A beautiful Sunday drive ending through the hills of Dayboro I finally arrived at Farm Animal Rescue. I was so excited. Visiting the farm was something I’d wanted to do for a long time.
Carefully opening and closing the front gate and greeted by friendly Elvis at the gate,
I then drove up the driveway to the carpark at the top, navigating some grazing rescued goats who’d strayed onto the driveway.
Parking was easy and I handed in my form and made my way to the visitor centre. Here I was warmly greeted by FAR volunteers and Henrietta who was enjoying small sips from a water bowl and basking in the sun.
Just outside the visitor centre was Portia, one of the farm’s pigs, enjoying the shade on a very warm day. The farm felt calm and happy, with a little bustle with visitors arriving for the next tour, the previous tour ending.
Our tour started with some safety information, with a strong focus on the respect FAR has for their residents. It was very clear that we were not visiting a traditional zoo or place where captured animals are there for our entertainment, but a sanctuary for abused and rescued animals. We all listened intently.
Next stop was the broiler chicken coop, a specially designed space for residents rescued from the meat chicken industry. Here, we met Muffin who’d been rescued three days before after
falling from a truck on the way to the slaughterhouse, who still had a pink bandage protecting a battered body and broken wing. Rambo, a meat chicken who was struggling under the weight he’d been bred to put on so quickly, was helping to settle her in.
The tour then went down into the Farm Animal Rescue valley to visit Cale, George, Anne-Marie, Murray and the cow herd. Then after finding Heather – one of the gorgeous and enormous resident pigs for some pats, we walked back up to the goats and finally visited the sheep who were having their beds made in the barn, to finish the tour. Hearing their stories was amazing, as was understanding that these animals were literally one in a million, having been saved and living peacefully at the sanctuary when they would otherwise have been killed. Back at the visitor centre I enjoyed a delicious vegan pie and drink and chatted with the FAR carers.
The whole visit is educational, and allows you to get up close with these gentle creatures and see and feel how much their lives mean to them. You leave feeling refreshed and connected with these kind animals and with nature.
I thoroughly recommend a tour. Sanctuary educational tours occur every month. Bookings here.
