Feed The Animals
Donation protected
Christmas Tree Farm is a small petting farm in Downe Village, we have been open for visitors for a number of years. Our only source of income is generated through visitor numbers which as you know at present is zero, but we still have over 200 animals to feed and care for ranging from Sheep,Goats,Ponies,Cows and smaller ones like Chickens,Ducks and Rabbits.
This time of year should be our busiest and we rely on this to pay our Winter bills, visitor numbers from October to February are very low, especially this year as we have experienced a very low shortfall of visitors due to extreme weather ( Rain and Wind) which created significant problems for us.
As you can see we are down to a couple of weeks supply of Hay.
We use 7 bales a day at a cost of £4.50 a bale £31.50 a day £220.50 a week, plus the feed 6 bags a day £9.50 a bag £57.00 a day £399.00 a week, other feed for birds/ferrets etc £15 a day £105.0 a week, wood shavings 7 a week on average £60 and Straw 8 bales a week sometimes more when animals are in when cold £30 a week. So between £700-£800 a week during winter and quiet times just to care for them. Vet bills go on top we have recently paid 2 bills which were over £500, on top of this are wages, water, electric, phone, insurance and maintenance fencing etc .
We are asking for Help we understand the current climate and the situation everyone is in but we are in danger of closing we really do not want to start re-homing our animals as some have been rescued from other places and some have been abandoned here, it is unusual for us to ask for help but this time we feel we have to, in the past we have closed for Foot and Mouth to help save our animals and more recently the E-coli situation elsewhere had a devastating effect on all open farms, this time especially due to the time of year we fear we may not get through the coming weeks.
Thank you on behalf of all the Animals and those at the Farm.
This time of year should be our busiest and we rely on this to pay our Winter bills, visitor numbers from October to February are very low, especially this year as we have experienced a very low shortfall of visitors due to extreme weather ( Rain and Wind) which created significant problems for us.
As you can see we are down to a couple of weeks supply of Hay.
We use 7 bales a day at a cost of £4.50 a bale £31.50 a day £220.50 a week, plus the feed 6 bags a day £9.50 a bag £57.00 a day £399.00 a week, other feed for birds/ferrets etc £15 a day £105.0 a week, wood shavings 7 a week on average £60 and Straw 8 bales a week sometimes more when animals are in when cold £30 a week. So between £700-£800 a week during winter and quiet times just to care for them. Vet bills go on top we have recently paid 2 bills which were over £500, on top of this are wages, water, electric, phone, insurance and maintenance fencing etc .
We are asking for Help we understand the current climate and the situation everyone is in but we are in danger of closing we really do not want to start re-homing our animals as some have been rescued from other places and some have been abandoned here, it is unusual for us to ask for help but this time we feel we have to, in the past we have closed for Foot and Mouth to help save our animals and more recently the E-coli situation elsewhere had a devastating effect on all open farms, this time especially due to the time of year we fear we may not get through the coming weeks.
Thank you on behalf of all the Animals and those at the Farm.
Organizer
Paul Gubby
Organizer
