Hazell Mullins: The Christmas reset — the farm is nothing without you

Christmas is a time on the farm to take a step back perhaps, spend time with friends and family to take both a mental and physical rest before the busy spring cycle begins again

Both vets and farmers are guilty of burning the candle at both ends.

Christmas is a double celebration in my house, it’s also my birthday on Christmas Day so I try my very best to make a little bit about me, but as you can imagine I have tough competition in the celebration stakes. 

My Mum always makes such an effort to distinguish the days, making sure to use birthday paper for wrapping and always buying me the biggest birthday badge in the shop. It all helped form so many traditions in my house that probably differ to the majority of people's day. The Christmas cake is always covered in birthday candles and birthday balloons take over the Christmas table before the main event.