Original subtitles

Hello and welcome to This Week on the Farm.

This is a brand-new series, celebrating farmers up and down

the country, as they take care of their land,

the crops that grow on it and the animals that graze it.

That's right, spring has turned into summer.

The weather's getting warmer, the days are getting longer

and farmers up and down the country are as busy as ever.

On tonight's programme,

looking after livestock

goes way beyond lambing

when this little cutie gets treated for an injury.

Oh, that's a nasty one, is that, isn't it?

We'll find out where these 800 cows

will be spending the summer holidays.

And everyone's favourite farming heart-throbs,

Rob and Dave Nicholson,

go head-to-head with a round to be reckoned with.

Welcome to This Week on the Farm.

I'm excited!

Right, let's start as we mean to go on by saying hello to farmer Rob

and farmer Dave at Cannon Hall Farm in South Yorkshire.

Guys, I imagine your summer's got off to a busy start, hasn't it?

We've been really busy.

We've got sheep to sheer, we've got hay to make,

we've got lambs to vaccinate.

So, yeah, we've loads to do, loads to do.

Well, boys, it is great to see you again, albeit virtually this time.

And there's no getting going from the fact we all thoroughly enjoyed

following your adventures through the springtime.

But now that summer's here,

how does the new season really up your workload as farmers?

I'm keeping my shirt on, thank you.

Yeah, can you all keep them on, please?

This is a family show.

It sounds like you two are very hectic, but nevertheless

you've agreed that have us once more, so thank you very much.

Shortly, we'll find out what happened when one of the boy sheep

had a bit of a clumsy encounter with its newborn baby lamb.

First though, let's talk about that Pick For Britain campaign,

which has been sweeping the nation.

No doubt you'll have heard of it.

The idea is, people who have been furloughed roll up their sleeves

and quite literally help harvest the nation's fruit and veg.

It's an idea that's received royal backing, His Royal Highness,

Prince Charles, has lent his support and says it's a similar idea

to the efforts made by the Land Armies during the Second World War.

On his North Yorkshire farm,

Richard Moritz's crop is one of the summer's fastest growing veg.

Asparagus can be a bit of a bully, really.

If you start getting a few days' hot weather, it grows like mad.

Because it grows so quickly, timing is key

and it can be too late in the blink of an eye.

The perfect spear is going to be straight, the tip is quite

tightly closed and you're just cutting below the soil surface,

like that.

For his annual harvest of ten to 12 tonnes, Richard relies

on a regular workforce that arrives each summer from Eastern Europe -

until this year.

When we realised that we couldn't get people from abroad this year,

because of the lockdown,

we...had a mild panic,

wondering what on Earth we would do, who would cut our crop.

Faced with fields of rotting asparagus and financial ruin,

Richard put out a desperate plea on social media.

Enter a small army of students

and furloughed workers who answered his call.

I'm really amazed at the response

for the people who wanted to come and work for us.

It's absolutely saved the day, really.

Couldn't have done it without them.

One person riding to Richard's rescue is Emily Packer.

Last summer, 60-year-old David was a loyal customer of the farm.

This year, with this full-time job in finance currently on hold,

he is working on the farm.

When Richard put on his lnstagram page that they were needing

some people, I thought, "Hey, why not?"

I'm 60, but it's great exercise, it's really enjoyable,

and I think, for all of us, it's something new.

The opportunity that's arisen, shall I say,

from the current circumstances.

And, of course, the other thing we're doing is

we're helping getting food out to the people as well,

which is obviously very, very important.

On top there.

For David, it's also become a family affair.

In the packing shed, he's joined by daughter Lucy.

It's different, working with my dad.

Yeah, he's the oldest one here, so it's quite funny, really.

She's OK.

She doesn't nag me too much,

she makes sure I don't work too hard,

makes sure I don't eat too much at lunchtime,

and keeps a good eye on me.

So, this is the sort of beginning of the packing process.

This is asparagus that was picked yesterday

and it goes on this conveyor belt,

and in here is a slicer and it's also washing them.

So, coming out the other side of the conveyor belt,

they're all of an equal size. They then go through to there,

where they sort it.

The asparagus starts to come together

and, once you get it in uniformity of size in a bundle,

that's when it starts to look quite nice

and then you want to send it off to your customers then.

What do you want? Speak. Speak.

And the current climate has also brought about a difference

in Richard's clientele.

