What a gloomy, wet week! The sheep are sodden and we’ve split the early lambers off so we can start to feed them. I can’t believe we will start lambing next month!

Another Charolais bull calf arrived last Thursday. He’s looking good, although not quite the size of the one born the previous week.

The Lab pup is settling in really well. I wanted to call her Monkey, however, my husband said he’d sound like a right idiot shouting that on a shoot; so I’ve settled, reluctantly, on Ruby.

Breeding cows and calf trade was strong at Kirkby last week, with plenty of buyers around the ring. A Limousin-cross cow with a Limousin heifer calf at foot topped the trade at £3,550, 149 heifers and calves averaged £2,132 and 139 in-calf heifers averaged £1,719.

The wet weather might have played a part in lambs not gaining weight which, in turn, might be the result of the fat lamb trade being back a bit this week which is disappointing.

The first of the Christmas fatstock shows are getting underway, so let's hope that gives trade a boost for both lambs and cattle.

Sales coming up this week Friday, November 18 - 'Three Nations Sale’ of Suffolk in-lamb females at Borderway Mart, Carlisle. Saturday, November 19 - 'Best of Berrichon Breeders’ annual sale of quality in-lamb females at Worcester Market. Saturday, November 19 - Sale of poultry, waterfowl, hatching eggs and equipment at North West Auctions, Junction 36, Kendal. Tuesday, November 22 - Genuine dispersal sales of British Friesian cows/heifers at Cotswold Agricultural Centre, Cirencester.