Happy Halloween!

Halloween at Brockswood is an occasion our animals all look forward to - it means treats, treats and more treats! Of course, it's all in moderation, but what's better than tucking into some pumpkin?

Pumpkins and their seeds are a great source of vitamins and nutrients, such as Vitamins A, E, C, antioxidants, lutein and beta-carotene. The seeds are even thought to aid natural de-worming! What a great way to recycle!

Our new Roosters, Davey & Jack loved it!

And so did Missy the Raccoon!

Additionally, we all had some great fun dressing up - Rosie the goat loved being our star witch for the year. Even Tuppence, who's a bit shy sometimes, seemed inquisitive as to why her enclosure suddenly bared all things Halloween-y.

So how can YOU make Halloween fun AND safe for your animals?

• Keep your pets inside - ground your cats, tell your dogs to stay, as trick-or-treating commotion can be quite upsetting. Simply put a spooky film on and give them some love instead!
• Don't be a stranger. Masks and costumes can be quite frightening for your pets - they don't know who you are! So when around them, keep masks and costumes on the DL. 
• What about treat time? Make sure all treats given are non-toxic, and in moderation - human chocolate, sweets, and gum are a DEFINITE no-no!
• What if I'm having a house party? Set your pet up in a 'safe room' - a quiet, chilled environment where they can get away. 
• Even the best vampire dog can't drink blood. Make sure all decorations (i.e. candles, lights, cardboard cut-outs) are all out of pet's reach. Even things like rubber eyeballs or fake blood can pose a threat. 
• Not every pet is a dress-up star. Be aware of how your pet feels dressing up; if they're uncomfortable, let them be themselves for this year! Ensure the costume used is safe! Remove dangling parts, masks that cover eyes etc, and ensure your pet can move freely.
• Customise and personalise. Got a rabbit? Give them a cabbage leaf stuffed with veg as their treat bag. Got a dog? Buy them some new toys! Leftover pumpkin? Feed it to your chickens! Don't be afraid to GET CREATIVE!

Out of Quarantine

Say hello to two beautiful boys - Jack and Dave.

With all new arrivals, we have to quarantine them for 30 days as a standard procedure; contamination and illness is always a risk with new animals, no matter how healthy them seem, as we can never be 100% sure of their backgrounds, genetics or past lifestyle. Don't worry, though - we keep quarantined animals in a cosy, warm stable catered to their needs. The boys had a treat being pampered by our keepers and being able to listen to the sounds of our farm; all the better for them settling in!

Now though, they are free out of quarantine, and loving their new enclosure in our Walled Garden! Dave, being the friendly boy he is, loves to perch on our shoulders and have a bit of a cuddle (who would have ever thought cockerels would love cuddles?), while Jack is a true adventurer - he can usually be found exploring his enclosure, searching for dips in the ground, and logs to clamber on and let out his mighty calls!

So what's the story with this pair? They were found dumped on-site, outside the gates in a cardboard box, in the early hours of the morning. Although frightened at the time, they've settled in brilliantly now; all the better, for the adventures they're bound to have with us, and their neighbours (or rival clan!) the turkeys.

So why not pay them a visit, before we close for Winter?

Photography Competition

Our Photography competition - There were many, many good entries, and it took us a while to choose the ones that best stood out to us, but Jay's photo of Duke, Sally's of Leo the Shetland Pony, and Leanne's of one of our cockerels, now hold the exciting title of 'winner'. They won a free place on our photography course; a lovely day of beautiful photos, scrumptious food and our Proteus reptiles.

Thank you so much to everyone that entered; some of our favourite photos are now on our Facebook page!

Leo the Shetland Pony

Henry the Rooster

Duke the Donkey

New Aviary!

It's been a labour of love but our brand new Cockatiel aviary is now complete, and the birds moved into it. It is truly wonderful to have an enclosure that makes us smile to walk in to! We always want the best for our animals, and find ourselves walking into their enclosures each day thinking about all of the things that need fixing and making better for them, and at times that can be quite disheartening. To see what CAN be achieved has been a big morale boost for us, and we can't wait to start work on all of the other enclosures. In time we'd also like to build more, but the animals here now have to come first.

Cockatiels settled in their new aviary!

A big thank you to those who made it happen... the kind people who made donations and everybody who entered our summer raffle - YOU, as well as our very hard working volunteers and staff, made this possible!

We also took great pleasure in dismantling the old aviary next door once we'd moved the birds, ready to build a new one here too... and slowly get them ALL up to this standard one-by-one! The future's bright, together we can do this!