diary of a comedy sheep farm

spin cycle · Jun 19, 2022

yellowbelly said:
Seems that really the only missing link in your current system is a reliable shearer.

Yesterday's d!ckhead has wasted you a day (a day you can hardly afford) and you've still got 'em all to clip

Your previous one was hardly David Fagan (pehaps I should have said Lizzie Thomson, as she was a lass)

Does nobody else in Norfolk keep sheep I know it's the height of the clipping season now but surely not everybody out your way clips their own, there must be a handy young farmer or two about that need a few beer vouchers

it's not for want of trying

shearer no1.....farmer i bought tups off....did 2 years then i rang up one year and he'd hurt himself but put me onto shearer 2....excellent contract shepherd but next year he'd gotten full time job on a farm that let him grass for his own sheep......shearer 3....young part time lad...got him out to dag some replacements as trial....re booked for shearing....then on day said it was to much....he needed to get a mate from loddon....finally arrived at 4pm....good job but hideously expensive and both dissapeared next year.....shearer 3 bopeep...adventure but in nice way...ran off with go cart driver......shearer 4 pro tag team...grumpy on arrival....constantly complained i was slow...in the end after the 100 i'd booked em for i asked them to leave unfinished ....shearer 5 bo peep and shoes (2 yrs) more adventures but nice....shearer 6 yesterday

i'd dearly like to be able to shear my own but lacking dexterity /stamina not able to....i mean i'm so ungainly just walking about/getting thru the day without falling over is an achievement

spin cycle · Jun 19, 2022

onthehoof said:
Could you do more on livery side, is there enough demand where you are??
It's a difficult one on the sheep side as you obviously love them to bits
As you say the money you save on shearing you might lose on marketing with shedders??
Have you anymore buildings you could convert for holiday let's or even glamping/wild camping you're in a good spot surely
I think there are a few of us looking to ease up a bit, I will certainly be giving up some marginal quality rented grass when bps goes, the numbers just don't stack up.

so plan is renovate farmhouse....mrs spin, cinders and i move up.....our house becomes 'den of iniquity'

with boy ,HH and lodgers....cash saved and bitta rent more than replaces bps

next bit is tricky.....accountant warns me i may risk IHT relief if the farming/diversification balance tips to far......basically the farm has been breaking even/small loss before bps is counted....apparently i risk being accused of 'deliberately farming to loose money'

....i'm hoping to submit this diary as defence

.....bps doesn't seem to be counted as farming income but stewardship does which should help

HH is keen on glamping idea

...we're right at end of electricity run so more conversions might be tricky cos we're maxxed out without a costly supply upgrade

spin cycle · Jun 19, 2022

these issues i guess are common to many members on here....and a lot would say nice problems to have...anyway perhaps it'll help others by way of a 'case study'

Flat 10 · Jun 19, 2022

onthehoof said:
Could you do more on livery side, is there enough demand where you are??
It's a difficult one on the sheep side as you obviously love them to bits
As you say the money you save on shearing you might lose on marketing with shedders??
Have you anymore buildings you could convert for holiday let's or even glamping/wild camping you're in a good spot surely
I think there are a few of us looking to ease up a bit, I will certainly be giving up some marginal quality rented grass when bps goes, the numbers just don't stack up.

That's a shame, I thought the next generation and the new kit would make you want to push on

Matthew Britton · Jun 19, 2022

If your over in my neck of the woods you would be very welcome to visit. It quite a nice spot here and off the British holiday route so more like proper France, plenty of cows, not many sheep and this year lots of sunflowers.

onthehoof · Jun 19, 2022

Flat 10 said:
That's a shame, I thought the next generation and the new kit would make you want to push on

Eldest not interested

Middle one doing apprenticeship for Claas, keen on farming but severely allergic to cattle

Daughter only interested in boyfriend currently

They all chip in if asked but can't see any of them wanting to do what I do and don't blame them.
New kit helps me and Missus get it done quicker

spin cycle · Jun 19, 2022

Matthew Britton said:
If your over in my neck of the woods you would be very welcome to visit. It quite a nice spot here and off the British holiday route so more like proper France, plenty of cows, not many sheep and this year lots of sunflowers.

we're gonna be in limoges....so 1 department away...however far that is :scratchhead:

not that we're going...HH and mrs spin organising and i'm in complete denial cos admiral regularly has a 'meltdown' if i'm down the field for more than 2 hours

Matthew Britton · Jun 19, 2022

spin cycle said:
we're gonna be in limoges....so 1 department away...however far that is

not that we're going...HH and mrs spin organising and i'm in complete denial cos admiral regularly has a 'meltdown' if i'm down the field for more than 2 hours

Getting away will do you good, I would put money on the Admiral being fine if she knows your not at her beck and call, is HH staying home to keep an eye on her? We are about 3 hours east of Limoges, if you are mobile and fancy a visit we would be pleased to meet you in the flesh so to speak and could rustle you up something to eat.

