > 0:05:40What about you, Pete?
0:05:40 > 0:05:42We've got eight cranes over here.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45Eight?! You kept that quiet!
0:05:45 > 0:05:47Hang on. Where am I looking, Pete?
0:05:48 > 0:05:52Just come straight down to the water, just the edge of the water.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55Yeah, yeah, yeah! I've got them, I've got them.
0:05:55 > 0:05:59Hello! Are they quite difficult to keep tabs on, then?
0:06:00 > 0:06:06- Yes, they're very difficult to spot, especially in long grass.- Mm.
0:06:06 > 0:06:08You can hear them very often as well,
0:06:08 > 0:06:11and you're looking and looking and you just can't see them.
0:06:11 > 0:06:13And they're a big bird.
0:06:13 > 0:06:15You must get a great amount of satisfaction
0:06:15 > 0:06:18when you do sit here like this and you're looking at them
0:06:18 > 0:06:23through your telescope and just watching them go about their...
0:06:23 > 0:06:24their wild business now.
0:06:24 > 0:06:28- Yes, yes, it's a joy to be out here as well, isn't it?- For sure.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33This is a real wildlife success story
0:06:33 > 0:06:35and the plight of the cranes here
0:06:35 > 0:06:38has made its mark on so many of the locals,
0:06:38 > 0:06:40as I'll be finding out later.
0:06:41 > 0:06:45Now, even on a wintry day like today, there are those brave souls
0:06:45 > 0:06:49who are keen to take to the freezing waters around our shores.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52Now, even though our seas may look clean,
0:06:52 > 0:06:55they may contain a hidden threat. Here's Charlotte.
0:07:02 > 0:07:06A day at the seaside with plenty of fresh air.
0:07:06 > 0:07:08Even in weather as wild as today's,
0:07:08 > 0:07:13you don't need a doctor to know it's good for your health.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16A lot of work goes into ensuring our beach waters
0:07:16 > 0:07:19are clean and safe for us all to enjoy,
0:07:19 > 0:07:23even for those courageous or, frankly, foolish enough
0:07:23 > 0:07:25to get in in midwinter.
0:07:25 > 0:07:29But research seen exclusively by Countryfile reveals new threats.
0:07:29 > 0:07:33You can't see them, but they have superpowers.
0:07:33 > 0:07:35These are dangerous bacteria
0:07:35 > 0:07:38which have developed a resistance to antibiotics,
0:07:38 > 0:07:40and they're right here in the water.
0:07:43 > 0:07:45They're the superbugs.
0:07:45 > 0:07:46We've all seen the headlines -
0:07:46 > 0:07:49our hospitals are at war with them.
0:07:49 > 0:07:53MRSA and E. coli are posing a real threat to us,
0:07:53 > 0:07:56as the drugs normally used to treat them stop working.
0:07:56 > 0:08:01It's predicted they could be causing more deaths than cancer by 2050,
0:08:01 > 0:08:03with the UK's Chief Medical Officer
0:08:03 > 0:08:06ranking them alongside climate change and terrorism.
0:08:07 > 0:08:12Back in 2014, I investigated how the overuse of antibiotics in farming
0:08:12 > 0:08:16can help spread these superbugs from animals to people.
0:08:18 > 0:08:20Now there's new research,
0:08:20 > 0:08:23published today by the University of Exeter Medical School.
0:08:24 > 0:08:26It reveals that not only
0:08:26 > 0:08:30are these antibiotic-resistant bacteria found in our seawater,
0:08:30 > 0:08:33but they're also finding their way into people.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36The results show that resistant E. coli bacteria are found
0:08:36 > 0:08:39in the coastal waters of England and Wales
0:08:39 > 0:08:41and that their levels are high enough
0:08:41 > 0:08:44to pose an exposure risk to water users,
0:08:44 > 0:08:50with more than 2.5 million exposure events estimated in 2015.
0:08:50 > 0:08:52That means people using the water
0:08:52 > 0:08:56are coming into contact with these superbugs,
0:08:56 > 0:08:59people like David Smith from Surfers Against Sewage.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02He was one of the first to be tested in this study
0:09:02 > 0:09:05and is all too aware of the dangers.
0:09:05 > 0:09:06- Hello, David.- Hi.
0:09:06 > 0:09:08- You weren't tempted?- I was tempted,
0:09:08 > 0:09:11- but it's just too rough, too big and windy.- And too cold!
0:09:11 > 0:09:14- Let's find somewhere a bit more sheltered.- Good idea.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20David, it's not just the weather,
0:09:20 > 0:09:23you must be concerned by the high levels of bacteria in the sea.
0:09:23 > 0:09:28Yeah, we've seen improvements over the last 20 to 30 years or so,
0:09:28 > 0:09:32which have made our waters amazing, but this new emergent threat
0:09:32 > 0:09:35of resistant bacteria to antibiotics is a worrying one.
0:09:35 > 0:09:37Now, you've got involved in the research on this,
0:09:37 > 0:09:40which brings us to the rather wonderfully named Beach Bum Survey.
0:09:40 > 0:09:42- Just talk us through that. - So, yeah, it's a great survey
0:09:42 > 0:09:44that we've done with the University of Exeter.
0:09:44 > 0:09:48We've helped to recruit 150 surfers and non-surfers
0:09:48 > 0:09:51to take some swabs and to see what level
0:09:51 > 0:09:54of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is present in their gut.
0:09:56 > 0:09:59The results showed that surfers were three times more likely
0:09:59 > 0:10:02to be carrying the resistant bacteria in their guts.
0:10:04 > 0:10:07This risk of picking up superbugs from seawater
0:10:07 > 0:10:10is at its worst when heavy rains cause raw sewage
0:10:10 > 0:10:13to overflow into our rivers and onto beaches.
0:10:14 > 0:10:16It's not just surfers affected here.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18Anyone who uses the beach is potentially affected,
0:10:18 > 0:10:20so what can people do?
0:10:20 > 0:10:22We provide a free service, the Safer Seas Service,
0:10:22 > 0:10:25which alerts any beach users to pollution events
0:10:25 > 0:10:27and that increased risk of getting ill.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30It's downloadable as an app, so you can subscribe to your local beach
0:10:30 > 0:10:32or you can go online and view an interactive map.
0:10:33 > 0:10:37You can find details of the app on the Countryfile website.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40A healthy surfer or swimmer carrying the bacteria
0:10:40 > 0:10:44is unlikely to get ill, but these bugs can spread to others,
0:10:44 > 0:10:47and can pose a risk to people with weak immune systems -
0:10:47 > 0:10:50the old, the young, and those already sick.
0:10:52 > 0:10:54It's alarming enough to realise that these bacteria
0:10:54 > 0:10:56are present in our environment
0:10:56 > 0:11:00and, from there, could be passing from person to person,
0:11:00 > 0:11:02but where are these bacteria coming from?
0:11:04 > 0:11:07Dr Anne Leonard from the University of Exeter Medical School
0:11:07 > 0:11:11and lead author of the Beach Bum study says it's from inland sources,
0:11:11 > 0:11:15such as waste water and farms, which is why we're sampling this water
0:11:15 > 0:11:17before it even gets to the sea.
0:11:18 > 0:11:22- There we go. Is that enough? - Perfect, yeah, that's great.- Great.
0:11:22 > 0:11:25- So what are you actually looking for in here?- We're looking for
0:11:25 > 0:11:28antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the water.
0:11:28 > 0:11:30And how do you find them?
0:11:30 > 0:11:33We take these back to the lab and then we try to grow bacteria
0:11:33 > 0:11:37in the water sample on agar containing antibiotics.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41- I have some plates that I can show you.- OK.
0:11:41 > 0:11:42In the right conditions,
0:11:42 > 0:11:46the sugary agar is the perfect food to encourage bacteria to grow.
