We've succumbed to the inevitable and ALL our four-leggeds are now inside barns and shelters 24/7 (aside from the sheep who we will bring in Wednesday when Mr Brown goes). Our ground is SOOOO wet - even the previous 48 hours of dry haven't helped, as water continued to flow down from the fields above us... Right now we have high winds and heavy rain again and a further week of rain forecast!!
It is lovely seeing all the stock in their straw-filled stalls and shelters, munching hay, chilling, being so pleased to see us each morning, getting tamer...... not so fond of the mucking out and the hay and straw bills but LOVE not having to walk across squelchy fields and worry about scald!!
The rhea are still out of course, they NEVER choose to go inside and penning them in would actually be cruel I think - they are animals that are pretty much always on the go during the day and they do love a good run. The poultry have hard standing just outside their stable/barn with their feed and water so only need venture further if they want to - which of course the geese and ducks do - but we don't need to follow them...
It's mid-December, we are in for a lonh winter we think!!!