We need to make a new winter yard for some of our more delicate residents. Lara, our 3 footed cow, and her sheep friends who all have their own special needs, desperately need a new shelter as their current one is old and slightly falling apart, and isn't waterproof enough for the winter. We also want to provide them a secure outdoor area for the winter that will not become waterlogged, as that isn't good for their feet, or Lara's mobility issues.

Our plan is to have a new shelter, groundworks done, crushed concrete put down to form a solid, but drainable base, then rubber chippings put on top of this to make a more comfortable surface for them, and secure fencing and a new gate put around this yard to separate it from the grass in their paddock, so the grass doesn't get churned up and made muddy when it is really wet.

We estimate the costs as

- shelter £3000

- groundworks and materials £2500

- fencing £500

If it ends up costing less, but we reach our target of £6000, any extra funds will go to other ongoing projects around the site.

Lara's story

Lara was born onto a dairy farm with a missing hind foot. It is believed that her umbilical cord was wrapped around her foot as she developed in utero, cutting off blood supply to that foot, so it never developed. This birth defect actually ended up saving her life, as she was now deemed unsuitable to be bred from on the farm, as she wouldn't have been able to carry the added weight of a pregnancy. A neighbour heard about this unusual calf, and arranged for her to be brought to The Retreat to live out her life in safety.

Because of her shortened leg, she has an unusual posture, and her body has compensated by changing the angle of her other rear leg, so that she can put weight down and walk around. Although her gait is abnormal, she gets around really well, and can move with surprising speed when she wants to!