0:11:46 > 0:11:51These are the bacteria that we've isolated from beach water
0:11:51 > 0:11:53and you can see on this plate,
0:11:53 > 0:11:56this is agar that hasn't got any antibiotics in it,
0:11:56 > 0:12:00and you can see how many different kinds of bacteria are growing on it
0:12:00 > 0:12:03and then this is the plate with antibiotics
0:12:03 > 0:12:06and we only have one little colony, but you can see it's quite clear.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09- So, that there, that's the superbug?- Yes.
0:12:09 > 0:12:11That is a resistant bacterium, yes.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14So is the most sensible thing, then, just not to go into the water?
0:12:14 > 0:12:18No. We wouldn't advise people avoid going in the water.
0:12:18 > 0:12:22There are plenty of health benefits to be gained from going in the sea -
0:12:22 > 0:12:25physical health benefits and mental wellbeing.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29The advantages of enjoying the sea
0:12:29 > 0:12:33still far outweigh the risk posed by superbugs,
0:12:33 > 0:12:36but their presence here is a real and growing problem
0:12:36 > 0:12:39and one that scientists are only just starting to understand.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44With no quick fix on the horizon, what can we do?
0:12:44 > 0:12:46Well, later, I'll be finding out more
0:12:46 > 0:12:49about why this is happening and what we might be able to do about it.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01ANITA: This is Somerset -
0:13:01 > 0:13:06a vibrant working landscape, celebrated for its rich heritage.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11Home to the legend of King Arthur,
0:13:11 > 0:13:15this magical place is also known as the land of Avalon,
0:13:15 > 0:13:17which, in modern-day English,
0:13:17 > 0:13:20can be translated into the Isle of the Apples.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23And, surrounded by this many fruit trees, it's easy to see why.
0:13:25 > 0:13:29And in this county, apples are known for one thing.
0:13:29 > 0:13:31Cider.
0:13:35 > 0:13:41Hidden away among 180 acres of apple orchards is Pass Vale Farm.
0:13:42 > 0:13:46Julian Temperley is part of this proud cider-making tradition.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50- Hello, Julian.- How do.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52Lovely to see you.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55So how long has this place been producing cider?
0:13:55 > 0:13:59I think we've been making cider here for at least sort of 200 years,
0:13:59 > 0:14:02but in the past, all farms made their own cider.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05If you didn't have decent cider, you didn't have any workers.
0:14:05 > 0:14:09It was a fuel that kept the farmers going.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12Obviously, if you are doing hard agricultural work,
0:14:12 > 0:14:15you would have an allowance of anything up to eight pints a day.
0:14:18 > 0:14:21Cider may have humble roots, but using the very same apples,
0:14:21 > 0:14:25Julian has been reviving a drink of pedigree.
0:14:27 > 0:14:29Somerset Cider Brandy.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34Once found on the dining tables of the landed gentry,
0:14:34 > 0:14:38the tipple can be traced as far back as the 1600s,
0:14:38 > 0:14:41but it wasn't until 1989
0:14:41 > 0:14:45that the first full cider-distilling licence was granted in the UK,
0:14:45 > 0:14:47right here on this farm.
0:14:50 > 0:14:51How proud do you feel
0:14:51 > 0:14:55that you've brought this traditional spirit back?
0:14:55 > 0:14:57I think everybody on the farm is chuffed.
0:14:59 > 0:15:03It gives us a product which we can send around the world.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06It means that our orchards have a future.
0:15:07 > 0:15:11And it means our staff have a wage at the end of the week!
0:15:15 > 0:15:17Protecting these orchards
0:15:17 > 0:15:20is great news for cider maker Paull Manning
0:15:20 > 0:15:22because, to make a drink of this calibre,
0:15:22 > 0:15:24you need a serious amount of apples.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36Well, it takes approximately seven litres of cider
0:15:36 > 0:15:38to make one litre of brandy
0:15:38 > 0:15:41and, in fact, it takes seven tonnes of apples to fill a barrel,
0:15:41 > 0:15:45- at least all of what we've got here. - Wow, that's a lot of apples!
0:15:48 > 0:15:51It seems quite late to be harvesting apples.
0:15:51 > 0:15:54That's because some of the traditional cider apple varieties
0:15:54 > 0:15:57that we use ripen later in the year
0:15:57 > 0:15:59and we're waiting for the starch in them to turn to sugar.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02Right, so it's beneficial to just leave them for a bit?
0:16:02 > 0:16:04Cos there's quite a lot on the floor,
0:16:04 > 0:16:06- more than there are in the trees. - That's fine.
0:16:06 > 0:16:08When they're in the grass, they're protected from the frost
0:16:08 > 0:16:12and, actually, their flavour is changing anyway.
0:16:12 > 0:16:14Wine producers would blend
0:16:14 > 0:16:16different varieties of grape to make champagne.
0:16:16 > 0:16:18We blend different varieties of apple
0:16:18 > 0:16:20to get a perfectly balanced cider.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26Once the apples are washed, pressed
0:16:26 > 0:16:28and the juice fermented,
0:16:28 > 0:16:31it's time to start the distilling process.
0:16:33 > 0:16:37For that, on this farm, they used two 70-year-old French girls
0:16:37 > 0:16:39who, I'm told, are so important,
0:16:39 > 0:16:42they're protected by armour-plated glass
0:16:42 > 0:16:44and more than 60 locks and seals.
0:16:49 > 0:16:52Meet Josephine and Fifi.
0:16:55 > 0:16:57These precious copper towers get to work
0:16:57 > 0:17:01before the liquid is trickled into barrels to mature into brandy.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08As head distiller, it is Rob Moore's job
0:17:08 > 0:17:11to make sure it tastes just as it should.
0:17:14 > 0:17:16Rob, what a job!
0:17:16 > 0:17:18- Yeah, it's pretty cool! - It's very cool!
0:17:18 > 0:17:19So your job is to taste the brandy.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22Yeah, we get in here a couple of times a week
0:17:22 > 0:17:24and we take a little sample out of, say, half a dozen barrels,
0:17:24 > 0:17:27and we pick ones that are the best ones and we put them to a blend.
0:17:27 > 0:17:30What is the purpose of putting the alcohol into a barrel?
0:17:30 > 0:17:32Well, the purpose of the barrel
0:17:32 > 0:17:34is to extract the flavours from the oak and the wood
0:17:34 > 0:17:37and to sort of let everything mellow nicely.
0:17:37 > 0:17:41We bottle at 3 years old and we bottle at 5, 10, 15 and 20.
0:17:41 > 0:17:43And what happens to the alcohol content over that time?
0:17:43 > 0:17:46Well, you lose a lot of alcohol cos it's quite volatile,
0:17:46 > 0:17:49so it comes out of the barrel, comes out through the bung,
0:17:49 > 0:17:51and that is called the angels' share.
0:17:51 > 0:17:53- That's nice!- Yeah, that's nice.
0:17:53 > 0:17:55So we've got lots of drunk angels flying around in here.
0:18:03 > 0:18:06Never mind the angels' share, time to try some myself.
0:18:12 > 0:18:16This is the West Country's heritage in a glass.
0:18:16 > 0:18:21And, at this time of year, the cider makers wassail their orchards,
0:18:21 > 0:18:23which is a toast to their trees,
0:18:23 > 0:18:26so here's to another bountiful harvest for the year ahead,
0:18:26 > 0:18:29because this stuff is delicious.
0:18:31 > 0:18:33Cheers.
0:18:38 > 0:18:40- ADAM:- Now, a little while ago on Countryfile,
0:18:40 > 0:18:42I spent a day with an amazing rural vet
0:18:42 > 0:18:46as he battled to save the lives of a cow and her unborn calf
0:18:46 > 0:18:48with an emergency Caesarean section.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53Over the next few weeks,
0:18:53 > 0:18:55we're going to be back with the same vets' practice,
0:18:55 > 0:18:58looking at what it really takes to be a vet
0:18:58 > 0:19:02in our countryside, in the harshest of months - winter.
