A Family of Geese arrives

Sebastopol geese are some of the most remarkable looking birds in the farmyard. They look like snow ballerinas – reminiscent of something from ‘Swan Lake’.

Once you’ve seen a Sebastopol you won’t soon forget its beautiful feathering. The gentle curls predominate the look of the Sebastopol which has its origins in Russia. They are quite difficult to get, we were lucky to find some white and splash geese in Victoria so eagerly brought them to the farm. We selected a handsome White Gander – he’s curly but with a smooth chest, and a curly chested white and curly splash girls. This is an ideal breeding set to ‘keep the curl’ in any goslings.

These are 3 of our girls – amazing aren’t they!

Sebastopols are a small goose and can be raised for meat or eggs, but the Sebastopol is mostly kept as an ornamental breed. The feathers are snowy white, their beaks and feet orange, their eyes a bright blue. We will be breeding them, and showing them in the upcoming years.

It’s the way their feathers grow that make Sebastopols so romantic and distinct. Their feathers have flexible, soft quill allowing them to grow out in curls and waves. They are suggested as the ideal goose for a family with children – so just perfect for Morvern Valley with the many families who visit. Sebastopols are a bit shy and the friendliest of all geese. They can still be effective alarm animals because they will still honk when anything unusual happens if suddenly a dog or fox appears. Between their striking feathering and sweet personalities, Sebastopols make some of the most approachable and easy-to-keep geese.

Gypsy Jewel – takes a brief holiday herself!

Gorgeous Jewel is being sent to Shibumi Equestrian Centre just 2 minutes drive from Morvern to learn how to drive a carriage. She’s now 5 years old, such a sweet natured girl she lets Alecia sit on her back often – never even having been broken in! Julie’s whippet Billie walks in and around her feet and Jewel doesn’t mind, in fact she doesn’t even seem to notice.

But now it is time at 5 years old, like all of us to go to school, to learn to be a perfect driving horse before returning to Morvern. She won’t be gone long as she is so tame she is sure to learn well. Remember too when coming to Morvern Valley that Shibumi offers led pony rides for the youngest of riders, and also other riding and is very close.

Mandarin Ducks arrived today!

Our family is excited to announce the arrival of long awaited Mandarin Ducks. Rare in Australia they are known as the prettiest duck in the world. In spring and winter the males are highly coloured they then go back to their eclipse feathers in autumn and summer.

A pair of Mandarin ‘love’ Ducks

When Julie first showed Alecia what we were getting for Morvern Valley farm. She exclaimed “Oh mum, they’re not real they are just photoshopped to look like that!”

These Asian beauties are called love ducks as they pair for life – often given to wedding couples to bless their marriage. Reknown for bringing Feng Shui.

Mandarin Drakes resting in their eclipse Plumage

We have put them in with our Peacock. They are perfectly suited, eating the same foods – a mix of seeds, grains, insects and grasses. They like to roost, preferring to sleep in the trees. Mandarin Ducklings are hatched in tree hollows several feet up, and when a couple of days old they ‘bounce’ to the ground – encouraged by mum to tumble from the nest to learn to drink and forage.

Giant Rabbits love a pat and a cuddle

Rabbits, rabbits and more rabbits! We have plenty of bunnies for your children to feed and play with they are so big and beautiful all are purebred Flemish Giants.

We have many blue, several black and 2 very special white bunnies. They will come up straight away if you go into the bunny enclosure and sit on the pipes which make up a safe burrow system for them. All your cares will float away while handling these gentle animals. No wonder everyone loves them!

Lambs born early in 2018

The last day of July and our Lambs are already dropping! Fantastic – so far, we have a little boy and a little girl. They are living down at the stables with their mums and other expectant mums from Morvern Valley’s Suffolk Sheep flock.