New local customers have filled the hole created by the big dip

in the catering trade.

But none of this would have been possible without his new recruits,

picking and packing and, hopefully, returning next year.

Of the 21 years that we've been cutting asparagus, harvesting it,

I think this has been the most challenging, really.

But I would like to do the same again next year,

if we can, using local people.

I think that would be the way to go, really.

I'm quite looking forward to it already.

Well, I'm delighted to say that David,

who you saw picking all that lovely asparagus, joins us now.

David, I bet you didn't imagine

you'd be picking asparagus this summer.

We saw lots of different people from all walks of life.

Was there a real sense of camaraderie between you all?

I guess the brilliant thing is that it's now redefined

your experience of lockdown

and probably given all of you a new appreciation

of what's involved in farming.

Clearly, this was light years away from what you're used to.

How did you cope with the physicality of it?

I mean, how are the hands and the back holding up?

Well, I have to say, I think it's absolutely brilliant

and it's great to hear so many similar stories

from up and down the country.

Hard-working people rolling up their sleeves

and getting their hands dirty.

And we'll certainly be meeting many more of you over the next few weeks.

Still to come tonight, a lamb with a broken leg

spells trouble for Dave.

This is an emergency because, if this lamb doesn't get a pot on it,

chances are he's not going to survive.

And some incredible images, as 800 cows are released

onto the Cumbrian salt marshes for the summer.

That's when we return in a few minutes for more

This Week on the Farm.

Welcome back to This Week on the Farm.

Now, earlier, we saw how David in North Yorkshire

had swapped his spreadsheets for some asparagus picking,

but he's not the only one who's had to swap jobs because of lockdown.

Just recently, the Nicholsons had an emergency of their own

in their lambing sheds and it was their colleague,

farmer Dale, who picked up the camera to bring us this story.

Summer has well and truly arrived in South Yorkshire.

The sun is shining, the grass is green

and the animals are enjoying the great outdoors.

But the farm's newest residents

are still under close supervision indoors,

and Dave has discovered an urgent problem in the barn.

Just hours ago, one of his yews gave birth to twins

and she accidentally stood on one of her newborns,

causing her daughter's leg to break.

The mum is a first-time lamber.

She's a little bit flighty,

she wasn't quite sure what was happening when she gave birth,

so that's probably why she trod on the little lamb's leg.

Now, she didn't mean to do it.

This kind of thing does happen from time to time.

This is an emergency because, if this lamb doesn't get a pot on it,

chances are it's not going to survive.

Vet Matt Smith is on-call and has made this job a priority.

You all right? I'm not bad.

Chief!

Want to have a look? Yeah, let's have a look at it.

It's looking brilliant. How old is it?

This morning. A boy or...?

Oh, yes.

A little girl. Oh, that's a nasty one, is that, isn't it?

Matt's set up a makeshift clinic to get the little lamb

back on her feet.

Hey, little girl.

Come on.

So, how do you want it, Matt?

What we'll do is, if you just lean her on,

lean her on her back for me, like that.

And then if you can just hold up that leg up as well -

that means I can line this up as best I can. No problem.

It's a clean break, there's actually no mess of that.

So, it'll be uncomfortable, little lamb,

but I just have to line you back up.

If the lamb is ever to walk again,

her bones need to be fused back together,

so Matt needs to make sure that the two broken bones

are properly aligned.

So, now I've got it nicely lined up,

I'm going to get some supporting bandages put on

and then put the cast on.

Now, all being well, things should go to plan

and it should start to heal up over the next couple of weeks.

But unfortunately, sometimes, for whatever reason,

they don't heal as well.

So, nothing's 100% in this game.

That's it, that's it.

I know, I know, little munchkin.

Put some padding up there.

The first layers of the bandage will provide support and comfort

so that the cast Matt is about to apply doesn't dig in

to her tiny leg and cause her pain.

So, this is called vet glass, this is a fibreglass cast

and it sets absolutely rock solid.

So, we've got to be relatively quick

because, as soon as it gets wet,

and it starts to dry out,

it solidifies.

So, I've got to make sure we get this right the first time

because, after this is on, there's no going back.

Oh, I'm pleased with that.

That's really good.

And after waiting a few minutes for the cast to set,

there's an important decision to make.

So, we've got a big question now, Dave.

To seal all of this in place, we're going to put a final layer.

