Farewell Feather Downers

November 2009: Well it’s time to say goodbye to Feather Down for another season. Thank you to everyone who visited us, and for your kind words and super photographs. We will be getting the tents ready for their winter rest and before you know it, March will be here. We are planning on establishing a viewing gallery in the milking parlour for guests as the goats are such an attraction! Bookings are already going very well for 2010, and we hope you can join us again. Meanwhile, we will enjoy a well deserved rest over the winter season.

Harvest Time!

October 2009: As autumn approaches work on the farm gets busy. The maize crops are in, and it’s been a bumper year which is great news for the goats, they do love their maize!

The fields have been ploughed ready for the drilling of next year’s crop. We need some rain to make everything settle in well and start growing. Here’s to another good crop in 2010.

An Indian Summer

September 2009: The weather has been fabulous for the Feather Down guests and the young stock alike!

Blossoming Bluebell, Peaches first foal is doing very well, playful, mischievous and drinking lots of milk from poor Mum!

Shetland Pony Foals!

August 2009: Two foals have arrived! Milly of Merilin, our beautiful strawberry roan mare foaled in the early hours of the morning on the 10th August. A strong colt, who experienced a day of constant rain on his arrival into the outside world!  He is suckling lots, running around & sleeping lots! Shoemaker Wind in the Willows, stable name, Peaches, gave birth to her first ever foal on Saturday morning, 15th August.  A tiny, pale roan filly foal, adorable, very lively.  The new ‘mums’ are spending  a few days on their own and then the foals, Josh, Milly & Peaches will all be put together.

Zoe's Birthday Party

July 2009: Zoe and her friends had a fabulous time with the ponies at the farm on Sunday 12th July.  A birthday celebration to remember....all the ponies were very well behaved and the girls did a fabulous job in making them look wonderful.

Find out more about our Pony Parties

Another Group Booking

June 2009: The group enjoyed a fantastic weekend, weather was glorious......the guests arrived from all over the country and met at the farm to enjoy a three day holiday together. 

Pony Updates!

May 2009: Peaches and Milly, the broodmares, are getting bigger and are both due to foal in August.  Josh will be having a visiting mare from Yorkshire arrive very shortly, and we are sure that he will be delighted with his new girlfriend; Shadow is a pretty Palomino Miniature Shetland.  And finally, Brucie is on his way, Brucie is a 33inch 9 year old strawberry roan stallion from Wales, he has some fantastic Tawna and Fairy bloodlines and will be arriving on lease from Tygwyn Miniature Shetlands.

Kellie Welcomes William!

April 2009: William is a gorgeous 14 year old Warmblood Gelding who has been re-homed from the Blue Cross Sanctuary. Kellie Pickles is the proud new ‘Mum’ of William and was smitten the moment he arrived on the yard. William will be living at Osbaston House Farm Stables.

A Pony Party for Elizabeth's 5th Birthday!

March 2009: Elizabeth and her friends enjoyed their Pony Party at the farm, they all became expert at pony grooming, making a fuss of the ponies and lead reining the ponies. The party highlight was an exciting series of on foot gymkhana field games with prize rosettes awarded for the ‘Best Dressed Pony’, ‘Best Pony Handler’ and ‘Best Gymkhana Pony’.

A Rolls Royce Arrives!

February 2009: Well the Rolls Royce of tractors….the farm has upgraded one of the very old John Dere tractors for a super second-hand Fendt tractor. Colin from Cately Engineering, Market Bosworth delivered the tractor to a very proud John. Fendt’s are made and manufactured in Bayern, Germany and are renowned for their reliability, durability and sturdiness.

Toy Ducks Arrive!

January 2009: A family of six Call ducks has joined the farm. The Call duck is the smallest breed of domestic duck, weighing only 1-1/2lbs often known as the ‘toy’ duck, this is definitely the comedian of the duck family - noisy, small, cute, and absolutely gorgeous. They are real chatterboxes and highly vocal. The male ducks, known as Drakes, can be spotted by their curly tail!

Joining the Call ducks are five new hens!

January 2009 :The cream Legbar hen is one of the older breeds of hen, the Legbar is a crested hen that lays eggs in beautiful pastel colours; eau-de-nil, olive, turquoise, pink and peach. The colours are perfectly natural and are akin to the eggs laid by many wild birds. She is a prolific layer, producing in excess of 230 eggs in the first year, and up to 430 over three years. Her eggs have a hard shell, a dense texture, with a large yolk and superb flavour.