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When I turned the camera onto the single Swallow chick…

When I turned the camera onto the single Swallow chick this morning, it had gone. I was surprised that it had survived for as long as it did with the way it perched itself on the side of its nest. I dreaded looking at the nest when I came down in the morning. Last evening it was fluttering its wings and I thought then that it was going to fall out of the nest. It looks as if some thing had got it, either after the chick had fallen out of the nest, or it may have been taken by a Magpie, as at the entrance of the barn, there were feathers of what looked like the Swallow chicks, and it has not returned to the nest tonight, if it had of fledged.

The Magpies that you see stealing the Badgers feed have nested nearby. For the past few days we have seen their four fledglings sitting in a row on a fence, within sight of our kitchen window, the parents going to and fro with feed for them, no doubt from other birds nests, that they have raided for the eggs or chicks. They are not the sort of neighbours that you would want living next to you. There should be given an ASBO. If I had a shot gun, I just might have.

It is nice to have Lady and the Foal back. Although we had the problem of how we turn them out. I kept them in last night after their journey from the stud. And we have been keeping Woody in of a night. With the weather as it is all the Horses need to be out, even Woody, as the grass is better for her to eat rather than the hay. We turned Lady and the Foal out with Woody this morning, leaving Arnie and Breeze in for the day. Bliss and Misty came hurtling over to greet them, but just a little over the top. Woody got in between the two youngsters and Lady and the Foal to give them protection against the boisterous pair. This is the first time that Woody has done this, before Lady and the Foal went to the stud Woody kept her distance. We are not getting to excited, but Woody has seemed a lot better over the past couple of days. It maybe our eyes, but she maybe putting on a little weight, contrary to what I said a couple of days ago.

This evening we had to make the decision of how we were going to turn all the Horses out tonight. Until the hay is cut we only use one field for turning the Horse out. Until I am sure that Breeze will not hassle and chase Lady and the Foal, they have to be parted. Breeze really is a kind Horse until a new Horse enters her herd. Then she is a pain by chasing and herding. Lady has to protect her Foal. When Breeze gets to close to the Foal, Lady turns her back to Breeze as a warning, of course Breeze being the herd leader turns her back into Lady, with the intention of putting Lady in her place, and will if Lady keeps the threat up, kick out. That is when the Foal is liable to get hurt.

What we have done to separate them, is to electric fence a section of the field off. To Breezes disgust, she is the one who is in the sectioned off part. She ain’t to happy about it. Once she gets use to the Foal, that may take a week or two, she will have to stay there.

Bliss and Misty were to young to remember what the electric fence is. Whilst we were putting it up, they were running into it for fun, playing with the wire by putting their noses and mouth on to it. Not a very good thing to be doing, it would cause a problem if they knocked it down, allowing Breeze to get out. Once the electric fencer was turned on they both touched it again. After a couple of shocks they don’t go back. But it really is only a small shock, that gives them a little fright, rather than hurt them. I know, I have forgotten many times to turn the electric fencer off, before touching it.

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