Thursday 26 February 2009

Intruders !


This morning when we went to do our usual early morning check on the livestock the gate from the paddock to the fowl's run was open and the stable door shut. I accused my husband of not taken enough care, as he was the last to check on the animals yesterday evening. However we soon discovered that the door from the fowl's run to the work's yard was also unlatched. That certainly wasn't my husband's doing or indeed his Uncle's, who is the only other person to have access. This means that someone has been wandering around. The property borders the churchyard on one side and a public footpath on the other. If it was just youngster fair enough (well.. sort of) anyone else is of more concern because in addition to my livestock, my husband runs his business from the property. It is reasonably secure as all doors to the sheds and main gate are padlocked.

The livestock came to no harm but the thoughtlessness annoyed me. I had closed the fowl's run off since January so that it had three months in which to rest and the grass to grow before I put Annie on it for lambing - that has now been spoilt. It also means the sheep are unsettled because they know there is fresh grass the other side of the gate. They get their fresh drinking water from the stable, they do have access to other water but the stable water is the only one not muddied by the geese.


Not knowing if they will return is unsettling. There is usually some one around the yard most of the day and we are checking on Annie in the evenings. We will just have to check again later in the evenings. We will also leave the geese out. At this time of the year the ganders aren't too fond of strangers, especially Henry the old gander. He is more than capable of seeing off any intruder and the noise created will hopefully alert my husband's Uncle.


6 comments:

A Green and Rosie Life said...

That's awful - why do some people think they have the right to wander round some-one else's property without asking. At least nothing was taken and hopefully the geese will scare them off if they try again. They do say they make the best guard animals.

Rosie x

Sandra said...

It is worrying. It is quite hard to explain the set up, it's not open fields but land at the rear of a row of houses that backs onto farmland and woods, so it's not an area you can just wander into but have to deliberately scramble, climb over walls,hedges etc.The fact that it is a builders yard makes us wonder if it was more than just youngsters.

We will just have to see what happens over the next few days. In the mean time I have to apologise to my husband for ranting to him about not taking enough care...oops!

Anonymous said...

ugh - how horrible. Hope nothing more comes of it

Sandra said...

Hopefully not.Eldest son has just been up to check, we will go again later. It leaves me feeling uneasy as Annie is due to lamb soon and I was going to spend some time up there on my own.

I'm sure it will all be fine.

Anonymous said...

is it close enough for walkie talkies to work? that gives a certain safety feeling. or failing that mobile phone...

Sandra said...

It's two miles away, but I do have a mobile. All seemed normal this morning so I am sure I will be fine. Its easy enough to spook yourself with the woods and graveyard being so close without anything else.