Kelvin and Liz Fletcher have opened up about the very real emotional and financial toll of running their Cheshire farm, after enduring a series of devastating losses. The pair document the ups and downs of farming life in their ITV series Fletcher's Family Farm, and in recent repeat episodes, viewers have seen just how difficult life on the land can be.
As well as having to say a poignant goodbye to their cherished alpacas to free up space on the farm, the couple also sent two of their sheep to be slaughtered - and the heartbreak did not stop there.
A devastating verdict for a newborn lamb
In one particularly harrowing moment, a new lamb was born with a broken or dislocated hip, prompting vet Angelica to deliver the devastating verdict: "When it is so high up the leg, it is difficult to do anything about it."
A visibly upset Kelvin Fletcher said, "This is devastating news. I thought this would be an easy fix, not something that could take a life." The vet gently told him, "I know it's not great news, but I would say it is one we put to sleep."
Kelvin, the former soap star, reluctantly agreed, saying, "What a shame. Let's put her out of her misery." He added, "I've never had to make a decision like that before. The hardest thing about that was holding it; I had to look away to try and salvage some sort of... maybe my own guilt."
Health check following the loss of Aga
Amid the losses, in the latest repeat of Fletcher's Family Farm, which aired this week, Kelvin and Liz also invited vet Angelica to the farm for a health check on their flock following the death of their much-loved pet lamb Aga.
"It kind of looks a bit chaotic, but this is the smoothest it's ever happened," Liz said, referring to the process of rounding up the sheep, while Kelvin added, "We're improving. It just shows we are improving."
With the ewes and lambs separated, it was time for what Kelvin described as a "not-so-pleasant job of the season" - collecting droppings for testing. Kelvin explained the importance of the exercise, saying: "To try to prevent losing any lambs, vet Angelica will take the poo samples collected today for testing so we can treat any early signs of infection."
Worm infections proved fatal
Angelica explained: "As they grow up, they build some kind of immunity, but lambs are naive to them, and worms are everywhere at pasture, so we need to make sure that they have a good level of exposure when they're young, which means they will build up their immune response, but at the same time the burden is not too high and make them sick."
Reflecting on the winter just gone, Kelvin said: "We're taking a belt and braces approach this year, as through the winter worms were a real problem and proved to be fatal for a couple of our lambs, including our beloved Aga. Aga was an orphan lamb, whom we fell in love with, but later lost to a worm infection."
Fortunately, the results came back with some much-needed good news, with Kelvin telling viewers: "Angelica has been back in touch with the good news that the worm count isn't dangerous, but as advised, we still treat them."
He acknowledged just how tough the whole experience had been, saying: "It's not the easiest job to do, but such an important one, and this time it was such a great team effort." With the flock treated, it was time to get the sheep back out to pasture - a small but welcome moment of relief amid what has been an incredibly challenging time for the Fletcher family.
Fletcher's Family Farm is available to watch on ITVX.
