Blackpool Zoo

See folder for reference of what I did each day

Newgate Kennels

Newgate Kennels

7 days - 4th - 13th June

Thursday -
worked with small dogs
cleaned every kennel
let out dogs on to larger runs
picked up poo
feeding
changed waters
groomed a couple of dogs

Friday -
cats and small animals
cleaned each chalet
feeding

Monday -
same as thursday
walked 2 RSPCA dogs
groomed a couple of dogs
picked up poo

Tuesday -
small dogs and one block which had larger dogs
feeding
cleaned each kennel
changed water
walked 4 dogs
put food out in bowls for the dogs
picked up poop

Wednesday -
same as thursday and monday
walked a couple of dogs
groomed a couple of dogs
pick up poop

Thursday -
same as thursday, monday and wednesday

Friday -
small dogs
changed waters
cleaned most kennels
groomed some dogs
let the dogs in the runs
picked up poo
gathered some useful information about signs of aggressive dogs

Lambing

Lambing

2 days total - a sunday and a bank holiday monday.

First day:

Fed lambs with bottles.
Gave fresh food and water to the sheep they have in the yard and also went to feed the sheep at a shed.
Learnt that some motherless lambs are sometimes put with sheep that haven't had any babies.
Shown the difference between a sheep that has udders that are infected compared to udders that are healthy. Hard = something is wrong. Soft, squidgy = healthy.
Tubing new born lambs with a special type of milk which has antibodies that the lambs need.
Let out some sheep with their lambs onto the grass.
Felt minimally inside a sheep as she was about to give birth. The lamb has its legs backwards so the farmers went in and put the legs backwards for the lamb to come out.
Saw a live birth.
Learnt that many lambs and sheep die during this season - around one a day.
Learnt that the dead lambs are put outside for the crows to eat - this way, the crows eat the dead lambs instead of the live ones.

Second day:

Didn't see any lambs born.
Gave fresh food and water to the sheep and lambs
Took some sheep with their lambs to a marketplace where they were sold to other farmers. Interesting day at the market as various livestock were sold and I was able to see how they operate - similar to an auction.
Let out many sheep with their lambs on to the grass as the lambs were old enough.

Studholme Kennels

Studholme Kennels

6 days - 27th April until 3rd May

Cleaned poop
Grew my confidence working with dogs
The kennels have many dogs that the owner's keep for showing - cleaned the ears and gave them flea treatment.
Encounter with a blind dog
One dog was pregnant but unfortunately didn't give birth whilst I was there, learnt about the reabsorption of puppies in the womb.
Learnt about many breeds of dogs
Also, small cattery and helped clean and feed the cats
Encounter with chickens, angry rooster. Must be careful as animals can be unpredictable.

Newgate Kennels Half Day

Newgate Kennels

Half Day - 24th April

Worked aside one person on cats.
Didn't see any dogs all day
Shown how they feed and clean in the cats facilities.

Mrs Dowsons Farm

Mrs Dowsons Farm

13th April 2015

• 1 day (10:30am-5pm) 
• There as a visitor to ask if I can do lambing - they only had about a dozen sheep, Mr Dowson asked his friend if we can do lambing with him - turned out to be a fail (the friend didn't want us to help out)
• Had a look at what the farm does - dairy farm
• Looked at the cows they keep - some they keep as pets.
• Some cows bottle fed. Learnt about the type of cows they keep and how the cows are fed and how the milk is regulated - (a special type of machine)
• Ate some of their homemade ice cream - yummy.
• Come back for work experience?

Reddish Farm

Reddish Farm

2 weeks experience

4th April - 19th April

Saturday 4th April:  8am - 5pm

• Introduced to a range of animals that were in the barn: 2 mother hens with their chicks, 2 rabbits, 4 guinea pigs, 2 lambs, 2 budgies and a parakeet.
• Gave the animals fresh water and fresh food 
• Watched how someone updated the animal's living area (cleaning up the poop and spreading fresh shavings)
• Swept in the barn
• 11am - 4pm: Visiting hours. I was in charge of picking up whereby I would pick up the animals out of their pens in order to give him to a child to hold on the bale of hay.
• Mainly picked up the rabbit (Jerry) as the rabbit was easier to handle due to having experience with a similar sized animal (my cat Bubbles). (Resulted in a few scratched on my hands from the rabbit)
• Tried to pick up the baby chick but mother hen tried to bite me, so I was afraid to try and pick up a baby chick. 
• Hand picked carrots outside using a glove.
• Gave fresh water to the animals in the barn
• Picked up the carrots from the pens in the barn
• Cleaned the carrot buckets
• Swept the barn

Sunday 5th April:  8am - 5pm

• Same as the day before. 
• 11am - 4pm: Visiting hours. 
• Started to pick up the guinea pig for people to hold
• Plucked up the courage to get a baby chick for people to stroke
• Helped pick up piles outside.
• Was shown how to tie a hay net
• Was shown how to cut carrots. Filled a few buckets with carrots.