0:19:05 > 0:19:08The practice is based in Malmesbury in the Cotswolds.
0:19:08 > 0:19:10It's one of the largest in the country,
0:19:10 > 0:19:13with around 40 vets providing care to all creatures,
0:19:13 > 0:19:16- great and small.- Wahey!
0:19:16 > 0:19:20- We'll track the trials and tribulations...- Steady, girl.
0:19:20 > 0:19:23..through the blood, sweat and tears...
0:19:23 > 0:19:25Good lad!
0:19:25 > 0:19:28..and really see what it takes to be a country vet.
0:19:30 > 0:19:32Just to let you know,
0:19:32 > 0:19:35some of what they do is not for the faint-hearted.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44Ben, a vet who graduated last year, is off to deal with
0:19:44 > 0:19:47one of the more imposing animals the team look after.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50Who's a good boy, eh? Who's a good boy?
0:19:50 > 0:19:53David is one of our beef farmers.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56One of his prize Limousin bulls lost the ring in his nose
0:19:56 > 0:19:57and he called us out
0:19:57 > 0:19:59to come and pop one back in.
0:19:59 > 0:20:01So he's called Holy Moly
0:20:01 > 0:20:03and he wants to be more like his mate, Hurdy Gurdy,
0:20:03 > 0:20:06who has got a ring in his nose.
0:20:06 > 0:20:08Those rings are pretty important for management purposes
0:20:08 > 0:20:10and also, if they were ever wanting
0:20:10 > 0:20:12to move them off farm, take them to market,
0:20:12 > 0:20:15it's actually the law that they have to have a nose ring in.
0:20:15 > 0:20:16So these are the pincers.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19They look a little bit archaic and a bit brutal,
0:20:19 > 0:20:21but essentially what we're doing is equivalent to
0:20:21 > 0:20:24a nose piercing or an ear piercing that humans would get,
0:20:24 > 0:20:26just on a slightly larger scale,
0:20:26 > 0:20:29hence the size of the bore on the pincers.
0:20:29 > 0:20:33The ring makes them so much easier to handle for the farmer
0:20:33 > 0:20:36and especially in Holy Moly's case, cos he's a big boy!
0:20:36 > 0:20:41- 1,200. 1,200 kilos? There you go. - 1,125.- Oh, 1,125, yeah,
0:20:41 > 0:20:43so he's just over a ton.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46- Come on!- I mean, you're never going to push him.
0:20:46 > 0:20:48He's got to make his own mind up.
0:20:48 > 0:20:50Come on! Come on!
0:20:54 > 0:20:56Steady, boy, steady.
0:20:56 > 0:20:57It's all right!
0:20:57 > 0:20:59If his nose is as cold as my hands,
0:20:59 > 0:21:00he won't be able to feel a thing anyway!
0:21:00 > 0:21:02No, that is...
0:21:02 > 0:21:05What I'm going to do is put the local anaesthetic
0:21:05 > 0:21:07on each side of the septum, of his nasal septum,
0:21:07 > 0:21:10and then we'll leave him for a few minutes,
0:21:10 > 0:21:13just to let that take effect and then we'll hopefully be away.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18Obviously, the needle is going to be quite unpleasant for him,
0:21:18 > 0:21:19so he might resent this a little bit,
0:21:19 > 0:21:21so he may jump up and down a bit, OK?
0:21:23 > 0:21:25All right, buddy, steady, steady.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30Steady, boy, steady, steady, steady, steady...
0:21:30 > 0:21:32Ear piercing... Whoops-a-daisy!
0:21:32 > 0:21:34All right!
0:21:34 > 0:21:35You've got to keep your wits about you,
0:21:35 > 0:21:37especially with these big chaps,
0:21:37 > 0:21:39because they can be really, really dangerous.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41Same again, mate.
0:21:50 > 0:21:51OK.
0:21:51 > 0:21:53Good boy!
0:21:54 > 0:21:56It's a lot easier to control the bull.
0:21:56 > 0:21:58We've got him on halters now, but once you've got a ring in,
0:21:58 > 0:22:01then you can thread a rope through or use a hook.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04Once you hold their nose, they don't want to fight too much,
0:22:04 > 0:22:05so you've got more control.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08Luckily, he's got a little bit of a guide hole.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10It's amazing how they heal up, actually.
0:22:10 > 0:22:12It is, it's only been a month or so.
0:22:21 > 0:22:22SEPTUM CRUNCHES
0:22:24 > 0:22:27- It's lucky the local anaesthetic has done the job.- Yep.
0:22:31 > 0:22:32OK.
0:22:33 > 0:22:35- Do we have the ring?- We do!
0:22:44 > 0:22:45Yay!
0:22:49 > 0:22:50Right.
0:22:55 > 0:22:56PIN CLICKS
0:22:56 > 0:22:58Brilliant, yeah, amazing stuff. OK.
0:23:00 > 0:23:04Right, so, we'll just give him his painkiller.
0:23:04 > 0:23:08- I'm happy that that's going to heal up OK.- Is he all done?
0:23:08 > 0:23:09- Good to go?- He's all done.
0:23:10 > 0:23:14With these types of things, you do get a little bit of blood,
0:23:14 > 0:23:16but it's to be expected, it's totally normal.
0:23:16 > 0:23:18It will be all healed up in a few days.
0:23:19 > 0:23:21Go on, go on.
0:23:21 > 0:23:22HOLY MOLY BELLOWS
0:23:22 > 0:23:25Go on, go on. Go on.
0:23:25 > 0:23:29I've only been qualified a year, so it's quite an intimidating thing
0:23:29 > 0:23:33when you first go into a situation where you're being asked
0:23:33 > 0:23:36to do something medical with an animal
0:23:36 > 0:23:39that weighs 10, 15 times your body weight.
0:23:39 > 0:23:44You just have to be very careful and respect the animal, basically.
0:23:44 > 0:23:46It's good fun!
0:23:46 > 0:23:49HOLY MOLY BELLOWS
0:23:54 > 0:23:57The lion's share of the work done by the farm team is with cattle,
0:23:57 > 0:24:02but occasionally they also see to some of the more unusual beasts.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07Chris and Sarah from the farm vets' team
0:24:07 > 0:24:10have been called out for a rather interesting challenge,
0:24:10 > 0:24:14to castrate a reindeer belonging to Andrew Woodward.
0:24:14 > 0:24:18Fennec's little boy, he's 18 months old now
0:24:18 > 0:24:20and he's just a bit too taken up with his own magnificence
0:24:20 > 0:24:23and not sort of getting over himself.
0:24:23 > 0:24:26Picture boy racer, loads of hormones.
0:24:26 > 0:24:30He's tending to get a bit too excited with the girls
0:24:30 > 0:24:34and that leads to chasing them around and all that sort of thing.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37Fennec was getting a little bit too boisterous, really,
0:24:37 > 0:24:40but if we can take the hormone drive for his naughty behaviour away,
0:24:40 > 0:24:42then it can really help out.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45He's just having his little bits taken off,
0:24:45 > 0:24:49so that that hopefully will just let all the hormones just ease back
0:24:49 > 0:24:52and everything, and he can go back to being cuddly Fennec,
0:24:52 > 0:24:55which is what he's always been before.
0:24:55 > 0:24:57What is his temperament like?
0:24:57 > 0:24:59He's fine.
0:24:59 > 0:25:01He's easy enough to handle at this point.
0:25:01 > 0:25:03Yeah, if you go in, get him settled
0:25:03 > 0:25:06- and then we'll just come in with the injection.- Yeah, I think so.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09So we're just getting everything ready now
0:25:09 > 0:25:11because once he's anaesthetised,
0:25:11 > 0:25:13we need to work relatively quickly, before he wakes up.
