A SIMPLE solution to convert a cattle shed into a new pig shed has proven a winner for Pedigree Meats producer, Huntsham Farm.

Richard Vaughan, who farms at Huntsham Court near, Ross-on-Wye, approached plastic fabricators Applied Technologies with his problem.

The gaps between the flooring beams covering the slurry tank were too large for the pigs to walk or stand on safely.

Applied Technologies built a large mat using Centriforce's recycled Stockboard sheet material. The mats cover the beams to make a floor, providing an easy-to-clean deck for the animals.

Mr Vaughan said: "We're absolutely delighted with our new pig shed decking."

Plough Sunday service at hotel

THE first Sunday after Epiphany is traditionally known as Plough Sunday, a time to celebrate the long hours needed to plough and till the soil before the planting of seed can begin.

Tomorrow, at noon, the Talbot Hotel at Knightwick, beside the River Teme between Worcester and Bromyard, is holding a special Plough Sunday service as part of its monthly farmers' market.

"We have managed to borrow an old single furrow plough from John Hammonds at Pewcroft Farm, Suckley as the centrepiece," said Jean Clift, of the Talbot, "and the Rev Peter Lawrence will be coming over from Malvern to conduct a short service.

"We've done this before and it just gives a traditional blessing at this very important time of the year for farmers.

"The service only lasts a few minutes, but it helps to start the farming year off."

Plough Sunday is actually a Victorian innovation.

Before that the more usual celebration was Plough Monday, which marked the return to work after Christmas.

It forms part of an annual cycle of agricultural festivals and really goes beyond the remit of ploughing, for it also celebrates "human labour" on the land in winter, including such tasks as feeding livestock.

Associated with the festival are the tools of human labour, such as the plough, the spade and in dairy farm areas, the milking churn.

Added to these are sometimes the feed bucket and the muck fork.

Any of these items can be used during the service to represent labour on the land.

But the congregation at the Talbot tomorrow doesn't have to wear wellies.

Year to save birds

THIS year is a landmark year for wild grey partridges, which have suffered a massive population decline of 86 per cent since 1979.

But wildlife conservation charity The Game Conservancy Trust is confident that next year will mark the turning point for this threatened bird.

The recovery process for grey partridge has been a long journey.

Facing extinction in Britain in 1995, the Government gave the species priority under the UK's Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) process, choosing The Game Conservancy Trust to ensure the BAP's success.

The aims of the plan are to halt the bird's decline by the end of this year and to bring the population above 150,000 pairs by 2010.

The Game Conservancy Trust is spearheading a major campaign to help the bird by encouraging land managers to create suitable conditions for grey partridge, including providing the right habitat for nest sites and cover, summer and winter feeding areas, and the control of predators. For details log on to www.gct.org.uk