Rare Breed: Busy time for the farmers as April brings drier weather

Things are getting busy for the farmers as we enter the month of April on Rare Breed.

In Thursday night's episode, which airs at 8.30pm on UTV, the farmers are taking advantage of a dry and sunny spell.

We visit Derrytresk - outside Dungannon in Co Tyrone - first, where young couple Shay O’Neill and Susan Chestnutt are working on the other half of their farming enterprise.

Here they rear poultry, sheep, and cattle, as well as on the North Coast.

Meanwhile next door in Co Fermanagh, Dale and Vicki Byers from Ballinamallard are future- proofing their business.

They’re working with heifers destined to join the herd as replacement cows.

Next we’re off the Beatty’s in Auchnacloy, where April is an exciting time for the family attheir farm, as children Charlie and Mia are carefully making plans with their Dad, Paul for the start of show season next month.

In the second part of the episode, we head to Gilpin’s near Loughgall in Armagh where it’s peak sowing season for this family-run business.

And the last stop of episode is at Templepatrick in Co Antrim, where foaling season has started at Sweet Wall.

UTV’s Mark McFadden narrates the ground-breaking year-in-the-life observational documentary series charting the reality of farming in 21st century Northern Ireland for 12 families, giving a unique insight into one of Northern Ireland’s largest and oldest industries.

Sponsored by Dromona, ‘Rare Breed’ – A Farming Year continues this Thursday 9 February at 8.30pm on UTV.

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