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Fishers Mobile Farm
Animal Welfare Policy

Our animal welfare policy is based upon the Five Freedoms as defined by FAWC (Farm Animal Welfare Committee).

These are:

1. Freedom from Hunger & Thirst
By ready access to fresh water & a diet to maintain full health & vigour.

2. Freedom from Discomfort
By providing an appropriate environment including shelter & a comfortable resting area.

3. Freedom from Pain, Injury or Disease
By prevention or rapid diagnosis & treatment.

4. Freedom to Express Normal Behaviour 
By providing sufficient space, proper facilities & company of the animal’s own kind.

5. Freedom from Fear & Distress
By ensuring conditions & treatment which avoid mental suffering.

 

 

1. Freedom from Hunger & Thirst 

Our animals are all fed an appropriate diet for their nature & age.
Our animals are provided with plenty to drink – although when on mobile farm visits they may not always have water within their pens as some will repeatedly tip over their water buckets.....especially our pig, so he is given water when he wants a drink & then we remove his bucket!
Visitors are asked not to feed animals unless invited to by Mobile Farm Staff, e.g. when children help us bottle feed the lambs.

 

2. Freedom from Discomfort 

On Farm: The larger animals are either housed in large stables where they may move around freely or, during summer or on warmer days, are kept in the fields. Within the stables they are bedded on either straw or shavings.
The chickens are free-range during the day & locked in hen runs at night.
The ducks are housed in a large pen with a ‘mud’ area & an area of cleaner water. They also have access to a straw lined duck house.
The rabbits are housed in hutches with raised sleeping areas & attached runs where they may move around freely. Their bed on straw & are cleaned out regularly.

In Transit: The larger animals are moved within either a livestock trailer or horse trailer where they are supported during transport but are not overcrowded or congested. The floors are straw covered & they have access to feed while travelling.
The chickens, rabbits, ducks are housed in appropriately sized cages. Occasionally very young goats or lambs may also be transported in cages to give them extra security.

During a mobile farm visit:
The larger animals are housed in pens made up from agricultural hurdles & assembled on site. Unless on grass, these pens have tarpaulin or Correx floors which are covered with shavings or straw as appropriate. Where young animals are concerned the sides of the pens may also be shielded from the wind in cold weather. These pens are large enough for the animals to retreat from the public should they wish to.
The chickens are housed in pens where they have room to move around & scratch on the floor, they are also provided with a perch to roost on.
The ducks are housed in pens & provided with a fresh water ‘pond’ to splash in.
The rabbits are either housed in pens or large cages (significantly larger than the transit cages) where they have room to move around.

3. Freedom from Pain, Injury or Disease 

Our animals are all visited & checked upon daily.
Whilst not professional vets, all mobile farm staff are experienced with animals who can recognise signs of injury or disease & act appropriately.
When required, Vets or other experts (e.g farrier) are called to deal with any problems beyond our own abilities.
All our animals have regimes of preventative medicine to deal with problems such as worms, liver fluke, fly strike etc.
Sick, pregnant or injured animals are not taken to mobile farm events.

4. Freedom to Express Normal Behaviour

Sheep & goats are always kept in groups, never singly (unless in isolation for health reasons).
Ponies & donkeys may be housed separately but within direct site of each other & are allowed to mingle freely when not in their stables.
The pig lives on his own but gets free run around the stable yard on a daily basis.
The cows &/or calves will live with each other when more than one is present. When only one cow is present the cow is housed next to the donkey with whom it is great friends. In the summer the cows live in the fields with the horses & sheep.
The rabbits sometimes live together & sometimes apart depending upon whom is getting on with whom. They always live within sight of & within reasonable proximity to other rabbits. Any pregnant does are separated  & given a suitable area for making a home to give birth in.
The chickens have a number of hen runs they can choose to spend the night in after roaming free range during the day.
The ducks live together & have a muddy area to dib their beaks in & an area of cleaner water for splashing in & floating on.

5. Freedom from Fear & Distress 

All the mobile farm animals are gradually acquainted with humans & people before being taken on a farm visit.
We use Zwartble sheep as they are a particularly placid breed who tame easily & quickly learn to enjoy human contact.
We also use bottle fed lambs who get used to human contact from birth. This also enables us to look after lambs that could otherwise die on a commercial farm.
The goats, calves & pigs are all aquainted with people from an early age & quickly learn to accept people & get to like being stroked & petted.
The smaller baby rabbits are handled from an early age & respond well to being stroked.
We do not allow any handling of the larger ‘giant’ rabbits.
Mobile Farm staff are always on hand to stop & inappropriate behaviour by members of the public & will remove animals to the safety of the trailers if they show any signs of distress.
Members of the public are not permitted to pick up any of the mobile farm animals, although they may stroke the larger animals & occasionally the smaller ones under close supervision.
We build gaps in to our schedule so the animals are not constantly on visits & get rested. In addition, where possible, we rotate the animals so not all the animals go to all the mobile farm visits.
Most of our animals are really relaxed during farm visits & will happily sit & chew the cud or even go to sleep.