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Happy hens

Happy hens in Fermanagh, blue tongue fears, call for vet school in Northern Ireland and a Claudy stockman wins big.

Presenter, Nicola Weir, travels to Clogher in County Fermanagh to visit Ballyness Farm. Farmer, Philp Marlow, took over the family farm there and has installed a unique system that allows his happy hens to move home every two days while at the same time keeping the ground nourished and fertile. The Ulster Farmers’ Union President, William Irvine, calls for a pause on imports into Northern Ireland as the blue tongue virus cases rise and the Senior Vice President of the British Veterinary Association Northern Ireland branch, Esther Skelly-Smith, calls for Stormont to get behind plans for the first vets school here to stop the brain drain. Farmer, Fergal Gormley from Claudy in County Londonderry, tells Nicola all about being crowned the All Ireland Stock Person Champion – and why it’s not all about cow handling and presentation. Potato blight strains are increasing and the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Senior Crops Advisor, Robin Bolton, explains how this is happening and what it means for the potato harvest and Jason Rankin from Agrisearch casts his eye over a year of grass growth and the problem of mycotoxins in silage.

Release date:

57 minutes

On radio

Sunday 14:03

Broadcast

  • Sunday 14:03