0:25:13 > 0:25:14Neither of us, we haven't done
0:25:14 > 0:25:16a massive amount of reindeer work all together.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19They don't really like being handled that much,
0:25:19 > 0:25:21so the less they can do with him, the better really.
0:25:21 > 0:25:25It's something different, yeah! It's certainly something different!
0:25:26 > 0:25:29Right, so we'll just give him the sedative now.
0:25:29 > 0:25:30Yeah, I'll shut you in.
0:25:30 > 0:25:33The worst part was always going to be sedating the reindeer,
0:25:33 > 0:25:35so, being the true gentleman that he is,
0:25:35 > 0:25:36Chris left that part up to me!
0:25:36 > 0:25:38All right, sweetheart.
0:25:38 > 0:25:40Calm down, mister, come on.
0:25:40 > 0:25:41Or I can inject him.
0:25:41 > 0:25:44- I don't want to jab you. - Hang on, hang on, hang on.
0:25:44 > 0:25:46- OK.- Let me just get control of him.
0:25:47 > 0:25:49- Get on with it!- All right.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56It wasn't painful, it was quite a soft landing with all that straw.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59I think it was more my pride that was bruised then anything else.
0:25:59 > 0:26:01I know, good lad, Fenny.
0:26:01 > 0:26:05He was a little bit livelier than I was expecting, if I'm honest!
0:26:05 > 0:26:07With cows, you would have them in a crush
0:26:07 > 0:26:09so they can't really thrash around like that,
0:26:09 > 0:26:12but obviously we don't really have that luxury with him.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15It's really important to work quickly.
0:26:15 > 0:26:16The less time he's anaesthetised for,
0:26:16 > 0:26:19the less chance there is of complications.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22Nice and clean pair of balls, aren't they?
0:26:22 > 0:26:26Is that what you pictured you'd be doing when you were at vet school?
0:26:26 > 0:26:28Yeah, it's what I always dreamt of!
0:26:31 > 0:26:33- All happy?- Yeah.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36So, once all prepped, it's a pretty quick procedure.
0:26:36 > 0:26:38Incise the skin, remove the testicle.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41We clamp the blood vessels and tie them off
0:26:41 > 0:26:44and then finally we spray the antibiotic spray.
0:26:46 > 0:26:48I was really happy with how the operation went
0:26:48 > 0:26:50and because we'd given him his antibiotics and his pain reliever
0:26:50 > 0:26:54before the operation, they'd kicked in by the time he came round,
0:26:54 > 0:26:57so he was as happy as he could have been having two testicles removed!
0:26:57 > 0:27:00He's looking a bit more lively now in his eyes, isn't he?
0:27:00 > 0:27:03He's breathing a little bit more rapidly as well, so that's good.
0:27:03 > 0:27:05- There he goes.- Hello.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10Oh, no need to get up, big guy.
0:27:10 > 0:27:12Good, so I think we'll leave him be now.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14Keep a close eye on him for the next few days and...
0:27:14 > 0:27:17- Brilliant, thanks very much. - Thanks very much. Nice to see you.
0:27:22 > 0:27:23- ADAM:- Next week, we'll be with the vets
0:27:23 > 0:27:27as they see to a cow with a twisted stomach...
0:27:27 > 0:27:31So now it's much easier for me to bring the stomach back round,
0:27:31 > 0:27:32and put it back where it should be.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37..and they have a closer look at the insides of Titch.
0:27:37 > 0:27:40I'm just going to pop this scope up Titch's nose.
0:27:40 > 0:27:41I know, little man,
0:27:41 > 0:27:44it's very unusual for a Thursday morning, isn't it?
0:27:53 > 0:27:56Earlier, we found out that antibiotic-resistant bacteria
0:27:56 > 0:27:58are no longer just a problem for hospitals,
0:27:58 > 0:28:02as they've found their way into our natural environment.
0:28:02 > 0:28:03But what can we do to control them?
0:28:03 > 0:28:05Here's Charlotte.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11A new study has revealed to Countryfile
0:28:11 > 0:28:14that drug-resistant bacteria such as E. coli
0:28:14 > 0:28:17are not only being found in our rivers and seawater...
0:28:17 > 0:28:19So that there, that's the superbug?
0:28:19 > 0:28:21Yes. That is a resistant bacterium, yes.
0:28:21 > 0:28:24But they've also made their way into the guts of surfers
0:28:24 > 0:28:26who've come into contact with them in the sea.
0:28:28 > 0:28:32Like anyone who spends time on or in the water,
0:28:32 > 0:28:36I'm keen to find out more about how these bacteria get there
0:28:36 > 0:28:39and, of course, what we can do about it,
0:28:39 > 0:28:41so I'm off on a superbug safari.
0:28:44 > 0:28:47- VOICEOVER:- Taking me upstream to find the source of these superbugs
0:28:47 > 0:28:49is Dr will Gaze...
0:28:49 > 0:28:51- Hello!- Hello!- Welcome aboard!
0:28:51 > 0:28:55..a microbial ecologist from the University of Exeter Medical School.
0:28:55 > 0:28:57- Thanks.- Do take a seat.
0:29:00 > 0:29:04Will, as we set off in our luxurious craft, what are we looking for?
0:29:04 > 0:29:07We're looking for ways in which antibiotic-resistant bacteria
0:29:07 > 0:29:08can get into rivers,
0:29:08 > 0:29:12so from farmland and also from waste water treatment plants.
0:29:12 > 0:29:16So we're going past farmland here. What sort of problem can that cause?
0:29:16 > 0:29:19About half of antibiotics used worldwide are used in farming,
0:29:19 > 0:29:23about a third to a half in the UK, for treating diseases in animals.
0:29:23 > 0:29:26And when they go to the toilet, resistant bacteria
0:29:26 > 0:29:29and the drug residues go into the environment as well.
0:29:29 > 0:29:32So it's as simple as, really, cattle being in the field,
0:29:32 > 0:29:36the rain coming, washing the waste into the river.
0:29:36 > 0:29:39- That's right.- Farmers have been working quite hard and have had
0:29:39 > 0:29:42some success in reducing the amount of antibiotics they're using.
0:29:42 > 0:29:45That's right, there's been a reduction in antibiotic usage
0:29:45 > 0:29:47in farming in the UK and actually in Europe,
0:29:47 > 0:29:50but in other parts of the world, it's very unregulated,
0:29:50 > 0:29:53so if you go to the supermarket and you buy meat,
0:29:53 > 0:29:55that could have been produced anywhere in the world.
0:29:55 > 0:29:59What we're eating is an important factor, then,
0:29:59 > 0:30:02but something else we're doing may also be driving the problem.
0:30:03 > 0:30:04We've made it as far as the lock.
0:30:04 > 0:30:07We're just on the edge here, we've got houses and a pub,
0:30:07 > 0:30:09which are part of the problem, which surprised me.
0:30:09 > 0:30:11They are part of the problem
0:30:11 > 0:30:14because we use a lot of antibacterial cleaning products.
0:30:14 > 0:30:17The problem with antibacterial cleaning compounds
0:30:17 > 0:30:18is that the bacteria that survive
0:30:18 > 0:30:22are the ones that are most likely to be resistant to antibiotics.
0:30:22 > 0:30:23So should we not be using them?
0:30:23 > 0:30:26Surely they're a sensible option if you're cleaning up.
0:30:26 > 0:30:28They're important if you really need to use them,
0:30:28 > 0:30:32so cleaning up after you've been cutting raw chicken, for example.
0:30:32 > 0:30:35But we used to go on quite well with soap and water and bleach.
0:30:36 > 0:30:40We still don't know much about how antibacterial products
0:30:40 > 0:30:42are helping to drive drug resistance,
0:30:42 > 0:30:47but we do note the major source is our own antibiotic use.
0:30:47 > 0:30:49Will, on this stretch of the river, there's a sewage treatment plant,
0:30:49 > 0:30:53which can discharge into the river, which I imagine can cause problems.
0:30:53 > 0:30:55Yeah, there are about 9,000
0:30:55 > 0:30:57waste water treatment plants in the UK
0:30:57 > 0:31:01that discharge 11 billion litres of waste water a day
0:31:01 > 0:31:03and they contain antibiotic-resistant bacteria,
0:31:03 > 0:31:08antibiotics that we excrete, the antibacterial cleaning products.
0:31:08 > 0:31:10And that's even there after they've cleaned it up.
0:31:10 > 0:31:13That's right, it's because there are so many bacteria
0:31:13 > 0:31:15and because treatment plans were never designed to remove
0:31:15 > 0:31:19these emerging pollutants that we now know are important,
0:31:19 > 0:31:22so some of them do make their way into the environment.
0:31:22 > 0:31:26How worried are you about superbugs and the way that they're evolving?
0:31:26 > 0:31:30The post-antibiotic era is where things like hip replacements,
0:31:30 > 0:31:32cancer treatments, childbirth
0:31:32 > 0:31:35all become incredibly dangerous or impossible
0:31:35 > 0:31:38because of the risk of dying from simple infections,
0:31:38 > 0:31:39so that's a really real risk.
0:31:39 > 0:31:43So we've got these bugs coming from various different sources,
0:31:43 > 0:31:44what can we do about it?
0:31:44 > 0:31:47We can actually take responsibility for what we do personally,
0:31:47 > 0:31:49so we can use less antibacterials,
0:31:49 > 0:31:53we can not pressurise our GP to give us antibiotics
0:31:53 > 0:31:56when we've got a cold, for example.
0:31:56 > 0:31:58And we can also think about what food we buy
0:31:58 > 0:32:01and where we buy it from, you know, how it's been produced.
0:32:03 > 0:32:07Taking personal responsibility for the amount of antibiotics
0:32:07 > 0:32:10entering our water supply is a good start.
0:32:10 > 0:32:12In the meantime, what can we do
0:32:12 > 0:32:14about pollution already in the system?
0:32:14 > 0:32:15Well, that's what brings me here,
0:32:15 > 0:32:18to a water treatment plant just outside Birmingham.
0:32:20 > 0:32:23You'd think, in this day and age, we'd have found a way to remove
0:32:23 > 0:32:26these superbugs before they get into the environment.
0:32:26 > 0:32:28Well, here at South Staffs Water,
0:32:28 > 0:32:32they're using ultraviolet lights to do just that.
0:32:32 > 0:32:35Here, it's used for drinking water.
0:32:35 > 0:32:38Dr Andrew Lobley is director of operations.
0:32:39 > 0:32:41So just explain what's going on, then,
0:32:41 > 0:32:42in the cylinders all around us?
0:32:42 > 0:32:45So, in each of the four ultraviolet treatment reactors there,
0:32:45 > 0:32:47we've got effectively a series of light bulbs,
0:32:47 > 0:32:50which we pass the water over, through and round,
0:32:50 > 0:32:52to disinfect the water.
0:32:52 > 0:32:54- And that kills all bacteria?- Yes.
0:32:54 > 0:32:57Even the ones that are resistant to antibiotics?
0:32:57 > 0:32:59- Yes.- So a superbug can't survive this?
0:32:59 > 0:33:01That's the advantage of a UV treatment process
0:33:01 > 0:33:04over a more conventional chlorine disinfection process,
0:33:04 > 0:33:07is that it gives a wider range of disinfection.
0:33:07 > 0:33:10But even for drinking-water plants like this one,
0:33:10 > 0:33:12UV treatment isn't compulsory
0:33:12 > 0:33:14and when it comes to dealing with waste water,
0:33:14 > 0:33:18it's only required when a plant flows directly into bathing waters.
0:33:18 > 0:33:21So why isn't this used all the time by every water company, then?
0:33:21 > 0:33:22It's a fairly new technology
0:33:22 > 0:33:25and many of the treatment works we're looking at
0:33:25 > 0:33:26have been in place for 50, 60 years.
0:33:26 > 0:33:29As we come to renew and invest in our assets,
0:33:29 > 0:33:31we're installing more and more of them.
0:33:31 > 0:33:32We like the technology
0:33:32 > 0:33:35and I think the rest of the industry is going the same way.
0:33:37 > 0:33:39Converting all our waste water treatment plants
0:33:39 > 0:33:42would help in our fight against superbugs,
0:33:42 > 0:33:46but UV can't remove the antibiotics driving their resistance.
0:33:46 > 0:33:50And although our farmers are working hard to reduce their antibiotic use,
0:33:50 > 0:33:55UV can't deal with the run-off that goes straight into our rivers.
0:33:55 > 0:33:58We need to ask ourselves questions about the way we farm,
0:33:58 > 0:34:02the medicine we take when we're ill, even the way we clean our houses.
0:34:02 > 0:34:05If we don't address antibiotic resistance soon,
0:34:05 > 0:34:08then it could become a matter of life or death
0:34:08 > 0:34:10for all of us in the future.
0:34:18 > 0:34:24MATT: Life on the Somerset Levels relies on and revolves around water.
0:34:24 > 0:34:27Season to season, the water levels are carefully managed
0:34:27 > 0:34:30so that the summer pastures don't dry out
0:34:30 > 0:34:33and the winter floods stay under control.
0:34:33 > 0:34:34It's a special landscape,
0:34:34 > 0:34:38and it takes a special kind of person to farm it.
0:34:38 > 0:34:40OK, Matt, let's get on out and have a look.
0:34:42 > 0:34:45Oh, I like your feather display there, what's the story with that?
0:34:45 > 0:34:49That's crane feathers that I've picked up out on the moor.
0:34:49 > 0:34:53Roderick Hector is a fourth-generation farmer,
0:34:53 > 0:34:57a Levels boy born and bred, but this landscape provides
0:34:57 > 0:35:00more than just his livelihood as a beef farmer,
0:35:00 > 0:35:03it's where Roderick also nurtures his passion for wildlife
0:35:03 > 0:35:07and, after seeing the successful reintroduction of the cranes
0:35:07 > 0:35:11back to the Levels, I can see why he's so proud of his feathers.
0:35:11 > 0:35:15Right, we are jumping out here because we've noticed,
0:35:15 > 0:35:18just on the opposite side of that fence line there,
0:35:18 > 0:35:20there's a wonderful flock of...
0:35:20 > 0:35:23There must be about 20 there, Roderick?
0:35:23 > 0:35:25- Yeah, I should think, yeah.- Yeah.
0:35:25 > 0:35:26..of cranes.
0:35:26 > 0:35:28They're up, they're up, they're up!
0:35:28 > 0:35:30Away to their roost.
0:35:30 > 0:35:33Yeah, they are away to their roost.
0:35:33 > 0:35:34They're very wild.
0:35:34 > 0:35:36- Yeah.- Very wild.
0:35:36 > 0:35:37And do you put anything out for them?
0:35:37 > 0:35:40Well, I've been putting a little bit of barley and corn out
0:35:40 > 0:35:42because I knew you people were coming,
0:35:42 > 0:35:44just to get them in for the camera.
0:35:44 > 0:35:46Thanks, on behalf of all the viewers!
0:35:46 > 0:35:47THEY LAUGH
0:35:47 > 0:35:50You're a good lad, Roderick, you're a good lad!
0:35:50 > 0:35:52And what's the story, then,
0:35:52 > 0:35:57with the bird that hasn't decided to leave, the rather large static one?
0:35:57 > 0:35:59That is the decoy. We used to feed them there
0:35:59 > 0:36:02and we had the decoy and an automatic feeder there
0:36:02 > 0:36:05and, of course, they still remember, because on a frosty morning,
0:36:05 > 0:36:08they still come there, even when there isn't any corn for them.
