Today is Farm Animal Day, and I am going to avoid any controversial subjects like are they friends or food. We are going to look at the fun side of farm animals.

How many of you have actually been to a working farm and seen the farm animals that are kept? The farm animals are cute and play an important part in modern living.

The day was created in memory of Ghandi who had the perfect belief that all living things should be treated with respect.

There are quite a few working farms around here, from basic farm stock, ie sheep, cattle, pigs, hens, horses etc. and there is even an alpaca farm not that far away.

Some of the working farms have set up visitors centres, to supplement their income and as long as you don't mind the smell of a farm and animals, and wear sensible shoes they are great places to visit as long as you keep to where you are allowed to go. You have to bear in mind they are working farms. Some places will allow you to go in with some of the animals as well, and that is brilliant.

It's a great place to take kids and to teach them about animals and to respect them all and learn how to care for them.

When we first moved up from London, I was a proper townie. I had never seen a lot of the animals in fields etc. and we went to visit a farmer, can't remember why, and there was this lamb walking about. Came up to me for a fuss, I was over the moon, then started following me. The farmer laughed and said “Don't worry, love, it's a cade lamb”, ie hand-reared by bottles, and I always wanted one but never got one.

Horses were perhaps the most important animal on the farm years ago, but of course have now been replaced with tractors. The Agricultural Shows still have a section for horses ploughing

Where we used to live there was a small farm in the village and the people there bred birds as well, they had no trouble with the Fox as all they did was throw out any dead chicks etc. for him, much more sensible than leaving a door open for him. They bred birds from ducks to peacocks

The most important animal on a farm today if you have sheep is of course a Border Collie, nothing can’t beat it for rounding them up and on the farms way up in the hills they are worth their weight in gold. They can go places to find the sheep that a farmer can’t reach. They are also good at rounding up ducklings as well

I love pigs but learnt very quickly that the piglets do not appreciate you picking them up for a cuddle. I thought I had killed the poor thing by the way it screamed.

Ok, let's have your thoughts on these cute animals and have some fun, and if you have been to a working farm did you enjoy it. But just remember life on a farm is very hard work and long hours in all sorts of weather!

All are welcome.
And please feel free to share all discussions you enjoy.