Hay bucket time

I suppose that we all have differing feeding times and routines for our animals.  During winter months  our boys have hay 'on call' all the time but during summer months we tend to only give them hay during the evening as there is more than enough fresh grass for them to eat.   The exception is when it is really foul weather and they are inside, then we fill the hay buckets for them.   We find that during the summer if hay is 'on call' then they pull it about and waste such a lot.  They get their daily bowl of supplement in the afternoon then we fill the hay buckets in the evening.  The boys love their evening hay and get stuck into it as soon as it arrives.    Here are Wee Eck and Fergus at the rear of the shelter, Gully and Faro at the front of the shelter and Rufus and Fyta outside.

Fidget here getting stuck into his ration which he usually prefers to eat outside.

This is Fyta, not looking for a 'needle in a haystack' which the photo might suggest, but burying his head into the bucket and pulling it all out!

Fyta is joined by Rufus and Faro

Next door in the other shelter is Gaucho, also enjoying a bucketful.

Fergus being told that he's a "good boy" for eating his hay nicely!!

And finally............ before moving the boys later in the week down to the lower paddocks, we checked out the swallow's nest in one of the lower shelters and found that the 3 youngsters were just about ready to fly the nest.  In fact yesterday they had disappeared from the shelter so they have obviously taken to the wing.   It's been a great summer for swallows, lots and lots of them around the house and garden which is great.    We love to hear them chattering to each other as they fly around getting in practice now for their imminent long flight south to the sun for the winter.