So, the big question is,

do we want a tractor bandage or a little piggy's bandage.

Well, I'd go tractor myself, but it is a little girl.

So, what do you think?

Little pink piggieg?

Little pink piggies.

Because the edge of this cast here, you can just see there,

the last we want to do is that to flapping off

and causing her problems,

so this just seals everything in nicely.

I think we made the right choice with the pigs.

The little lamb is soon patched up.

Right, all sorted.

Let's see how this little lady gets on.

But how will the newborn cope with her new weighty cast on?

She's doing well there, isn't she?

Straight down.

To see her stood up so well, straight off the bat,

there's not many little lambs and cows that can do that.

I'm so pleased.

I'm very optimistic for her.

She's got a good chance. She's got a good chance.

After her dramatic start in life, the little fighter is soon back

drinking from mum, under Dave's close supervision.

Fantastic.

Who could ask for anything better?

And vet Matt will be back soon to check on her progress.

Aw, such a cute little lamb.

And, don't worry, we will check in on her later in the series.

Now, I absolutely love summer.

I don't know about you, but I just feel so much happier

when the sun shines and the weather gets a few degrees warmer.

I like to think the animals feel the same way too and get a little

smile on their faces when things pick up a little bit,

especially ones that live in remote and usually cold and wet places.

Now, earlier this year,

we visited James Marshall on his farm in Cumbria,

whose job is hugely affected by the changing of the seasons.

It's quite a challenging environment.

Some days, when it's sleet and the wind is blowing, you think,

"Whoa, this is tough out here."

But you certainly toughen up to it.

James Marshall has over a thousand cows in his herd.

For nine months of the year,

they live on 2,800 acres of remote Cumbrian marshland.

But, every March, they need to be brought inside

to calve in the warmth and comfort of one of his barns.

We use a lot of hay at this time of the year.

Nice dry feed, keeps them full, keeps them healthy.

And, hopefully, they just pop the calf out.

And, earlier this year, much to James' delight,

there were 76 new additions to his herd.

There's always a bit of a buzz.

You come in in the morning, there's two or three cows calved.

You think, "Well, that's a job well done."

Well, I'm pleased to say that James joins us now

from his farm near Carlisle.

James, how are those gorgeous little calves getting on?

Oh, absolutely excellent.

They are filling up on their mother's milk,

lying in the sun and really, really thriving.

That's exactly what we want to see.

And when will they be going out onto the salt marshes?

The calves will go out next year, probably in the middle of May,

depending on the tides.

Once they're over a year old,

they really, really thrive out there, in that environment.

Tell me a bit more about that environment

because it's a gorgeous part of the world,

I know it well,

but it's a challenging part of the world as well.

How difficult is it to get cows on and off a salt marsh?

Quite a routine, how we do it.

What we do in the morning, we let the cattle out

of what we'll call the pen.

Put them on and off, so, every night,

they come back off the salt marsh.

And we keep doing that for about ten days and that trains them all to

come back to the same spot at night.

And does that work then, to come back by themselves

to the same spot and to safety?

Yeah, yeah, definitely.

They can be right out the furthest point in the marsh,

which is nearly towards Annan, or Port Carlisle.

If you set them off from there, with the quad bikes and dogs,

they just generally head straight back to that one point,

back to the boathouse pens.

And why are the cows that you that you farm,

why is that breed so suited to life on a salt marsh?

We're mostly native breed crosses.

They're just that much tougher, they've got a bit more skin,

bit more hair,

they don't take as much harm from when it does become rough weather

and they're also very good at grazing grass

and they turn the grass into meat.

James, thank you so much for talking to us

and giving us a bit of an insight into your life,

kiss the tarmac in Cumbria for me, lots of love, James.

So, from the county I was born in, Cumbria,

to the county I now live in, Yorkshire,

let's head back to Barnsley,

where, before lockdown at the Nicholsons' farm,

Rob had a reason to be looking down in the mouth.

There are over a thousand animals living at Cannon Hall Farm today

and every single one of them is a shining star in its own right.

And taking centre stage today is this chap,

a Shetland pony that holds a very special place in Rob's heart

and not just because they share the same taste in music.

He is called Jon Bon Pony for obvious reasons.

He's got a really funky hairstyle

and he's a bit of an equine rock star.

He's managed to get all these five mares pregnant,

all on the same weekend,

so he's a monumental worker.

