Kelvin Fletcher and his family marked an emotional moment on the latest episode of Fletcher's Family Farm. The former Emmerdale star and his wife Liz have been documenting the highs and lows of running their Cheshire Farm, and it's not all plain sailing.
Struggles with Ruby and calf Ray
During the latest repeat, which aired last night, Kelvin and Liz were dealing with the strain of their cow Ruby, not wanting to bond with its calf, which Marnie had called Ray. They had to bottle-feed the calf because Ruby kept kicking him away from her, which Kelvin described as "heartbreaking".
However, things took an emotional turn on Monday night's episode when Ruby and Ray finally bonded. Kelvin said in the voice-over, "On the morning rounds with the kids, we've spotted the most fantastic sight."
Emotional bond confirmed
Kelvin and Liz explained to their kids that their calf was finally taking milk from its mum, Ruby. "After a tricky start into motherhood, our cow Ruby has turned a corner and has started to bond with her calf," he went on.
"Well, this is a big, big step forward," he said to his wife. "She's out of the crush. She's allowing the calf to suckle."
Liz replied, "Look at that! I'm thrilled. I'm shocked. I'm just so pleased. The bond that we thought wasn't going to happen has happened. It's the absolute result that we wanted. It's perfect."
Family celebrates milestone
Despite thinking Ruby and Ray would never bond, Kelvin admitted he had always been hopeful. The family watched in awe as Ruby began licking her calf's head. "It's actual love," Liz emotionally said. Kelvin added, "It is melting my heart. That I mean, that is the ideal. That's what you want to see."
Since the birth, Kelvin and Liz had been getting Ruby into the crush three times a day to allow her calf to feed. He explained, "Thankfully, those days are behind us, and now they've bonded and feeding naturally. We can finally turn them out to join Cherry and Sonic."
"This is a big moment, isn't it? It's a real kind of transformation. Out onto the grass, and we'll just keep our eyes on her, and hopefully, that bond will just continue to grow and deepen."
It was an emotional moment for Kelvin as he reflected on the milestone, "I never thought we'd see this day. Turning them out together is such a special moment for us, and another notch on our farming belt. We've herded the kids up, too, to share this special moment." He added, "That's it, guys, all the cows are outside. What a sight."
Fletcher's Family Farm is available to watch on ITVX.