Lodekka · Jun 19, 2022

yellowbelly said:
Having not had the pleasure of meeting @carbonfibre farmer ,I'm more intrigued to know how he came by the name in the first place............

.......is it 'cos he had one of these..........
View attachment 1042721

..........or he has one of these..........
View attachment 1042722

...or he has one of these........
View attachment 1042723
..nah, he's more likely to have one of these........
View attachment 1042724

.....OR, is it for a completely different reason altogether View attachment 1042727

But he has got one of these! Absolutely nothing to do with the above but if an opportunity presents itself....

yellowbelly · Jun 19, 2022

spin cycle said:
i'd dearly like to be able to shear my own but lacking dexterity /stamina not able to...

Been there done that.....

....we're not getting any younger

onthehoof said:
As you say the money you save on shearing you might lose on marketing with shedders??

It's not just the money though, it's the peace of mind re flystrike and getting farwelted etc. Also there's not the hassle of gathering for clipping and then having a pile of wool that's currently worth four fifths of bu66er all.

Crikey, for a longwool breeder, I've just made a great case for shedders

yellowbelly · Jun 19, 2022

onthehoof said:
I think there are a few of us looking to ease up a bit, I will certainly be giving up some marginal quality rented grass when bps goes, the numbers just don't stack up.

Very true.

You suddenly arrive at a place in your life when you realise that you aren't invincible anymore

This is the first year in my life when jobs I've always done start to seem like hard work.
I feel a bit like Fred Wedlock...

...takes me all night to do what I used to do all night

spin cycle · Jun 19, 2022

think i've got another shearer......she asked 'what breed'....i didn't use the term 'norfolk hurdlers'

......explaining they were cross breds and 'coughing' to some 'dorset crosses....'thats ok' she said ' it's breeds like lincoln longwools we're worried about'

Izzybella_xxx · Jun 19, 2022

spin cycle said:
we're gonna be in limoges....so 1 department away...however far that is

not that we're going...HH and mrs spin organising and i'm in complete denial cos admiral regularly has a 'meltdown' if i'm down the field for more than 2 hours

There is NO question of you going, just question of my own survival whilst you’re gone

I am a perfectly sufficient replacement and you deserve a break

spin cycle · Jun 19, 2022

Izzybella_xxx said:
There is NO question of you going, just question of my own survival whilst you’re gone I am a perfectly sufficient replacement and you deserve a break

Izzybella_xxx · Jun 19, 2022

spin cycle said:
View attachment 1043863

I have a tendency of getting what I want, and zero intention of forfeiting it now

redsloe · Jun 19, 2022

Izzybella_xxx said:
I have a tendency of getting what I want, and zero intention of forfeiting it now

Can't wait for @robbie to come weighing in with a suitable unsuitable comment.........

Matthew Britton · Jun 19, 2022

Izzybella_xxx said:
There is NO question of you going, just question of my own survival whilst you’re gone I am a perfectly sufficient replacement and you deserve a break

Just imagine the trouble he will get into over here

yellowbelly · Jun 19, 2022

Izzybella_xxx said:
There is NO question of you going, just question of my own survival whilst you’re gone I am a perfectly sufficient replacement and you deserve a break

Good lass, you tell him

He'll be .....

Matthew Britton · Jun 19, 2022

spin cycle said:
View attachment 1043863

No dear boy you need a holiday!

robbie · Jun 19, 2022

Matthew Britton said:
Just imagine the trouble he will get into over here

He's got to get there first.....just imagine it, he'll be late leaving so it'll be a mega rush to get to the ferry on time, then he'll probably end up causing a traffic jam loading onto the ferry, then he'll probably pull the plug and the ferry will start to sink.
Once in France.......assuming he makes the crossing, he'll set off on the wrong side of the road, then maybe a puncture or two and a few pit stops for a rollie and a flake and then 18 hours later and a couple of hundred miles extra from wrong turns he'll realise he's left poor old Mrs spin standing on the drive way at home..........I really can't wait for comedy diary of a sheep farmer, on tour!!!!!!!!!

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