Monday 6th April:  8am - 5pm

• Hosed the ducks living area
• Swept all the carrots and duck poop up
• Picked up the pile and put it in a wheelbarrow 
• Cut some carrots
• Helped clear the cardboard from upstairs
• Organised the kids area (litter picked the play area).
• 11am - 4pm: Visiting hours. Picked up the guinea pig and baby chicks and rabbit for children to hold. 
• The lamb's tail fell off
• Collected carrot buckets from outside
• Cleaned ALOT of carrot buckets
• Helped in the feed room

Tuesday 7th April:  Day off

Wednesday 8th April:  Day off

Thursday 9th April:  8am - 5pm

• Gave the small animals fresh food and water
• Swept in the small animal barn
• Shown where the hay is and told to get two fresh bales to put in the small animal barn
• Cut carrots
• Picked up piles
• 11am-4pm: Visiting hours. Picking up the animals for children to hold/stroke.
• Gave fresh water to the small animals
• Washed carrot buckets
• Swept in the small animal barn

Friday 10th April:  8am - 5pm

• Same as yesterday. 
• Also, the huge horse (Kylie) walked in whilst I was cleaning. I wasn't scared but I was quite surprised to see her. I didn't shout anybody so that I wouldn't alarm the horse and I didn't approach the horse either in case of the event she would bite me but somebody came and got her out. Turns out she is a friendly horse.
• Fed the chickens that were outside: corn and gave them fresh water.
• 11am-4pm: Visiting hours. Picking up the animals for children to hold/stroke

Saturday 11th April:  8am - 5pm

• Helped with the ducks&duck pond: Emptied the duck pond, swept all the carrots, mud and sludge out of the pond, had to get someone to unblock the drain as it was blocked with sludge, filled up the pond.
• Got the ducks fresh food and water. Learnt they can eat chicken layer feed as the ducks were laying.
• Swept outside
• Helped get the larger animals back into their cages. 
• Two lambs went in the cow pen whilst the cow was coming in, I managed to get both lambs out of there without scaring the cow&closed the cow in. The baby cows, alpacas and llama knew their own pens so I locked those gates behind them
• Cut carrots
• 11am-4pm: Visiting hours. Picking up the animals for the children
• Stroked both of the dogs there. Two gorgeous german shepherd dogs. 
• Washed carrot buckets
• Swept in the small animal barn
• Helped sweep outside

Sunday 12th April:  8am - 4:30pm

• Gave the small animals fresh food and water
• Got a small dustpan and brush to get some of the major poop out of some of the pens in the small animal barn
• Swept in the small animal barn
• Changed a bale of hay in the small animal barn
• Swept outside but the wind made it difficult to sweep the hay
• Cut carrots
• 11am - 3:30pm: Visiting hours. Picking up the animals for children to hold/stroke. Also, went to the bouncy castle area for 30 minutes to watch the children: no children came because it was raining. 
• Rained most of the day so we got to finish the visiting hours a little earlier than usual due to not many families visiting
• Washed carrot buckets
• Gave the animals fresh water
• Swept and picked up piles in the small animal barn
• Cow went into labour: predicted birth tonight?

Monday 13th April:  Day off

Tuesday 14th April:  8am-5pm

• Completely changed the bedding for the rabbit pen, putting in new wood shavings
• Gave the small animals fresh food and water
• Swept in the small animal barn
• Cut carrots
• 11am-4pm: Visiting hours. Picking up.
• Washed carrot buckets
• Helped get the larger animals into their pens 
• Swept the small animal barn

Wednesday 15th April:  8am-5pm

• Gave the small animals fresh food and water
• Swept in the small animal barn
• Cut carrots
• 11am-4pm: Visiting hours. Picking up. Noticed the lamb's poorly eye and the rabbit's bump on its face 
• Washed carrot buckets
• Swept in the small animal barn

Thursday 16th April:  8am-5pm

• Bathed the lamb's eye - I noticed it has conjunctivitis in its eye
• Gave the small animals fresh food and water
• Swept in the small animal barn
• Cut carrots
• 11am-4pm: Visiting hours. Picking up. 

Friday 17th April:  8am - 5:30pm

• Bathed the lamb's eye - it's looking better!
• Completely changed the wood shavings in the rabbit pen and guinea pig pen
• Cut carrots
• Swept in the small animal barn
• 11am-4pm: Visiting hours. Picking up. 
• Washed carrot buckets 
• Swept the small animal barn
• Picked up piles outside, the carrot pile and swept the feed room

Saturday 18th April:  Day off

Sunday 19th April:  Day off