Fergus MacGregor: Ram slam makes me value those who work with livestock
© Fergus MacGregor I don’t get a lot of time to practise my shepherding skills as this farm is mainly arable.
We only have 30 sheep “to mow the meadows”, so the following was perhaps inevitable when taking the ram out.
It refused to go into the pen full of nuts and ewes, instead preferring to flit around the entrance, refusing to commit.
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I decided to grab him, wrestle him to the ground and push him onto the trailer. This didn’t happen.
He knocked me to the ground and I got my hand stuck in his raddle.
He then bolted, running as fast as he could to try to get away, dragging me around the field through every molehill and poo pile he could find.
My colleague chased us with the quad and trailer, but was laughing too much to be of any help.
When the ram did stop, we tried to flip him over and up the ramp of the trailer.
In doing so he got under my legs and picked me up on his back (he’s a big ram), leaving me perched with my feet off the ground.
He once again made a bid for freedom, this time with me riding him – uncomfortable for both of us.
Eventually he gave up and, third time lucky, we got him on the trailer.
It made me really rather appreciate the skill of a good stockperson; I take my hat off to them as it’s not an easy job.
Dealing with stock requires a certain skill and affection for the beasts, which most people don’t have.
Their expertise should be held in greater regard by us laymen, as the knowledge is hard-won.
The export of wool historically contributed to our national wealth; the Lord Speaker of the House of Lords still sits on a wool bag, a gesture demonstrating the immense value we used to put on sheep farming.
I hope the government will realise the vast historical heritage of stock farmers, their current value for producing high-quality meat and do more to support them.