FARMING high up in the hills where the winter weather can be harsh and where growing crops is not an option would probably not be most people’s chosen life-style, but Kath Birkinshaw is passionate about her work as she explained to members of Holme Valley Civic Society in a fascinating account of her life as a hill farmer in North Derbyshire, where her farm includes over 15,000 acres of open moorland which is ideal for rearing sheep.
The farming year starts in November when with the help of other shepherds, the sheep are brought down from the hills for tupping by the rams. This done, the sheep are then taken back up the hills to wait for five months before lambing.
The first job every morning is to feed the 300 sheep and Kath finds that a quad bike and trailer are best to take the hay to different hilly areas where the sheep are grazing.
In mid-February the sheep are scanned to find out how many lambs they are having because if they are expecting more than one, they will need more feed.
Lambing takes place in early April and for this the sheep are brought down from the moors. Last year this was more difficult because of the very deep snow and the lambs had to be brought inside the buildings with the very weak ones in a tub in the kitchen.
Sometimes lambs have a broken leg so hill farmers must also be able to put a splint on the leg. After about 16 days, it is taken off and this operation is usually completed successfully.
Lambs want to feed straight after they are born and the sheep must acknowledge their lambs. If the ewe does not have enough milk, the lamb is fed by the farmer and if a lamb dies, the skin of the dead lamb is put over another lamb and the lambless ewe will usually accept it.
In spring the grass grows as the temperature rises. By June the lambs are growing big and the sheep need shearing. The hill farmers may shear their own sheep or get help from other shepherds.
July is the time for mowing the meadows - when the weather is good! Friends and family help at this busy time and then once the haymaking has been done, the lambs are weaned and allowed to go on to the fields and the hay is stored in barns for winter feed.
The final jobs in the hill farmers’ year include repairing stone walls and dealing with moles which are a big problem as thistles and docks grow where there are mole hills.
Kath Birkinshaw’s talk was accompanied by her superb photography. Beautiful landscapes, wild flowers and birds featured prominently along with the sheep, the lambs and the sheepdogs, all border collies, which have to get on with each other. They can still be working at 10 years of age.
Holme Valley Civic Society’s next meeting will take place on Thursday March 20 at 7.30pm in Holmfirth Civic Hall when Brian Crowther will talk about walking the Pennine Way from Kirk Yetholm to Edale with a dog for company.
