In what is one of the busiest periods on a farming calendar, Roly and Clare Graham invited the Ulster Farmers’ Union onto their farm to provide a glimpse into their intensive and rewarding day-to-day life as lambing gets underway.
Living outside Enniskillen in County Fermanagh with their four kids, Beth, Eloise, Ben and Rosie, Roly and Clare Graham operate a busy suckler beef and sheep farm, managing around 130 suckler cows alongside a flock of 500 ewes, balancing the demands of cattle and sheep across every season.
The suckler herd is split between spring and autumn calving cows, ensuring work on the farm continues year-round. Meanwhile, lambing begins each year on February 1st and continues through until mid-April, meaning they’re right in the thick of the action.
Now the second generation farming the land, Roly and Clare are building on the foundations laid before them, combining experience with dedication to keep their Enniskillen farm thriving.
“My father bought the farm in the 60s and myself and Claire took on the running of the farm in 2012 along with our four kids,” said Rolly, before Clare shared how the two met.
“We met 20 years ago at Young Farmers Club, of course – the dating agency of Northern Ireland,” laughed Claire, who moved to Fermanagh from Donaghadee upon meeting Roly.
“It’s very much all hands on deck at lambing time. Roly’s sister would often come and give us a hand as it’s such a busy period. We all just love being here and helping each other out.”
On the Graham farm, two of the kids are more drawn to the outdoors, while the other two prefer staying inside. This balance works well for the family, and it’s not uncommon for Roly and Clare to retire for the evening to find dinner prepared by their 11-year-old daughter and a house that is tidy.
Explaining a bit more about the flock, Roly continued, “The flock comprises of about 500 ewes, mainly Texel, Ile De France and Charollais breeds.
“We lamb indoors, and all is brought in about two to three weeks before lambing, lambed and then put out, usually at about a week old, just as the weather and grass allows. We all lamb and just utilize the sheds that are here on the farm with nothing purpose built as such for sheep, because then these sheds are used for spring calving – so it works pretty well.”
Clare emphasised how lambing is a 24/7 operation and the importance of always keeping an eye on ewes.
“Some ewes can give you signs that they’re going to lamb within the next couple of hours and some might give you a 10 minute warning, so you just have to keep an eye on them all the time,” she said.
“We do run a couple of cameras, but at the minute we just have a lot of sheep in, so you just have to come out and check them.”
For the Graham’s, Roly takes on the night shift duty, with Clare stepping in to help come morning.
“The actual lambing is the easiest part,” she said. “It’s all the other jobs that come with it. The vaccinating, the feeding, the bedding, all those jobs that need to be done as well.”
Clare continues to work part-time in the hospital maternity wing as breast-feeding support, so for her, it’s from one maternity ward to another.
“I take this week and next week off, because these are our busiest two weeks here on the farm and the kids are off for half term as well,” added Clare.
“It really is all hands on deck, all of the time, but it’s a great lifestyle – especially for the kids.”
