A foal for Moo Moo

Moo Moo presented us with a beautiful filly at 3.00pm on Thursday 15th May. It was an amazing experience to witness the birth of her foal and it only took 12 minutes from when the front feet emerged to the foal being born. I have named her Marika.

Luckily I was just putting the donkeys out for the afternoon as I had brought them all in that morning because it was raining hard and quite cold and Moo and the donkeys had been shaking. I was just passing the stable where she had been standing in for the morning when I suddenly realised she had laid down on the concrete. I quickly got her up and then realised she was giving birth. Fortunately the stable next to her had a good thick bed already laid down for another horse who is coming to stay for a week with its owner. I took her into it and although a bit small it was the best place. If you would like to see some photographs taken just after the birth then go to Marika

The Orchard

Now the warm weather has arrived the new grass is really growing in the orchard and this weekend was spent planting shrubs and fruit trees which were bought from Wibble Farm and Nurseries near Taunton. They were very helpful and gave good advice. I was't able to buy the plum and apple trees, but have ordered them for collection in the autumn. We just need the gate to the orchard to be swung and then it will be dog proof for our guests.

Baby Ducks Arrive

My neighbour Maxine Garner kindly agreed to incubate some Indian Runner duck eggs. I gave her six eggs. Maxine has had a lot of experience hatching chicken and quail eggs in an incubator so I was hopeful we would get at least one duckling. Maxine explained all the problems that went with incubating the duck eggs such as getting the humidity and temperature to be just right as if there was a mother duck to sit on them. Then during Tuesday evening this week the first egg hatched so Maxine then put the incubator in her bedroom and in the early hours of the morning another hatched. When Maxine woke in the morning all the eggs hatched except one which had died and so there were 5 duckings! It wasn't long before their legs were straight and they had learnt to drink and eat.... aren't animals amazing! Now they are with me indoors and will be for a few weeks until they are weaned off their heat lamp and ready to go on outside.

Erin stands guard on the Bridge

Erin spent today asleep in the spring sunshire on the bridge over the stream behind the old kennels and what will be our animal annex. She stood guard all day and wouldn't let her two offspring Gay and Gordon onto the bridge!

The Walled Garden

The picture shows the back of the medieval barn which is at one end of the walled garden. The previous owners used to keep pigs in the walled garden and a few old apples trees. We have pruned the ivy on the top of two of the walls before the birds start nesting as we are planning to construct an equine sand school within the walled garden. However we now have to wait for permission from the council before we can start building as they have to approve an archealogical survey within the walled garden. They will be looking for any artifacts as Burrow was built on a medieval settlement. There is evidence from a later date of old concrete circle which may have housed an engine that would have been driven by horsepower.

The Indian Runner Ducks

We have just collected two ducks and one drake from Jacquie at Brandel Rare Breed Poultry near Wellington in Somerset.
The picture shows the ducks on their first day out after spending a week inside to get them used to their surroundings. Hopefully once they are more settled and less nervous we will be able to introduce them to the pond in the courtyard, but in the meantime they have to make do with a plastic bowl for washing!

The Barn is Finished

PFG has now completed the barn and all the tractors, horsebox and JCB are safely installed inside. The weather has been dry and cold recently which has meant that work outside the barn has started. Two new manholes for the water off the roof and the yard have been built and we are just waiting for the piles of earth to dry out a bit more before the Exmoor bank can be built and the driveway infront of the barn can be completed. A bit more tidying up to be done yet before the top surface on the road can be laid, but we are getting there!