Big Pinkie's progress

I'm a bit busy today but I thought you might like to know how Big Pinkie is getting on. She's been alone in the field for the last few days, to see how she copes with it, and it seems to be going all right. Cows are herd animals of course and she has lived her whole life with other cows. The farmer never leaves just one, in case she gets lonely and breaks out of the field in search of company. However, the field is left ungrazed during the winter, from November to the beginning of April and, since our donkey died some years ago, she will have to learn to live alone.

She comes to the gate regularly in the hope of a cuddle and some food; we save wilted carrots and cabbages and old apples and that sort of thing for her. She's quite calm and doesn't seem to miss the other girls, who have gone back to the farm to get ready for calving. We'll have to think about shelter for her for the winter - the donkey's stable is still there but it's hardly big enough for her. When I was a child, we made a small dutch barn for our pony (I didn't ride her, she was an elderly pet with a weak heart, given a home to save her from being put down) and lined it with a double thickness of straw bales all around the walls - this was a shelter for her for the winter days and the summer nights and the straw was gradually used up in her stable. Something like this might be a possibility. The Sage and I have talked about it, but we'll need to speak to Johnny and his dad too as they may have a better idea.

The other news of the day is that a blogmeet has been arranged - I'm calling on Dave in his new home this afternoon and Drew, who is owned by Murph, will be there too. Won't we have fun?