A Morning at Drumlin Farm

Today Hazel and I started a class at Drumlin Farm. Drumlin Farm is a full operating farm run by the Massachusetts Audubon Society. Our class is called Spring Sense-Sations. It is about using your senses around the farm and seeing what senses the animals use. Last year Hazel and I took a course that was for two-year-olds to introduce them to spring at the farm. Hazel was completely afraid of the animals if we got too close. We will see what happens this year.

He greeted us all when we came to the Turkey House

Our class started in the Turkey House. I don't know why it is called the Turkey House, but it is a building with a classroom. And we did see turkeys right outside. Our first adventure was finding the Turkey House since we had not been there before. When we arrived there was a table set up with all sorts of natural things--pine needles, leaves, coyote teeth, nettles, apple slices, etc. for the kids to use their senses with. Then the instructor talked about what our five senses are and then she introduced us to our guests for the day--three mice. We observed them in a somewhat naturally set-up habitat. She pointed out the size of their feet to their ears versus ours. At this point we had to make a bathroom run where we saw all the turkeys since we didn't notice them coming in since our main concern was finding the Turkey House.

The females turkeys the male was trying to impress

While on the bathroom run we saw our teachers from last year so Hazel was excited about that. She had been asking if we would see them. She did not want to stay inside too much and wanted to get out to see the animals. Next our teacher showed the kids how to make newspaper explorer hats--well ok, all the moms made the hats for the kids. Hazel didn't want one, but I made one anyway. Then we headed out to see the animals.

We saw the goats and the kids. Then we saw some chickens. Hazel was terrified of the chickens last year but couldn't wait to see them this year.

Then we looked at the lambs and sheep and headed to the pig barn. (Sorry I didn't get a picture of Hattie, the pig.)

Then we headed to the red barn to see Midnight, the pony, but he wasn't there. We saw the cows instead.

Then we walked on the Discovery Trail and saw the cows up close. On the Discovery Field they also had cement type makers with labeled foot prints--rabbit, fox, raccoon, etc. Then we headed over to see if we could spy the rabbit. We did! At least if we picked the kids up we all did. She is a good hider.

At this point the class was over. So Hazel and I went to check out the fox and then back to see all the animals and take pictures for you.

The fox was rather quick and I didn't get a great picture of him. Then we went back to the goats. There are kids laying where their food is suppose to go.

We went into the goat/sheep shed.

On the sheep side there was a ram and we saw a sheep eating.

Outside we found more sheep and lambs.

Then we headed to the chicken house. It took Hazel the entire class (7 weeks or so) last year to be willing to enter the chicken house. This year she couldn't wait to get in there.

Then we said hi to the pig, but I didn't get a great picture since she moved outside and there wasn't a good angle of her. And we headed back to the red barn and this time Midnight was there as well as another sheep that apparently did not get shaven over the weekend during their big wool shearing festival.

They also have a room set up to explore about horses. We discovered based on Hazel's height she is a pony---10 hands tall.

And she tried to ride a horse as well as groom one.

They also had a table of the sheared sheep's wool out for the kids to feel. It had not been treated or anything.

Then we headed up to bird hill to check out the birds--mostly the owls and hawks. They keep some of the "wild" animals--birds, rabbits, foxes, etc. that were injured or born into captivity and got too use to being cared for to be released safely.

Great Horned Owl

Sorry the hawks came out way too blurry to post and by this time Hazel was tired and getting cranky so we headed home, but not without stopping to buy the last dozen eggs from the farm.

Talk about colored eggs. Check out all the different ones in here.

Of course the view I got most while walking through the farm with Hazel was this:

her back! She was so excited to be back there!

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