As well as a new percheron foal, the family-run Dorset Heavy Horse Farm Park and Rescue Centre has welcomed lambs, piglets and ducklings – and even owner’s daughter Taya Street has just had a baby.

She said: “Our mare Iona had a foal on Sunday, who we haven’t yet named. We’re going to give our visitors and Echo readers the chance to name her themselves. There are babies everywhere all of a sudden – I had a baby myself last week.”

Taya’s little boy, Brady Benjamin, is a new brother for 18-month-old Rose.

She said: “We’re very busy. It has just gone crazy, but it’s lovely.”

Staff at the farm have had their hands full with the new arrivals.

Piglets Pinky and Perky and lambs Ebony and Ivory are orphans, rescued by the farm and already proving popular with visitors, and the new foal was a surprise too.

“We had an escapee stallion that must have snuck in to see Iona,” said Taya. He actually came to us because he was a stud horse that wasn’t doing his job, but since he’s been here we’ve had two foals, which definitely weren’t planned.”

Fans of television show Wartime Farm, which was shown on BBC Two in September last year, will recognise Iona, who featured on the series with her breeder Robert Sampson.

The centre currently has 25 heavy horses, as well as snow dogs, alpacas, and a menagerie of farm animals.

Visit the website dorset-heavy-horse-centre.co.uk or call 01202 824040 for more information.