I spoke to a sheep farmer during the week, who was out with the first of his January-born spring lambs – a valuable commodity these days even if the trade has slipped back.

A finer bunch of speckled ewe lambs wouldn’t be seen in the best pens in Borris.

He thought it was a shame to be sending those with such breeding potential for the Easter lamb kill and lamented the “good sheep farmers” who can keep the “first of them back”.

A neighbour piped up to say the same farmer will have “nice ones in the back end” and “those horses of sheep are a little too beefy”. I tended to agree with him.

Those nice ones might eat a lot less meal too.