The stags are back at West Ilkerton. Chris has counted 12 in our fields every day this week. Today, he took this photo:

Calving has been fairly sucessful in that all the calves born so far are alive and well. However, to date there have been eight bull calves and four heifer calves. Heifer calves are typically worth about three times as much as bull calves, unless a bull's good enough to keep entire for breeding.

Breeding is now not an option for Beetle (sorry to break the hearts of all those adoring bitches out there!) because he had a trip to the vet to make him 'two stone lighter'. It was a case of being cruel to be kind because he'd started going off courting and the alternative was to keep him locked up most of the time.

The daffodils are out already, and will be over by the time lambing starts on 5th April. I don't know if I can cope with a lambing at West Ilkerton without daffodils to cheer me up!

Talking of cheering people up, I took this photo at Blackmoor Gate Market last Monday, when Chris was selling some sheep. It proves that farmers are a jolly lot who love to get together and have a good time: