Farming explained
Short, plain-English answers to the questions people ask us, with live figures from our own farm where they fit.
Honey bees don’t hibernate. They huddle together and shiver to keep warm, living on the honey they stored in summer.
Every sheep, goat, pig and cow is identified, so we know where every animal has been. It keeps food safe and stops disease spreading.
Hens need long days to lay well, and they lay most in their first couple of years. Here’s how a hen’s laying changes through the year and through her life.
It all starts in the autumn, and it’s timed so the ewes have the best grass when they need it most.
Moving the animals round the fields gives the grass a rest, and it’s better for the animals and the soil too.
When grass stops growing in winter, the animals eat grass saved from the summer. Here’s how it’s stored.
Most sheep can’t shed their wool, so a summer haircut keeps them cool, clean and comfortable.