0:36:08 > 0:36:09- Is that right?- Yeah.
0:36:09 > 0:36:13As part of the Great Crane Project, Roderick was one of the farmers
0:36:13 > 0:36:17who welcomed the birds back to his land when they were first released.
0:36:17 > 0:36:21By using the decoy and some food, he encouraged the birds
0:36:21 > 0:36:26to explore new areas and, eight years on, they still return.
0:36:26 > 0:36:29And what do you remember about the first ones that came here?
0:36:29 > 0:36:31Oh!
0:36:31 > 0:36:33Well, it was just lovely to see them, actually.
0:36:33 > 0:36:36I was a bit dubious about it in the beginning,
0:36:36 > 0:36:38how it would work after 400 years of not being here.
0:36:38 > 0:36:41- For sure, yeah. - But they just fit in lovely.
0:36:41 > 0:36:42- Yeah?- Yeah, they do, yeah.
0:36:42 > 0:36:46And when they decided to come and, you know, come on your land...
0:36:46 > 0:36:48- Oh, that was even better!- Yeah!
0:36:48 > 0:36:49We love them!
0:36:49 > 0:36:52My father was always interested in the birdlife
0:36:52 > 0:36:53- and I suppose I carried it on. - Right.
0:36:55 > 0:36:58It's not just the cranes that benefit from Roderick's passion.
0:36:58 > 0:37:02Much of the farm is dedicated to the Higher Level Stewardship scheme,
0:37:02 > 0:37:04benefiting all manner of birdlife.
0:37:04 > 0:37:08- There they go, there they go, there they go!- Yep.
0:37:08 > 0:37:09Look at them!
0:37:09 > 0:37:10Oh, they're beautiful!
0:37:10 > 0:37:13- Yeah, teal.- Yeah.
0:37:13 > 0:37:17Teal, wigeon and snipe are all regular visitors
0:37:17 > 0:37:19to these specially-made habitats.
0:37:19 > 0:37:23Following his father's love of birds, Roderick expanded the ponds
0:37:23 > 0:37:26and planted reedbeds to encourage new species.
0:37:26 > 0:37:28It certainly worked.
0:37:28 > 0:37:31I just like to come here and sit in the hide and watch what's going on
0:37:31 > 0:37:34when the ducks are about in the autumn. It's lovely.
0:37:34 > 0:37:38In the summer, we get reed warblers and reed buntings,
0:37:38 > 0:37:40- a lot of stuff, you know, comes in. - Yeah.
0:37:40 > 0:37:44Very good, yeah, I love to see the reed warblers. Beautiful.
0:37:44 > 0:37:46This is all very well for the birds,
0:37:46 > 0:37:50but wet ground doesn't suit all animals.
0:37:50 > 0:37:53The farms mainstay is a small North Devon beef herd,
0:37:53 > 0:37:58a hardy native breed that can do well on even the roughest pasture.
0:37:58 > 0:38:00- They're all Ruby Red.- Ruby Reds!
0:38:00 > 0:38:02- The finest beef you can get. - Yeah, you reckon?
0:38:02 > 0:38:06Oh, yeah! You've got the marbling and the meat that cooks so well.
0:38:06 > 0:38:08Yeah, it's beautiful.
0:38:08 > 0:38:10Soft, you can suck it away.
0:38:13 > 0:38:17And how well suited are they to the Somerset Levels, then?
0:38:17 > 0:38:19Oh, lovely, actually.
0:38:19 > 0:38:23They graze all the old rougher grass and do well on it, that's the thing,
0:38:23 > 0:38:26whereas the continentals won't eat it even, they don't like it.
0:38:26 > 0:38:28And in your eyes, Roderick,
0:38:28 > 0:38:31what's the best cut of meat that you can get off one of these?
0:38:31 > 0:38:33Well, the rib would be one of the best,
0:38:33 > 0:38:37but we always have the back rib, which is a slow-roast joint,
0:38:37 > 0:38:41but the brisket's beautiful off of these, absolutely beautiful brisket.
0:38:41 > 0:38:42Yeah.
0:38:42 > 0:38:45Now you're getting interested.
0:38:45 > 0:38:48He's saying, "Look, it's that Countryfile lot,
0:38:48 > 0:38:50"come to put us on the telly."
0:38:50 > 0:38:52I'll be catching up with Roderick again later
0:38:52 > 0:38:56and looking at his beloved cranes in a whole different light.
0:38:58 > 0:39:00I'm glad to see you've got the Countryfile calendar
0:39:00 > 0:39:02- in the barn, Roderick. - Oh, yeah, of course!
0:39:02 > 0:39:05All sold in aid of Children In Need if you haven't got yours yet.
0:39:05 > 0:39:08There's still time. Check out our website for more details.
0:39:13 > 0:39:18ANITA: The recent heavy snowfall transformed much of our countryside.
0:39:18 > 0:39:22Down in the Cotswolds, Adam's farm was turned into a winter wonderland.
0:39:24 > 0:39:27But there was no time to sit back and enjoy the view.
0:39:29 > 0:39:31The kids have built a lovely snowman,
0:39:31 > 0:39:33but on the farm, it's a lot of extra work
0:39:33 > 0:39:35and a bit of headache, to be honest.
0:39:35 > 0:39:36We've got a good bit of kit
0:39:36 > 0:39:38clearing the snow around from the grain stores here,
0:39:38 > 0:39:41but it's the animals out in the field that I'm concerned about.
0:39:45 > 0:39:48As hardy as many of the animals on the farm are,
0:39:48 > 0:39:52extreme conditions like this mean it's important to do the rounds
0:39:52 > 0:39:53to check they're all OK.
0:39:57 > 0:40:00You may remember this Tamworth sow on television a few weeks ago.
0:40:00 > 0:40:03She was about to give birth, about to farrow,
0:40:03 > 0:40:06and typically, the cameras had gone home
0:40:06 > 0:40:09and then she gave birth to eight little piglets,
0:40:09 > 0:40:11which are in the shed here and doing really well.
0:40:14 > 0:40:17Tamworth here is one of our oldest British breeds
0:40:17 > 0:40:20and they've got really thick skin and lots of fat on them
0:40:20 > 0:40:24and this good hairy body and they're really quite closely related
0:40:24 > 0:40:26to the ancient forest pig, the wild boar,
0:40:26 > 0:40:28so they're pretty tough.
0:40:30 > 0:40:32Well, they seem good, I'll leave them to it.
0:40:34 > 0:40:37Tough they might be, but I'm still glad
0:40:37 > 0:40:39my little Tamworth piglets have got some shelter.
0:40:42 > 0:40:46My rare-breed cattle have no such luxury,
0:40:46 > 0:40:47but they're pretty tough cookies,
0:40:47 > 0:40:50bred to withstand the harshest weather.
0:40:54 > 0:40:57Yesterday, when it was blizzarding, I opened the gate
0:40:57 > 0:40:59and let the cattle out of this field into here,
0:40:59 > 0:41:01where there was more shelter for them.
0:41:01 > 0:41:04I've just brought them down some hay and some of them are here,
0:41:04 > 0:41:06but the rest of them have disappeared
0:41:06 > 0:41:08into this sort of scrubby area, so I'm going to go and find them.
0:41:08 > 0:41:10I don't know where they are!
0:41:22 > 0:41:25Come on! Come on, then!
0:41:28 > 0:41:29Come on, then.
0:41:32 > 0:41:35Well, I'm pleased I've found the last few stragglers.
0:41:35 > 0:41:39I think they were settled right out in the middle of the bushes there,
0:41:39 > 0:41:41but they look absolutely fine.
0:41:41 > 0:41:43They've come through the night well.
0:41:43 > 0:41:45But I think they'll be pleased with some hay.
0:41:45 > 0:41:47Go on, then, I've got some grub for you.