He's a really good stallion.

But now Rob's concerned that poor little Jon Bon

hasn't been his usual self lately.

It's been sad to watch, really.

He's normally a feisty character,

but he's just become a real pipe and slippers man.

It just doesn't seem like him.

He's just lost his sparkle, he's lost his vim and vigour

and we really need to find out what's wrong with him

and hopefully get him back to the old Jon Bon Pony.

Time to call in the services of farm vet David Melanie

to see if he can get this little rockstar back to his former glory.

He's just a little bit, you know, under the weather, lacking energy,

and he just looks a little bit down in the mouth.

Compared to the other Shetland ponies,

he's obviously in worse condition

and he's losing a bit of condition.

Let's give him a thorough check over,

see what's going on and we'll take it from there.

All right.

Right, you catch him.

The cause of Jon Bon's weight loss is a mystery.

It could be due to any number of things -

a stomach ulcer, dental problems, or even a life-threatening infection.

But whatever the issue, Rob needs to know so we can get his four-legged

friend the treatment he so desperately needs.

How long have you had him?

We bought him, probably last May,

so he was certainly fit and firing then,

but he just seems to have lost the sparkle, really.

Oh, bless him.

So, just looking at the condition of his feet,

at the hoof, the hoof walls

and just seeing if there's any obvious signs of lameness...

...wounds or defects in there and, funnily enough, lameness issues

can lead to weight loss because, understandably, quite sore,

they stop eating properly.

There are no obvious issues with Jon Bon Pony's hooves,

so it's time to move on to his mouth.

They're looking quite flat back there. Maybe worth having

a really good look with a gag and a head touch at some point.

You want me to shine the torch in?

Yeah, that'd be brilliant.

And, sure enough,

a closer inspection reveals a potential problem tooth.

You see how his...both his upper and his lower sets,

they're not quite fitting together properly?

And actually, at the back there,

there's some really sharp areas. Right.

Certainly could be interfering with his bite.

There's nothing worse than toothache, is there?

As any pony or horse gets order,

you do get a bit of natural deviation in the teeth.

When they're starting to lose weight,

that could well be the source of the weight loss.

So, I think what we need to do is get some dental work done,

flatten off those sharp areas and see if that gets him eating better.

Let's hope so.

David will be back in a few clays' time with some specialist

equine dental equipment, which means an anxious wait for Rob.

Hopefully, we'll get to the bottom of the problem and get him back

firing on all cylinders because we want him for the long-term.

He's a really special lad and we're really, really fond of him.

And we'll see what happens to the brilliantly named Jon Bon Pony

later on in the programme,

as well as finding out why Rob and Dave spent so much time

on this highland bull's summer hairdo.

My wife's a hairdresser,

so she's got some really nice herbal-smelling shampoo.

I think he's enjoying it.

Looks like Donald Trump.

And we'll be watching as the brothers come face-to-face

with their farmyard foe.

So, join us again in a few minutes for more This Week on the Farm.

Welcome back to This Week on The Farm, where, for the next six weeks,

we'll be keeping a close eye on what's keeping the nation's farmers

busy this summer.

That's right, and we'll have regular visits to Cannon Hall Farm

in South Yorkshire,

where, earlier in the year, Rob had to call in the vet

when he was worried about the health

of one of his favourite Shetland ponies.

It's been a few clays since Canon Hall's equine rock star Jon Bon Pony

had a visit from vet David.

Come on, let's have a look.

He's been losing weight recently

and it could be down to a dental problem.

Jon Bon Pony's really, really special to us.

I'm really feeling for him at the moment because I hate the dentist

and this poor [ad's got that to come today.

I'm just hope that he comes through it OK

and it's not too uncomfortable for him.

David has returned with his colleague,

Mick Hancock, who has over 30 years of equine experience.

Morning, Rob.

Hiya, Dave. How are you doing?

I've gotjon Bon Pony for you.

Come on, Jon Bon. Come on.

On his last visit, David discovered some sharp areas on Jon Bon's teeth,

so he's returned with Mick to take a more detailed look.

Certainly, if there's any question

that they might not be eating properly,

it could be an indication that there's a little bit of dental pain

or discomfort there and you can get what we call hooks or spurs forming,

which are really quite sharp.

So, we just want to checkjon Bon and see that he hasn't got

any of those and if he eats better afterwards, then that's brilliant.

