Having just had my first day off for eight years (well almost a day - sock lambs had their 5 am feeds, cattle and sheep checked and horses fed before I left) arranging cover for bottle babies, dog sitters, stable help for the nine hours I was off was exhausting.  Everything was planned to the minutest detail virtually on the lines of a military campaign, finding one person who could stay on site and had the knowledge and the time to cover everything was nigh impossible, so different friends covered different tasks, with others on call if there was problems with lambing ewes (fortunately no one lambed while I was off).  The logistics of taking more time off then I did are virtually impossible.  If any of those friends that covered for me read this many thanks I had a wonderful day. 

Ditto: morning off to have hernia fixed last June.  Afternoon going "ouch"; next morning back in the yard, although I had to be carfeul lifting stuff for a few weeks.

Normally we have four or five days off to attend our breed society AGM which is held in a different region each year and involves visiting local flocks on a Friday, Saturday and Sunday with the AGM itself and a gala dinner on the Saturday night.  Last year it was in our region so we were part of the Organisation,

This year it was held last weekend at a hotel a stone's throw from a certain Coastal Farm Park on Cardigan Bay.  As we were three weeks late in getting the tups in because of FMD movement restrictions, and therefore three weeks late lambing, we are still bottle feeding a few cades.  Although we were sure our usual helpers would not have refused, we felt it would be unfair to ask them.  It's one thing to get someone to help out by checking your stock each day and dealing with any problems but quite another to ask them to bottle six lambs, so, reluctantly, this year we decided to give it a miss.  

Next year it will be in Scotland so maybe we'll get a break then!  Mind you I have been asked to be one of the two judges for our Southern Region Flock Competition in August - so that'll be a weekend of frantic driving viewing flocks from Kent to Dorset and as far north as Oxford and Bucks.  Some holiday!

I don't seem to get my holiday entitlement every year, but it does keep rolling over and increasing. I realise what pays my wages and the nature of my job and as long as I get the odd day off to go to concerts I'll generally fit in around the farm.

Holidays aren't the same as proper traveling, but better than working all the time. Had a week skiing this year. nice. Hopefully more of the same next year. Quite fancy going to India or Morrocco, or a ride across Europe on a ridiculously powerfull motorbike would be nice.

The only real critera is no tractors, farms or boosy brits. 

My last actual holiday was 10 years, 2months and 1 week ago when I went skiing with my secondary school where I then caught a bug and was stuck in bed for 5 out of the week holiday, Although the year before when I went which was my first holiday was excellent except for the last day in which our ski instructor was a tad drunk.

Other than that I just generally have the occasional half day or something off although usually getting parts or odds and sods for the farm. Although we have gone to Smithfield show a while ago (the one before 9/11) were going to go to the next one but after that it made my dad nervous so stayed home and finished getting the sheep in.) Then we have occasionally been to the county show and the Royal Show but were a tad disappointed by the lack of agricultural things there which consisted of the animal sheds a few stands and the doofa thingy racing with the small ponies and carts. The rest seemed to just be market stools.

We are hoping to go too Grassland this year but it depends if something turns up that stops us going.

Like most on here my days off part days off tend to be going to shows and the like. As these are trade events i'm sure most other industries would consider them as being work related rather than time off. I guess we can't do that as if we did  some of us would have to face up to the fact that we don't actually get any time off.

 can somebody answer me, should i take it as a compliment that the leader let me have 1 week off and the polish drivers 3 and 4 weeks? sometimes after 7 years working there i do wonder what he takes me for...

Taking a holiday whe you have cows involves massive expense...1, The holiday itself  2, The relief milker and 3, Sorting out the damage done whilst you have been away

Having said that there is life after milk (7 years after) and we will be driving to Andalucia for 2 weeks going by way of the Millau viaduct (Great British Design)

bonehead:

 can somebody answer me, should i take it as a compliment that the leader let me have 1 week off and the polish drivers 3 and 4 weeks? sometimes after 7 years working there i do wonder what he takes me for...

Holiday? That used to be a fortnight away on a windy campsite with no facilities, then the parents stoppped making the effort, bought the farm and now a holiday is when everyone goes somewhere else for the day and leaves me to get on with that huge list of jobs, without interruption, deviation, hesitation or repetition. Now the sun is out, all the relatives have started to appear and often the farm is quite peaceful with the added bonus of a meal down the pub in the evening, paid for by someone else! Bliss!

Sorry missed this one-been on holiday     Tasmania is great especialy the East side.

regards Jim

Jim - your confession is how I imagine an AA meeting to be. But remember there's no shame in admitting to such things.

everybody should make time to get away and relax  from everyday work pressures.i try to get away 2 or 3 times a year.i am lucky that i have father at home to milk and look after things.i am off to wyoming in june for 3 weeks to do a cattle drive and probably drink lots of cold beer.

Sounds good - can we all come!