0:42:13 > 0:42:15The big bale spreader on the front of the tractor
0:42:15 > 0:42:17is a great labour saver,
0:42:17 > 0:42:20a useful bit of kit when you've got some big bellies to fill.
0:42:26 > 0:42:30Fortunately, our rare-breed rams don't eat as much as the cattle.
0:42:30 > 0:42:31They've done their work for the year,
0:42:31 > 0:42:35and they've been put out to pasture on the other side of the farm.
0:42:44 > 0:42:47The grass out here, though, is a foot deep in snow.
0:42:47 > 0:42:49You'd think that would cause problems for the sheep.
0:42:49 > 0:42:51Not a bit!
0:42:53 > 0:42:55- HE WHISTLES - That'll do! Hey!
0:42:55 > 0:42:57That'll do, that'll do, that'll do.
0:42:57 > 0:42:58That'll do. Good girl.
0:42:58 > 0:43:01It never ceases to amaze me how the sheep can survive
0:43:01 > 0:43:03in these freezing conditions.
0:43:03 > 0:43:07Their fleeces must be so well insulated to keep them warm
0:43:07 > 0:43:08and as far as nutrition goes,
0:43:08 > 0:43:11the dig down through the snow to reach the grass.
0:43:13 > 0:43:16You can see where they've been working on a bit here.
0:43:16 > 0:43:18If you look out across the field, lots of them are doing it,
0:43:18 > 0:43:21using their front feet to paw through the snow
0:43:21 > 0:43:23to reach the grass and then nibbling away.
0:43:23 > 0:43:25Some of the sheep in here were born this year,
0:43:25 > 0:43:27so they've never experienced snow before
0:43:27 > 0:43:30and this is an in-built instinct, to find their grub.
0:43:30 > 0:43:32It's just extraordinary, really.
0:43:32 > 0:43:34But what I have got is some hay in the back of the truck,
0:43:34 > 0:43:36just to help them out.
0:43:51 > 0:43:55When the weather's bad, sheep will eat all sorts of things.
0:43:55 > 0:43:58They're great browsers, but every so often they come unstuck.
0:44:02 > 0:44:06They're all coming in for this now, they're obviously quite hungry.
0:44:06 > 0:44:09They have quite good shelter in this field in amongst the bushes there,
0:44:09 > 0:44:12but one of the problems is that they can get caught in the brambles.
0:44:12 > 0:44:15In fact, here is a prime example.
0:44:15 > 0:44:18This little North Ronaldsay has obviously got right up into
0:44:18 > 0:44:22the brambles to try and graze on the leaves that are left on it,
0:44:22 > 0:44:24but it's got tangled up in his wool,
0:44:24 > 0:44:28so I'll just have to try and pull that out. There we go.
0:44:28 > 0:44:30If they get well and truly stuck, of course,
0:44:30 > 0:44:33in the middle of a cold night, they could perish and die,
0:44:33 > 0:44:36but thankfully he's OK now.
0:44:36 > 0:44:39Right, this lot are self-service, getting stuck into this bale.
0:44:39 > 0:44:41Come on, off you get.
0:44:47 > 0:44:51A little bit of hay helps take the pressure off having to find food
0:44:51 > 0:44:56and, whether it's a pig, cow, sheep or robin,
0:44:56 > 0:44:58the animals seem to appreciate it.
0:45:00 > 0:45:03But it's not just the animals that need rewarding.
0:45:03 > 0:45:07This year is our 30th anniversary and, to help mark it,
0:45:07 > 0:45:12we're launching the search to find 2018's Countryfile Farming Hero.
0:45:15 > 0:45:18I love being a farmer and, over the years,
0:45:18 > 0:45:21I've met some truly remarkable people working in agriculture.
0:45:21 > 0:45:24But the ones that really stand out for me are the people
0:45:24 > 0:45:28that you've nominated for the Countryfile Farming Heroes Award.
0:45:28 > 0:45:33Can you help us find the next Joan Bomford, our winner back in 2015?
0:45:33 > 0:45:37I wondered what advice you'd offer to anybody young
0:45:37 > 0:45:38going into farming right now?
0:45:40 > 0:45:42- Get up early and keep going! - LAUGHTER
0:45:42 > 0:45:45Or do you know somebody like teenager Cameron Hendry,
0:45:45 > 0:45:48who gave up school and took over the family farm
0:45:48 > 0:45:50after his dad died suddenly?
0:45:50 > 0:45:53I just had to get on with the work that needed to be done.
0:45:53 > 0:45:56The animals needed fed. That's what kept me going.
0:45:56 > 0:45:58If I'd sat around in the house,
0:45:58 > 0:46:00it probably would have been more difficult.
0:46:01 > 0:46:03And in this, Countryfile's 30th year,
0:46:03 > 0:46:07we are launching the awards again and, as usual, we need your help.
0:46:10 > 0:46:12So, if you know someone who goes above and beyond...
0:46:16 > 0:46:19..who makes a difference to others, be they man or beast...
0:46:21 > 0:46:24..I really want to hear about all farmers, young and old,
0:46:24 > 0:46:27unsung heroes who deserve national recognition.
0:46:29 > 0:46:32And remember, it doesn't have to just be one person -
0:46:32 > 0:46:35you can nominate a group or even a family.
0:46:37 > 0:46:39So let us know your heroes.
0:46:41 > 0:46:44You can nominate them by e-mail or post.
0:46:44 > 0:46:48All the details are on our website, along with the terms and conditions.
0:46:48 > 0:46:51It's all part of the BBC's Food And Farming Awards,
0:46:51 > 0:46:54and the winner will be announced later in the year.
0:46:56 > 0:46:58But get your skates on.
0:47:02 > 0:47:06Please don't send e-mail or postal nominations after that date,
0:47:06 > 0:47:09as they won't be considered.
0:47:09 > 0:47:11And remember, if you're watching on demand,
0:47:11 > 0:47:13then nominations may have already closed.
0:47:14 > 0:47:17So get in touch with the people that you want to celebrate
0:47:17 > 0:47:20and help us find the Countryfile Farming Hero for 2018.
0:47:20 > 0:47:21Hup!
0:47:23 > 0:47:24Good girl.
0:47:34 > 0:47:37This week, we're on the Somerset Levels,
0:47:37 > 0:47:39where a once-forgotten wetland bird
0:47:39 > 0:47:41has been reintroduced to the landscape -
0:47:41 > 0:47:43the common crane.
0:47:45 > 0:47:47CRANES CALL
0:47:50 > 0:47:55With their angle-poise legs and forlorn, bugling voices,
0:47:55 > 0:47:58the return of these grey ghosts of the wetlands
0:47:58 > 0:48:00has been an inspiring sight for many.
0:48:02 > 0:48:06No more so than the artist Sean Harris.
0:48:06 > 0:48:08So why is this place so special, Sean,
0:48:08 > 0:48:10what's the significance?
0:48:10 > 0:48:11Well, it's where it all began
0:48:11 > 0:48:15and it was right here I saw my very first crane.
0:48:17 > 0:48:18For the past two years,
0:48:18 > 0:48:21Sean has been working on an exciting art project,
0:48:21 > 0:48:25taking his cues from the sights and sounds of the cranes.
0:48:28 > 0:48:31It's a rather unlikely meeting of minds.
0:48:31 > 0:48:35He's collaborating with local farmers, conservationists
0:48:35 > 0:48:40and the community to produce a mix of animation and audio recordings.
0:48:40 > 0:48:43The aim was to create a greater understanding
0:48:43 > 0:48:47of the curious creatures that locals now share their landscape with.
0:48:49 > 0:48:52Art, conservation and farming,
0:48:52 > 0:48:55not necessarily three bedfellows you'd put together.
0:48:55 > 0:48:58No, they're not, but there's no reason why they shouldn't be.