First, Jon Bon needs a mild sedative

so he doesn't move too much during the procedure.

And vet Mick has got some handy power tools to file down

Jon Bon's teeth, which will make his trip to the dentist a lot quicker

than if the team were doing the job with the traditional rasp.

Next, Jon Bon has a head collar fitted,

which will help open his mouth wide enough

so David and Mick can have a look inside.

It might look a bit scary,

but it doesn't hurt him at all.

If his teeth are starting to grow abnormally, he'll find it harder

and harder to eat and he's not going to get the nutrition he needs,

he will eventually waste away from it,

so I'm really glad we can get on top of this today.

Good.

Yeah, he's certainly got some sharp spikes on here.

Sounds like quite a bit of work to do there.

Is that right on his back molar?

Nick's found a sharp tooth that could be making it painful

when Jon Bon's eating and that could explain his weight loss.

Good boy.

Good lad.

Well done.

Well, thank you ever so much, I'm really pleased with that.

I'm thrilled that you found something significant

because hopefully that's going to put him right.

We look forward to hearing how he's doing.

I'll keep you posted.

Right, let's clean up.

Right, come on, Jon Bon, back to your ladies.

Come on.

Come on.

I'm really, really pleased with that.

I think Mick and Dave did a really good job.

The icing on the cake for me was to find that significantly sharp tooth,

right at the back, that we couldn't possibly have seen without

all that high tech equipment.

And, hopefully, Jon Bon Pony will be putting on weight

and looking like his old self in no time.

And Rob's prediction is spot on.

Just a week on from having his teeth done,

Jon Bon Pony is starting to look like a rock star again

and his number one fan David is back for a reunion.

Morning, Rob. Meet the new man.

Jon Bon Pony. He's looking well.

He's got his sparkle back.

The low mood has disappeared.

He's now bossing the girls around.

He's eating like an absolute horse, dare I say.

Is he? Brilliant.

It seems like he's already got a little bit of weight.

It's going to take time to get a bit of his condition back.

So, he's no longer living on a prayer then?

David, really?

You went there.

Right, let's check in with Dave and Rob and find out how

the little rockstar's getting on.

Yeah, Jon Bon Pony's absolutely fabulous now.

His toothache is cured, he's putting weight on, he's really relaxed,

he's full of his old presence, he's fully recovered,

we're really thrilled with him.

Now, guys, as farmers, famously,

you're not supposed to have favourites amongst your livestock.

But there's no getting away from the fact that he's clearly

pretty important to you, isn't he?

And what does the summer hold for him now?

Jon Bon Pony is going to have a fabulous summer.

He's going to go outside, he's going to spend time in the paddocks,

he's going to spend time wooing his ladies,

he needs to find a way to get them pregnant,

to get them delivering foals next year.

So, yeah, he's going to have a fabulous time.

He's got the very best of lives.

Hang on a minute, it sounds like he's already been wooing the ladies

because there's been a new addition, hasn't there?

Yeah, we could not be more proud of Jon Bon.

He has become a father.

He's had the most gorgeous little foal.

It's the cutest animal we've had born on the farm this year,

in my opinion,

and he's the proudest dad.

So, we're absolutely thrilled for him and thrilled with him.

And what have you called the foal?

Pony Hadley? That can't be true.

That is astonishing.

Well, I tell you what, if I don't get a haircut soon,

I'm going to become a new romantic myself.

Well, thank you, Jon Bon, for your contribution.

Well, it sounds like you've got another little star in the making,

which brings us nicely onto our next story, featuring a rather

presidential-looking cow who goes by the name of Ted.

Country shows are the highlight of a farmer's summer,

a rare day off to mix with other farmers and also show off

their best livestock.

We've been looking forward so much this year to the show season -

it's where all the farming community comes together.

They bring the livestock, they compete against each other,

but they come together as friends -

and we've lost that opportunity with the coronavirus outbreak.

Last year, Rob and Dave took Highland cow Fern

to the great Yorkshire show

and came home with a first prize rosette.

Congratulations.

This year, they had great hopes for Fern's son, Ted.

For the competition, the lads have to do all the same things

for regular a show.

Preparation starts months before the event.

Now, luckily,

we carried on prepping Ted as if he was going to go to the Yorkshire

show, we kept his feed levels high,

we've looked after him, we've kept him neat and tidy.

