Adam Henson, presenter of Countryfile and co-manager of Gloucestershire’s Cotswold Farm Park, has revealed that difficult weather conditions have forced him to adopt costly measures to protect his livestock.
In a recent video shared on the Cotswold Farm Park YouTube channel, Adam showed his newly weaned lambs, explaining that the usual grazing pasture has become insufficient for their dietary needs due to prolonged drought.
He described the grass as “dead and dry,” delivering little nutritional value necessary for the animals’ growth. As a result, the farm has had to supplement the lambs’ diet with sheep nuts-a concentrated feed rich in vitamins, minerals, protein, and energy-which normally would come from the pasture.
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Adam outlined the nutritional benefits: “So, nutritionally that’s got everything the sheep need. Vitamins, minerals, proteins, energy, and they get a set amount each, and it drops out the back of the hopper in little piles like that. And then the sheep will eat it.”
However, this supplementary feeding represents a significant financial burden. At approximately £180 per tonne, the feed adds an estimated £10 to £15 per lamb in costs compared to typical years. With several hundred lambs grazing, Adam acknowledged the additional expenses are considerable: “There’s a couple hundred lambs in here. So you can do the maths. It’s quite an expense.”
This challenge comes after three successive years of difficult weather conditions, impacting both livestock and crop production on the 650-hectare farm. Adam reflected on the current situation during the harvesting period, noting the dryness: “Although I love living on top of the Cotswolds, we’re about a thousand foot up here and there’s a bit of a breeze and a bit of cloud cover today. But it’s been absolutely bone dry for over a month.”
Despite his natural optimism about farming, Adam admitted that arable farming has been especially challenging recently: “My personality is such that I want to be really positive about farming. I think it, you know, it’s one of the best jobs in the world. Actually arable farming at the moment is hard. Really hard.”
The farm’s elevated location and reliance on natural spring water make irrigation unfeasible, requiring the team to seek alternative solutions to manage the drought’s impact. Adam summarised the difficult climate experiences succinctly: “It’s been a tough couple of years really. Very, very wet 2024, drought 25, drought 26.”
He also expressed concern about the ongoing spread of blue tongue disease among livestock, describing it as “pretty worrying.”
Adam Henson has managed Cotswold Farm Park since 1999, continuing the legacy of his father Joe Henson, who founded the park in 1971. Covering 650 hectares, the farm remains both a working agricultural site and a popular tourist attraction, home to over 50 flocks and herds of rare-breed livestock.