During the lambing season there is always plenty of work as Kevin and his team prepare buildings and pens for the flock of 500 ewes due to lamb in March.

During the week these ewes were injected with a booster of active immunisation as an aid in the control of a number of clostridial diseases and a type of pneumonia caused by two bacteria. This booster is given annually four to six weeks before lambing, which will give protection to the newborn lambs before they get their first vaccination at about three weeks.

Some of the lambs born since Christmas have just been given their first injection with a second to follow in four to six weeks. These newborn lambs were also given a drench (by mouth) to prevent them getting coccidiosis. This is caused by a single-celled protozoa which infects the intestinal tract. Once infected there is a loss of gut absorption, which leads to profuse diarrhoea.

Trace elements in the diet are essential. Many of these elements cannot be stored, so are required daily. Sheep are ruminants, which means they have a stomach with four compartments in order to be able to digest forage, making up most of their diet in the form of grass, silage and hay. The first of these compartments is the rumen, where a number of micro-organisms produce enzymes to initiate chemical breakdown of herbage. There is constant mixing of rumen fluids and microbes. In order for the rumen to function properly the sheep need to ingest the trace elements zinc, selenium, cobalt and iodine. This is ensured by giving the pregnant ewes a slow release trace element bolus.

I am pleased to say that all the early lambing flock have now given birth, made a great deal easier by the dry weather.

On Manor Farm, Ian has sprayed a herbicide on some of our overwintered stubble fields, to start to prepare the ground for spring planting. This year we will be growing some more maize as we have used all the maize silage in store from 2020 and it is a useful forage addition for our Aberdeen Angus-cross cattle.

Following the outbreak of blackleg , when our cattle were at pasture last summer, we have decided to adopt a vaccination programme for any new cattle coming onto the farm. Last autumn we bought some more weaned calves. In order to give them maximum protection against blackleg they have to be given two injections of a vaccine before turnout, so they have received the first, the next will be given in a few weeks time.

Returning to Natalie and Alex's free range hens, of course the supermarkets selling their eggs need to ensure certain obligations are fulfilled.

Bird welfare is high on the agenda, where the inspector will make sure the hens have enough space, check for signs of feather pecking or any other aggressive behaviour. Egg quality and hygiene are also important, as is traceability and sustainability.

I have always been puzzled by the word "sustainability." What exactly does it mean? Natalie gave me the best interpretation. She said: "It is to ensure that what we do does not affect future generations." Other audits are for the Lion Code (very much about egg quality ), RSPCA (for Freedom Foods so bird welfare) and a Defra audit, which ensures all egg producers achieve a basic standard over all.