I think if there's anyone that can manicure him up

to look absolutely perfect, it's you.

Come on, son.

It's time to take Ted to the hairdressers

to get him catwalk ready to impress the judges.

Ted's winter layer is combed out,

revealing a softer summer coat.

Looks like Donald Trump!

ROB LAUGHS

I'm going to stand back.

Go on, Donald.

Ted, are you ready for a blow-dry?

Dave's certainly picked up a few tips at the salon.

We want a bit of lift.

It's got to have volume.

Now Ted's all set,

Dave also needs to look the part.

The judges for this virtual country show

need to see a few photos

and a video of Ted being paraded.

SHEEP BLEAT

I need you to concentrate,

walk in a straight line,

down towards the bottom fence and straight back again, please.

TED BELLOWS

That's it, Ted... ..lift your head, show some style.

SHEEP BLEAT

Show his presence.

Look like you own this field.

Oh, you do!

DAVE LAUGHS

TED BELLOWS

Everything's in the can.

Now to get it sent to the judges.

What do I do next?

Rob and Dave have done all they can.

Now, they just have to sit and wait for the results.

Oh, nice.

May the best...

...cow win.

BOTH: Or bull.

Brilliant job, guys, and what a transformation you gave Ted.

That is a great example of how the show must go on.

And why are country shows so important?

Country shows, Helen, are the highlight of the...

...of the farmers' social calendar, the summer social calendar.

We look forward to it all year

and to see it taken away from us,

to see them cancelled, was really disappointing.

So, when we saw the online show,

we thought, "This is our chance to bring Ted out,

"to see how he compares and to give him a little run through his paces."

So, yeah, they are really important.

Do you know? I couldn't agree more.

I'm certainly missing the country show season of this year.

But I was lucky enough to be at the Great Yorkshire Show last year,

when you came out of the ring with a red first rosette,

so, dare we ask,

how did it go this year?

I'm going to call for a judges' inquiry.

Ted is a triumph, as far as we're concerned.

Fifth?!

I mean, was it worth all the effort?

You were combing him, shampooing him,

I mean, you used more hairspray than I use in a year!

And that's just David!

We're definitely going to go again.

We're definitely going to enter, next year.

We're hopefully going to go to the real country shows, as well.

So, yeah, we thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

Ted enjoyed it.

And we're really, really proud of him, whatever the result.

That's the spirit, boys.

And we should point out that, as well as working together every day,

providing essential care for their hundreds of animals,

brothers Rob and Dave also live on the farm,

so they have been in lockdown together.

Now, after the break, we'll be heading straight back to Barnsley,

where Dave faces yet another challenge

and this one is a sheer delight to watch.

Dave, it's all about Arnie's safety,

but you're a competitive soul,

you want to know whether you can beat last year's time.

Go.

So, join us in a few minutes for more This Week on the Farm.

Welcome back to This Week on the Farm,

our summery celebration of all the hard work done by farmers up

and down the country at this time of year.

Now, earlier on, we saw Dave

and Rob's competitive nature come to the fore when they entered Ted,

their presidential-looking Highland cow, into an online country show.

Now, sadly, they didn't come up trumps on that occasion...

...but let's see how Dave got on earlier in the week

when Rob set him a little challenge.

The Nicholsons' farm is home to 12 different breeds of sheep

and, whilst they each have unique characteristics,

they all have one thing in common -

at summertime, they all need shearing.

They obviously need the wool to keep them warm in winter -

it keeps them waterproof.

However, it now summer, the weather's hot,

they need that wool taken off so they can enjoy themselves.

The wool, it's so heavy, they can't roll over,

and they actually die if they get stuck on their back, so it's

better to get the wool off, and you take that hazard out of the way.

Today, the boys will be working with the Jacob sheep

and Rob is particularly looking forward to it.

I'm really excited about it, mostly because I'm not doing it

and David is. I were just going to say that, yeah.

It is a tough job.

Does it make you want to weep?

Sometimes, but hopefully not today.

Now, just the small matter of 30 ladies to shear in 20-degree heat.

Careful with them! Oh, and they've got horns!

Look at that, they're lethal weapons!

SHEEP BLEAT

At one time, the wool cheque,

the money received for your fleeces, would pay the rent on your land.

Now it costs more to pay a contractor to shear the wool

off then you're paid for it, so it's very much a welfare issue now.

