I KNOW that Christmas cheer is pretty thin on the ground for the vast majority of Scotland's dairy farmers, but I was interested to learn this week that scientists in Korea have discovered that cows milked at the right time during the night produce milk with significantly more melatonin.

This 'nocturnal' milk could now be aimed at those with sleep-related disorders and those who suffer from anxiety. It could be, then, that dairy farmers themselves could be the biggest customers of this brand of milk!

A company in Germany currently supplies nocturnal milk through a freeze-dried product which is sold in pharmacies and on the internet.

Britain's luckiest turkey

IT'S NOT a good time if you are a turkey, but one bird was determined not to be a Christmas dinner and escaped from his farm three times in a week.

Now 'Houdini' has had a festive reprieve and won't be ending up on anyone's plate.

The runaway turkey slipped through a fence at the aptly-named Roaming Roosters farm, in Lancashire, run by Geoff Mellin.

A local garage worker, Michelle Pickup, spotted him outside her home half-a-mile away and returned him to Mr Mellin. But days later, he turned up again. The free-range bird sneaked out a third time but was caught before getting very far.

Mr Mellin has now decided to keep 'Houdini' as a mascot. He said: "This must be Britain's luckiest turkey."

Farmers and shopping

Farmers do not make good shopping companions, especially at this time of year.

One such would appear to be Andy Woodburn, of Netherwood, Muirkirk, who made a rare trip north to Glasgow to pick up a pal coming from the Isle of Man for a shoot, recently.

However, it seems that his wife, Mary, had schemed to be 'early' - indeed, unfashionably early for one of the gentler sex - and suggested that a trip to the Braehead Shopping Centre could be fitted in before proceeding to the airport.

As if a few hours in the company of madcap Xmas shoppers was not enough, Andy thought he would cheer himself up with a visit to Glasgow Audi, next door to the shopping centre.

In conversation with a young girl as to the merits of the various 4 x 4s on offer, Andy let slip he was a farmer and that he was soon to be on his way to a pheasant shoot ... at which point he got an ear-bashing from the young lady about the barbarity of shooting, the lack of empathy with the animals involved and the general indication that he was nothing better than a 'nob' with a gun!

I don't think Andy will ever go shopping again ... and he certainly won't be buying an Audi from that young lady.

Beer makes music!

SOME people reading this might think that April 1 has come early, but the organisers of January's Celtic Connections music festival in Glasgow have collaborated with local Drygate Brewing to produce what is claimed to be the first ever beer infused with Celtic music.

It seems that piper, John Mulhearn and acoustic guitarist Finlay Napier have been playing alongside the Drygate brewing team. Loudspeakers were even placed inside the fermentation tanks to ensure the beer was infused with the music over a two week conditioning process.

The festival runs at various venues in Glasgow from January 14 to 31, 2016.

Many Clouds for Kelso!

ONCE again Kelso racecourse has scooped the pool with the announcement that the 2015 Grand National winner, Many Clouds, is expected to race at the Border track's meeting on March 5.

He is owned by Trevor Hemmings and trained by Oliver Sherwood, who wants to get two runs into the gelding before the big one at Aintree in April for which he is currently 16/1 favourite.

The plan is for Cheltenham in January and Kelso in March for the Listed £30,000 Totepool Premier Chase over 2m 7f. In 2011, Ballabriggs ran in the same race, before going on to glory in the big one at Aintree.