Each Year at Morvern Valley the small paddock turns into a maternity ward, all the sheep waiting calmly for their special moment! The farmer makes sure the sheep are comfortable, and all is going well, then after the birth checks that the new tiny lambs are drinking –  latching on properly to get that all important colostrum – the ewe’s rich first milk is essential!

‘Sydney’ our Big Red Tractor arrives to help the Farmer!

Soon our new BIG RED tractor will be here and we are very excited. Its got headlights so Jason won’t even need to come back out of the fields till after dark! It doesn’t take much to work out where Jason is these days – hes on his very own TRACTOR!

It’s a long-awaited, major purchase for us – but will really help shouldering the loads of firewood, and moving the huge bales of hay around Morvern Valley Farm.

A Gypsy Cob for Morvern Valley

Gypsy Jewel arrived to a flurry of excitement at Morvern Valley. Every animal large and small came and stood in a line along the fence to get the best look at the new family member. We kept her separate in a paddock for the first week so she could calmly inspect her new surroundings! Now she has joined in with the others and all is harmonious!

Gypsy Jewel is a purebred Gypsy Cob Mare – 5 years old, purchased from The Hunter Valley from a dedicated Gypsy Cob Stud. This breed is hard to find in Australia and is highly sought for their calm and gentle nature.

They are a pony size Draft horse with long flowing manes and tails and feathered fetlocks. They became a firm favourite with the Romany Gypsy people to drive their gypsy wagons who bred them down in size. Jewel is the traditional colour – Piebald which is a stunning mix of black and white. Welcome to Morvern Valley Jewel!

Molly Charms Morvern Guests with her gentle manner

Some goats are just plain naughty but we have been lucky here at Morvern Valley with our Molly.

She even has been rewarded with her very own little house!

Molly happily stays in the paddocks, and shyly follows the guests around and just wants to be involved. She’ll come up and stand quietly beside you.

Lovely Molly loves Lucerne Hay, and her goat pellets too!

Did you know Cows and Goats both have 4 stomachs?

Announcing our Great Morvern Valley Guest Photo Competition

So let’s get first to the exciting bit – the PRIZE!!!

The Winner will receive a free Standard 3 Night Weekend Stay at Morvern Valley worth up to $837 in the Cottage of their choice. That’s a return visit……totally for free!

Photos from New Guests and Past Guests to Morvern Valley are all welcome. You can enter with as many photos as you wish (more chance to win!). Photos need to be nice and large (at least 2 MB) and will be used by Morvern Valley if chosen. Simply send them to our email address at morvern@bigpond.com

So if you think you are a bit of ‘a fox with a camera’, whether you just use your IPhone, or have full fancy camera kit, we want to see your experience, and find the essence of Morvern Valley.

Grinning kids, the animals, a funny moment, the cottages, arty shots, family gatherings, collecting eggs, down at the creek, on the tractor… Literally anything taken inside, or outside at Morvern Valley.

A Selection of the Shortlisted Best Photos will be published on our upcoming Guest Photo Pages at the end of each month, – so you will know when you are in the running!!! How EXCITING!

Good luck towards the win, Get Snapping, Entries Start NOW!!! – close 31st December 2017 and the Best of the Best will then receive the prize!

Look who’s coming to Morvern Valley Farm Stay!

Since just before Christmas we have been excitedly awaiting our Miniature Cow. Just perfect for our farm Mini Galloways are known for their quiet docile nature – perfect for a farm stay where you have young children and even guests past 90! They will stand quietly while you pat them just loving the attention.

They come in a variety of colours, but are quite rare in Australia, we even had to ‘preorder’ our baby! We are so lucky as the calf was born the perfect colour we had hoped for, Julie’s favourite – fluffy white with black tips, just gorgeous and cute even when fully grown.

We are not sure of the exact date but we are looking at Curly’s arrival to be in Winter when Curly is old enough to be weaned and able to be separated from his Mum. The quality stud we are getting Curly from has been cuddling and hand feeding him daily since birth, knowing he was needing to be extra kindly and friendly for our farm stay.