Countryfile viewers complain about ‘brutal’ farming segment

Countryfile has triggered a slew of social media complaints after broadcasting a “brutal” segment on the show.

The BBC agricultural programme left many viewers in shock when presenter Adam Henson hosted a feature detailing how female sheep are slaughtered due to old age or medical issues.

Henson, 58, assessed a 150 sheep flock of breeding ewes and picked out 15 who needed to be culled before the next lambing cycle could begin.

Speaking to the camera, the host explained: “She’s [the sheep] starting to lose her teeth, so I think probably she should go. I’ll give her a red dot and she’ll go to market, into the meat trade.’

He continued: “With these ewes, we don’t want to find any problems. Obviously when I say 25 per cent cull rate, we’d like it to be less than that.

“Because we’d really want them to be fit and healthy to go round and breed again but obviously the older ewes, when they start to lose their teeth, they can’t graze the grass.”

Many viewers expressed their horror at the segment on X/Twitter, with one person claiming the nature programme had hit a “low point”, while another called the clip “brutal”.

“I don’t think the future is bright for the ewes that don’t make the grade,” a third person added, while another joked: “When you’re fed up with the menopause just be grateful you’re not a ewe.”

However, some viewers enjoyed the segment despite its somewhat distressing subject matter, with one person calling Henson’s feature “particularly interesting”.

Acknowledging the difficult decisions he was having to make, Henson said on the programme: “Each year, all sheep farmers expect to have to replace some of their older or unproductive ewes.

“So, today we’re sorting through half of our breeding flock.... around 150 sheep. I’d expect 25 percent of these to be unsuitable to breed again. Today, I’m hoping it’s less.”

It comes after Henson, whose wife Charlie has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, recently admitted he “cried and cried” after going for a reiki massage as part of a Countryfile segment.

Reiki is a Japanese form of alternative medicine, also called “energy healing”, and involves a Reiki therapist or master placing their hands on a recipient to channel “Reiki energy” to encourage natural healing.

“Now I’m a bit of a cynic for this stuff, but do you know what? It was amazing,” Henson said.

“I don’t know what the practitioner did but at the end she told me to go back to the hotel, drink lots of water and rest,” he added.

“I know I’m an emotional chap and I do wear my heart on my sleeve but when I lay down on the bed I cried and cried."