Emmerdale star Kelvin Fletcher was left dejected as Fletcher’s Family Farm faced a heartbreaking double blow.
Kelvin Fletcher struggled to sell the pigs at a good price (Image: ITV)
Kelvin Fletcher faced a bittersweet moment during the filming of Fletcher’s Family Farm. In the repeat episode, broadcasting tonight on ITVX, Kelvin and his wife, Liz, welcomed several cows to their Cheshire farm, marking a “big moment” for the pair. The development followed the couple sending two of their sheep to be slaughtered.
In another distressing development, after the arrival of some lambs, one of the newborns was discovered to have a broken or dislocated hip.
“When it is so high up the leg, it is difficult to do anything about it,” the vet explained to Kelvin.
The former soap star appeared visibly distressed as he said, “This is devastating news. I thought this would be an easy fix, not something that could take a life,” reports the Mirror.
Kelvin had to have one of his lambs put down (Image: ITV)
“I know it’s not great news,” the vet continued, “But I would say it is one we put to sleep.”
The vet outlined that Kelvin could monitor how the lamb responds to some medication, but cautioned, “suspect we will be having a difficult conversation in a few days.
“What a shame,” Kelvin said to the vet. “Let’s put her out of her misery.”
He added, “I feel a bit defeated, really. You have a deep connection and care for animals, and it’s complicated because there is a financial element which there isn’t for pets.
“So it throws up different worries and questions, so I can understand people watching this feeling it is a little bit cold and brutal, but there is no winner here.”
Liz didn’t take the news very well (Image: ITV)
He added, “I’ve never had to make a decision like that before. The hardest thing about that was holding it; I had to look away to try and salvage some sort of….maybe my own guilt.”
Kelvin and Liz were also dealt a crushing blow when they sent their pigs to auction.
“Raising our pigs well has always been our priority,” Kelvin began, before continuing, “But, selling our pigs to make sausage rolls for events doesn’t cover the cost for rearing them. So today, we are off to market.”
He went on to say, “This batch of pigs are not quite finished, and I wanted to gauge what it is like to take them to market. Is it worth finishing them myself? We will see.”
Upon arriving at the auction, Kelvin was encouraged to find his pigs attracting interest from fellow farmers. He reflected, “These pigs probably cost us £150 per head, that is not labour, that is just feed costs.”
Despite this, the auction drew a smaller crowd than anticipated, though Kelvin acknowledged that for pig farmers, “times have been hard”.
When Kelvin’s moment arrived, he remarked, “It’s all over within minutes,” before conceding, “It is a bit bleak. With two sold for £70 each, and the others even less, we have made a staggering loss of around £80 per pig.”
Afterwards, he confessed, “I can’t help but feel a bit dejected. It is such a shame, and it’s not just ours; collectively, the price that they all go for is just so low, and you think to yourself, ‘How is anyone making any money like this?’
“Today has been a real eye-opener, and breaking the news to Liz won’t be any easier.”
Despite the disappointing outcome, Kelvin remained upbeat, stating, “I am not giving up hope.”
Upon returning to the farm, Kelvin was left with no choice but to deliver “the bad news to Liz”. When questioned about whether they could now take a holiday following the sale of the pigs, a crestfallen Kelvin responded, “We’re not, no.
“That doesn’t even cover the food bill,” Liz replied after Kelvin revealed the amount the pigs had fetched. “We can’t take the rest of them to market, it is a pointless waste of time.”
Fletcher’s Family Farm airs at 7.30pm on ITV.