0:48:58 > 0:49:00But come on, Sean, what did they make of it?
0:49:00 > 0:49:04Here you are, this artist with this concept, with this idea,
0:49:04 > 0:49:07and you're talking to the farming community.
0:49:07 > 0:49:09How did the locals react? What did they think?
0:49:09 > 0:49:11Did they think you were a bit mad at the beginning?
0:49:11 > 0:49:15Well, when you pick up the phone and say, "I'm an artist and film-maker,"
0:49:15 > 0:49:17yes, they probably do.
0:49:17 > 0:49:19They tend not to mince their words.
0:49:20 > 0:49:23If they think...what you're saying is a load of rubbish,
0:49:23 > 0:49:25they'll tell you, which is great.
0:49:27 > 0:49:30One farmer who always says what he thinks is Roderick Hector,
0:49:30 > 0:49:32who Matt met earlier.
0:49:32 > 0:49:36Together with his grandson, he's allowed his farmhouse kitchen
0:49:36 > 0:49:39to be turned into Sean's animation studio.
0:49:42 > 0:49:45Roderick, did you ever think you'd be doing this in your lifetime,
0:49:45 > 0:49:47stop-motion animation?
0:49:47 > 0:49:49No, I didn't, actually, no.
0:49:49 > 0:49:51- What do you make of it? - Well, a bit mad!
0:49:51 > 0:49:53No, quite interesting, actually.
0:49:54 > 0:49:58So far, more than 150 locals like Roderick
0:49:58 > 0:50:00have helped bring the common crane to life
0:50:00 > 0:50:02by animating paper cut-outs.
0:50:04 > 0:50:07- So, Roderick, I think the legs want to come up a bit, don't they?- Right.
0:50:09 > 0:50:11Sean believes that getting hands-on can be a great way
0:50:11 > 0:50:14of understanding the cranes' behaviour and movement.
0:50:15 > 0:50:18We tend to think of the way that a bird looks,
0:50:18 > 0:50:22but the way that it moves is as much what identifies it.
0:50:22 > 0:50:24Look at the way the wings actually...
0:50:24 > 0:50:25They don't just go up and down,
0:50:25 > 0:50:30they sort of come forward as they flap down.
0:50:30 > 0:50:34And then the other thing that's happening, the body sort of humps up
0:50:34 > 0:50:38like that, it's a really distinctive part of the movement of a crane.
0:50:41 > 0:50:43- So you can see...- Oh, yeah!
0:50:43 > 0:50:46Wow, that's cool!
0:50:46 > 0:50:48Well done!
0:50:48 > 0:50:50Roderick, have you ever paid this much attention
0:50:50 > 0:50:54- to the way the birds actually move? - No, I haven't really, no.
0:50:54 > 0:50:57It certainly opens your eyes to how they fly.
0:50:57 > 0:51:01It will make me look at them in a different light, that's for sure.
0:51:05 > 0:51:08Later, we'll have a screening of the community's efforts,
0:51:08 > 0:51:11just a few hundred yards from where the cranes are wintering.
0:51:11 > 0:51:13But, first, shall we see what the weather's up to?
0:51:13 > 0:51:15Here is the Countryfile forecast for the week ahead.
0:52:08 > 0:52:10CRANES CALL
0:52:11 > 0:52:14The booming voice of the common crane,
0:52:14 > 0:52:17trumpeting over the Somerset Levels at dusk.
0:52:20 > 0:52:22These wetlands are once again home to the birds
0:52:22 > 0:52:26after they were hunted to extinction some 400 years ago.
0:52:27 > 0:52:31Inspired by this avian tale of loss and return,
0:52:31 > 0:52:34Sean Harris is an artist who's worked with local people
0:52:34 > 0:52:39on the Levels to make an enchanting artwork called Echo-Maker,
0:52:39 > 0:52:41in celebration of the cranes' homecoming.
0:52:42 > 0:52:44Now, for the first time,
0:52:44 > 0:52:48the community is gathering to see this spellbinding artwork
0:52:48 > 0:52:50in Roderick Hector's barn,
0:52:50 > 0:52:53just a wingtip away from the cranes out on the surrounding wetlands.
0:52:57 > 0:53:00It looks so pretty. The perfect setting.
0:53:01 > 0:53:04To get the screening started Somerset style,
0:53:04 > 0:53:06I've brought some cider brandy
0:53:06 > 0:53:08and Matt's been cooking up a choice cut
0:53:08 > 0:53:11of Roderick's succulent Ruby Red beef.
0:53:14 > 0:53:18- Oh, what's this? A candlelit dinner? - Yes, look at that!
0:53:18 > 0:53:20- Have a look at what I have got for you.- What have you got?
0:53:20 > 0:53:23- Oh, what? Amazing! - I know, isn't it?
0:53:23 > 0:53:24It just melts in your mouth.
0:53:24 > 0:53:26That's delicious.
0:53:26 > 0:53:29And what you need to go with that - cider brandy.
0:53:29 > 0:53:30GLASSES CLINK
0:53:32 > 0:53:35- That's lovely. - Isn't that good?- Yeah.
0:53:35 > 0:53:40It's been two years in the making, but now, with the stage set,
0:53:40 > 0:53:43we're ready to launch the artwork.
0:53:43 > 0:53:48It's time to see this common crane collaboration take flight.
0:53:56 > 0:53:58Sean, it looks fantastic.
0:53:58 > 0:53:59Do you feel any pressure?
0:53:59 > 0:54:02Because this is the first time Roderick's going to see it,
0:54:02 > 0:54:06we're in his barn, he was the one you convinced, he's the farmer,
0:54:06 > 0:54:08he's instrumental in it all happening.
0:54:08 > 0:54:09How do you feel right now?
0:54:09 > 0:54:13It was lovely seeing him do the animation
0:54:13 > 0:54:18and actually to hear him kind of give a thumbs-up
0:54:18 > 0:54:21or the Royal assent to the way those cranes were moving,
0:54:21 > 0:54:24from someone who's spent so much time looking at them,
0:54:24 > 0:54:27it was lovely. So, yeah, it matters very much to me.
0:54:35 > 0:54:38- MATT:- You've seen some things on your farm over the years...
0:54:40 > 0:54:41..and now this!
0:54:41 > 0:54:44Yeah, that's right, now this. Marvellous.
0:54:44 > 0:54:45When Sean was setting it up,
0:54:45 > 0:54:47I wasn't quite sure what it was going to look like.
0:54:47 > 0:54:50I didn't realise it was going to be like this, actually.
0:54:50 > 0:54:52- And what do you make of it? - Yeah, very good.
0:54:52 > 0:54:54- Yeah, incredible. - It's quite beautiful.
0:54:54 > 0:54:56Yeah, it is.
0:54:56 > 0:54:58I love that we're looking at the cranes here
0:54:58 > 0:55:01and that they're only just over there.
0:55:01 > 0:55:02Yeah, that's right.
0:55:03 > 0:55:06You only have to rewind the clock back not very far
0:55:06 > 0:55:08when there were no cranes here at all
0:55:08 > 0:55:12- and there hadn't been for, what, 400 years?- That's right.
0:55:12 > 0:55:14And now you look at what's going on out there,
0:55:14 > 0:55:18we've seen it with your own eyes today, it's quite something.
0:55:18 > 0:55:21Let's just hope they grow, let's hope they breed and we get more.
0:55:34 > 0:55:36Do you know, Matt, I absolutely love it.
0:55:36 > 0:55:37- It's beautiful, magical.- Yes.
0:55:39 > 0:55:41And that's all we've got time for from Somerset for this week.
0:55:41 > 0:55:44Next week, we'll be shedding some light on Leicestershire.
0:55:44 > 0:55:46Where I will be looking at a floral phenomenon
0:55:46 > 0:55:48that's been baffling botanists.
0:55:48 > 0:55:50- Hope you can join us then. - See you then.