Meet the animals
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Penny Pig
Penelope (or Penny for short) is a Kune Kune cross Pig. This type of pig originates from New Zealand and are a smaller breed known for their friendly behaviour. We were kindly donated Penny in October 2009; she came from someone’s back garden in the middle of Bitterne and although she was happy, it was not ideal. Penny enjoys doing things such as eating, sleeping, and rolling about in mud. Sadly Penny lost her best friend Priscilla in 2020, so we are making sure she gets lots of extra fuss and attention.
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Shetland Sheep
We have a small flock of Shetland sheep at the farm. Shetlands are small, fine-boned sheep; they are very hardy and belong to the Northern Short-tailed group.
All our sheep have names: Elsa, Tallulah, Tabatha, Lula, and Hope. Our sheep are very friendly and love having tickles. This year three of our ewes are pregnant, so we should have lambs in Spring.
All our sheep have names: Elsa, Tallulah, Tabatha, Lula, and Hope. Our sheep are very friendly and love having tickles. This year three of our ewes are pregnant, so we should have lambs in Spring.
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Golden Guernsey Goats
Beatrice, Delilah and Daffodil are our small herd of Golden Guernsey goats. This breed of goat is considered a minority breed, with only 500 to 1,000 registered breeding females left. Golden Guernseys are very docile, friendly and a lot smaller than some of the other goat breeds so are perfect for the farm.
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Chickens
We have lots of different types of chickens at the farm including; Warrens, Cream Legbars, light Sussex, Pekin and Wyandotte Bantams. Most of the chickens free range around the farm, in the warmer months it can be fun trying to find where they have laid all the eggs.
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Geese
Herby (our gander) is a Pomeranian goose. He has strange wings which stick out; this is something he was born with and doesn’t affect him in anyway. Herby likes to think he is the boss of the farm! Sadly Herby lost him partner Primrose, so is now living with the ducks. He loved primrose and was always by her side, so it has been a really difficult time for him.
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Rabbits
We have two rabbits on the farm; Basil is our cream Buck and Clover is our grey Doe. They are brother and sister and were born on the 11th February 2019. The rabbits sleep in the barn at night in a nice big pen and on nice days they go out in their outdoor enclosure 'The Burrow'. If its really wet weather we let them have a bounce around our community room.
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Guinea pigs
We have 8 Guinea pig Girls Autumnberry, Charlotte, Nova, Soji, Naomi, Pumpkin, Popcorn and Wanda. They are quite shy so if you can’t see them, listen out for their chattering and squeaking. During the day time in the summer they love to be out in their run “Guinea Pig Garden” a area full of places for them to explore. Each day we make sure they get plenty of hay to eat, fresh vegetables, as well as their pellet food which is enhanced with vitamin c. We also give them fresh twigs to gnaw on to keep their teeth in good shape and of course fresh water.
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Spur thighed Tortoise
We have one tortoise called Dr John who was kindly donated to us in 2009 and he's a real character who has fitted in well. He was named after a blues singer/songwriter from America and it is such an unusual name that we had to keep it. Since coming to us Dr John has moved from a vivarium to a large tortoise table, which one of our volunteers kindly made. It looks amazing and he loves to go exploring around it. Over the winter months he goes into hibernation so you won’t be able to see him, but he’s back out in the spring.
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Blue Tongue Skink
Myrtle is a very friendly Skink who enjoys being handled and investigating her surroundings. We are thought to be her 3rd home although we don’t have all her history. Myrtle is a favourite with lots of our volunteers; she is very interested in the world around her and it has been said that skinks can actually recognise their handlers. Blue tongued skinks can be found all over Australasia and Myrtle is thought to have originated from Irian Jaya on the island of New Guinea.
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Corn Snake
Ursula is our corn snake and has settled in really well at the farm. Corn snakes originate from the United States and are most abundant in Florida. Unlike most Corn snakes that are usually orange/brownish-yellow Ursula is grey, this is because she is a type of Morph called an Anerythristic which means she is missing any red pigment. We are not sure how many homes Ursula has had but we think we are at least her 3rd.
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Crested Gecko
Glinda our Crested Gecko was donated to us from a member of public. This type of gecko was thought to be extinct until it was rediscovered in 1994. Crested geckos are sometimes called the eyelash gecko as they hair-like projections above the eyes. They also possess a semi-prehensile tail which they use to assist in climbing. The tail can be dropped as a deterrent to predators. Unlike some other geckos, once they lose their tail it will not grow back.
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Musk Turtles
We have two Musk turtles called Crush and Squirt. They were donated to us as the owner could no longer look after them. They spend most of their time under water, but now and then we catch them climbing onto their rocks and diving back in. Their favourite food is shrimps, we also make sure they get fresh veg too. They share their tank with some pleco fish, they all seem very happy hanging out together.
