THE past week has brought a change in the weather, crisp frosty mornings have been followed by bright sunny days, with a fresh cold feel to the air. However, on the last day, we woke to the sound of rain once more and by lunch time nearly half an inch had fallen.

The change in the weather encouraged me to take some long walks around the farm, soaking up the welcome sunshine. There were few signs of wildlife, but I did see robins, wrens, coal tits and chaffinches darting about in the hedges. Our usual visiting flock of fieldfares was also taking to the air and landing further from me, as I strolled across a field next to the dairy. Fieldfares, a species of thrush, are a common feature of the winter landscape, arriving here from further north. They are often seen in pastures, where they search for seeds and small creatures, such as spiders. The bright red berries of hawthorn are another of the fieldfares' favourite foods. In the evening these noisy birds resemble starlings, as they make they way to a communal roost sometimes in large flocks.

Recently one of our cows, called Dawn, gave birth to twin Aberdeen Angus x calves. I happened to arrive at the barn just after the first calf was born and whilst Ian had gone to get her a bucket of warm water, to which some vitamins and minerals had been added, she gave birth to the second. Both calves, a bull and a heifer, were soon standing and looking for a drink of warm colostrum (the first milk produced after calving). Dawn was born on Manor Farm on August 27, 2009.

Prior to the birth of her twins Dawn has given birth four times, which has only produced one dairy heifer calf, unfortunately no longer with us. Dawn is a good cow, consistently giving high yields of milk with good protein and butterfat. Her highest protein in a lactation was 3.19 per cent and butterfat 4.59 per cent, also low cell counts indicating good udder health.

Last Sunday I spent the day on Roves Farm, mainly taking groups of visitors for tractor rides. It was a rather dismal, damp day with very few signs of life, but on one ride we spotted a fox. The highlight of the day was the birth of triplets to one of the Poll Dorset ewes. Like our twin calves they were soon standing and looking for a warm drink of colostrum. At the same time another ewe had a single lamb, so hopefully this ewe will adopt one of the triplets as her own, as ewes are only able to feed two lambs. As an attraction lambing is very popular, so a large number of visitors had gathered in the viewing area to witness the births.

On a clear, frosty morning mid-week, Richard received a phone call to say that some cattle were out on the road in the village. We quickly threw on our coats and some wellies, then ran out to see what was going on. We joined Ian and Jenny who had found some of the escapees. They were some of our 18-month-old heifers, but they had split into several small groups.

Fortunately we managed to round them up fairly easily, before returning them to the barn to be reunited with their friends and the bull, who on this occasion had decided not to go for an early morning run.

The heifers had managed to undo the chain holding a gate shut, then in their excitement managed to push their way out through a second one. Before leaving the returned animals we ensured all the gates had been firmly secured.

We had not got far into the last week before the milk pump broke down again! An engineer was called yet again. The new part, installed only a few days before, was replaced and other checks made. Fingers crossed , it is still working.

Mid-week I spent an enjoyable evening talking to East Tytherton WI and thank them for their kind hospitality.