June With Hannah, Little Alf And Friends

As we are all aware, the weather here in Yorkshire has been quite unpredictable lately. Arthur, my Sulcata tortoise, is eagerly waiting for the summer heat wave. Do you think it will ever arrive? I'm starting to have my doubts!
 
At Swinton Green, things have been bustling. Our animal experiences for 2024 have opened, and Alfie and Pepper are enjoying all the attention from visitors, who absolutely love meeting them both! Alfie has always been the star of the show, especially since he has his own book series.
 
Last month, Harold and Humphrey had their first visit from the farrier, who trimmed their hooves—quite an experience for them. They were a bit unsure at first, but they handled the process very well. Humphrey was particularly nervous and needed a lot of reassurance. Since they're still getting used to having their feet touched, it takes a lot of work to help them adjust.
 
Harold, on the other hand, remained silent while inspecting his hooves. However, our farrier was impressed with how well they did, and, to be honest, their feet look great for the summer.
 
Paddy the Pony recently had some sunburn on his nose, so he needed extra treatment with sunblock and soothing aloe vera. But he seems to be on the mend now. I don't often mention Paddy on my pages, but he's a gentle giant now in his twenties, enjoying retired life and leisurely wandering around the fields.
 
In June, I'll be working on building an outdoor enclosure for Ernie, the Marginated Tortoise. He already has a huge one indoors, but I'd love for him to have the option to go outside as well. I'm also planting lots of lettuce for the tortoises, and hopefully some sunflowers will bloom next month!
 
The grass is now too rich for all the animals outside to graze on.
 
Today, I just took their droppings to the vets for a worm count examination. There's so much to think about when taking care of livestock! The council conducted our annual animal inspection this month, and I'm delighted to report that we passed with outstanding results. All the animals here are happy and healthy.
 
We are a real community of animal lovers here at Swinton Green.