SHEEP BLEAT

Dave, you've missed a bit.

You'll be next!

ROB LAUGHS

That's that batch done, Rob. Well done.

Fabulous, fabulous effort, that.

I feel tired just watching you.

After a busy morning with the clippers,

it's time to return the ladies to the summer sun, complete with

new haircuts and a whole load of weight off their backs - literally.

But there's still one member of the flock to shear,

and the boys have saved the toughest task for last.

Meet champion ram Arnie.

The boys' first challenge is to catch him.

He's a mean character.

He's strong, he's agile, and he knows how to use his horns.

We've got to have our wits about us.

David's bringing the ewes and Arnie down.

If we can fasten him in that corner, we've got a great chance and we can

make a move on Arnie, hopefully grab him and hopefully hang onto him.

Hang on, hang on.

Which way are you 90mg?

If he comes my way, I've got him.

My money's on you, Dave.

It's a battle of the wills, but who will come out on top? Got him?

DAVE EXHALES

Whoo! That took a bit of doing.

You were nearly down that ditch.

THEY LAUGH

Never mind, Arnie!

And then it's back to the barn for round two.

Come on, lad.

Tipping the scales at just over 100 kg,

Arnie weighs more than Dave himself,

so this won't be easy.

Oh, look at that!

It's all in the footwork.

It's another victory for Dave and, to add to the pressure,

Rob's got another challenge up his sleeve.

Dave, we know it's all about Arnie's safety, but you're a competitive

soul, you want to know whether you can beat last year's time.

On your marks, get set, go.

Last year, Dave sheared Arnie in six minutes and 22 seconds -

whether he can beat that today depends on Arnie playing ball.

DAVE EXHALES

Come on, lad.

But with Arnie throwing his weight around,

it's quickly turning into a two-man job.

Right, come round.

Hold themmthem two. Yep.

Got 'em? Tilt his head back a bit.

He's called Arnie for a really good reason.

He's strong, he's powerful,

he's a terminator.

Now that Dave has got Arnie back under control,

Rob can step aside again.

I was happy to help you out in that moment of trouble, there.

I was happy to bail you out.

I'm forever grateful, Rob.

ROB LAUGHS

Done. That's better, well done. That were easy!

THEY LAUGH

Good lad.

Despite the backbreaking work,

Dave hasn't forgotten about the competition.

How long did that take me?

You did very well and that's all you need to know.

You keep that time to yourself, Rob. I'm happy with that.

And now for the final job of the day, putting Arnie back

out in the sunshine and as far away from Dave as possible.

Go on, lad. Enjoy your summer.

Right, Dave, I think you need a hot bath and a cold drink.

I think you're right, there, Rob.

And, Arnie, what do we say to him?

Hasta la vista.

He'll be back.

THEY CHUCKLE

Rob, Dave, we all look forward to summer,

but it would be difficult to enjoy if we were all

walking round with huge, heavy sheepskin coats on, wouldn't it?

Well, hats off to you, Dave,

going toe-to-toe with your woolly nemesis, there.

I mean, he clearly gave you both, I suppose, a run for your money,

and you had a bit of a sweat on, there.

But I'm thinking you probably now want to know how you did

compared to last year.

Yeah, I really would because Arnie is a big, tough unit,

so how did I get on?

Well, just to remind you, last year, you did it in six minutes

and 22 seconds.

This year, wait for it, a bit of a drum roll, perhaps,

you managed it in six minutes and two seconds,

so you shaved 20 seconds off the previous time. Oh, yes! Well done.

I'm happy with that.

I don't know how you managed to get through it without Rob.

I mean, he swooped in when times got tough.

Is he always that helpful, Dave? Er, not really.

Those ten seconds will cost me dearly,

he'll never let me forget it.

Thank you so much for having us again, guys.

And that's it for now, but join us next time for more summer fun on the

farm, and we'll be visiting the real Downton Abbey to find out if their

brand-new boar has successfully performed his regal duties.

We'll find out how a vegetable farmer in Essex has

had to alter his business plan to survive lockdown.

We started off with just some fruit and veg boxes to start off,

couple of days later, we said, "Oh, look,

"we'lljust do it to the local

"village," and then it went mad.

And Rob and Dave hatch a plan in the workshop,

but will their grand design fall foul

of their feathered friends' expectations?

That's next time on This Week on the Farm.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media