THE first half of the week was rather gloomy, keeping the already wet ground topped up with 1.5 mm of rainfall each day for three days. Nevertheless, the wind, warmer sunshine and longer days managed to dry things out a little. Then the second half of the week was filled with a great deal of warm sunshine, giving us temperatures in the mid-twenties.

The cattle can tell when spring has arrived. I almost believe they can smell the grass growing and become anxious to taste the sweet, new crop. The weather was favourable so the barn doors were opened. The 18-month-old heifers were the first herd to feel grass under their hooves once again, followed the next day by the milking herd. I always enjoy watching the cattle when they are turned out after the winter, kicking their heels in the air and enjoying being out in the fields once again. The cows and heifers on Chuggaton Farm, in Devon, have also been released from their winter housing.

Our nutritionist recently took maize and grass silage samples for analysis. This was to check the nutritional value of the feeds at the silage face, so we would know how to balance the ration for the milking cows now they have fresh grass added to their diet. When the cows are turned out after the winter, for the first few days they will be kept in at night. The reason they are not left out 24 hours a day is that the nights can still be chilly and it is not a good idea to suddenly change their diet, so the changeover is done gradually.

On Manor, Stowell and Chuggaton Farms field work has begun in earnest. Here on Manor Farm, Ian has been spraying fungicide on the winter wheat and a weedkiller on the overwintered stubble fields. Nathan has been spreading manure, which was stored in heaps in these fields during the winter. The stubble fields are being prepared to plant maize. On Stowell Farm, Kevin has been spraying fungicide on his winter wheat and topping some of the stubble in fields due to be direct drilled with spring barley.

On Chuggaton Farm, Steve has cultivated and drilled a 10-acre field with grass seeds.This will be a short-term ley included as part of his crop rotation.

On Stowell Farm lambing has come to an end. Since March 1 1,550 ewes have given birth and are now enjoying being out in the fields with their lambs. The fresh spring grass is full of valuable nutrients, which stimulate the ewes to produce plenty of good-quality milk for the newborn lambs. This year the weather proved to be just a little challenging, but fortunately there were few losses.

However, there are always some lambs that have to be hand-reared and this year Melissa has 50 lambs in her nursery, many of these being as a result of multiple births. Most of these lambs are on three feeds of milk a day, but a few of the older lambs have been reduced to two feeds. The lambs are fed reconstituted milk powder, which is usually made from cows' milk, but this year Melissa is using powdered ewes' milk and tells me the lambs are doing well on it. This powdered milk is high in ewe milk proteins, particularly those that carry antibodies to disease.

The lambs born to 100 ewes earlier this year, as a result of artificial insemination, have recently been weighed and their weights recorded with Signet. Signet is the National Genetic Evaluation Service for sheep and beef producers. Signet performance recording helps its members identify sheep and beef cattle with superior breeding potential.

The older lambs (ie those born early in March) have been given a vaccination to protect them against pasturella and clostridial diseases. This vaccination is part of a vaccination programme, the first vaccination being given to the ewes four to six weeks prior to lambing. This will ensure the ewes produce good quality colostrum (the first form of milk produced following birth) to enable the lambs to gain maximum immunity. Clostridial immunity in the newborn lambs starts to wane after a month, so the lambs are given a vaccination. Pasturella and clostridial diseases cause most sheep deaths, so it is wise to give the lambs protection.