AT Manor Farm, Ian has been busy with the daily routines as well as calves still being born. The arrival of an Angus bull calf caused its mother to become unwell with a condition called milk fever.

This is caused by the cow’s inability to mobilise calcium fast enough, even though her body is not short of the mineral.

The vet came out and gave her an intravenous injection of calcium, this works rapidly and she was soon fully recovered.

The bulling heifers have also been wormed with a pour-on solution. A small amount of the solution is poured along the spine and is absorbed through the skin. This offers protection through the summer months from the worm burden.

Ian also attended two meetings this week, the first on tax planning and the second on land use, legal responsibility and government infrastructure.

This is for farmers who have main electric pylons on their land and any form of major transport links (for example motorways and railways), intersecting their land.

The ewe lambs (last year’s lambs) at Stowell Farm were moved to fresh pasture.

The Signet-recorded flock of 100 ewes have now been bought in ready for lambing, who are due to start on February 20.

The baron ewes which, having been scanned, were found not to be pregnant, will be sold on.

These have now been separated from the main flock and put in a separate barn.

Rosie, one of the twins’ pet sheep, has had the first lamb of the year. This was a ewe lamb and as she was a little weak, we helped her by bottle feeding her extra colostrum, which is the first milk and contains essential antibodies to fight infection. She is now strong and healthy and suckling happily off her mother. She has of course been named, and Star is one of many more to come.

n With Denise unable to write her article for a few weeks she has enlisted the help of her niece Natalie Plummer and her daughter Melissa Candy. Natalie is studying Agriculture at Reading University and is currently on a placement year as a Progressive Young Farmer for McDonald's, in the beef supply chain. Melissa farms at Stowell Farm and is married to Kevin with two children, Natasha and Annabel. She also teaches rallies for the Beaufort Pony Club.