# Childrens Farm Rant



## HoneyFern (Aug 27, 2009)

I've just been to a popular farm aimed at children (I won't name names but it's just off the M25 in Herts ) and I was surprised at how they kept their bunnies and guinea pigs together and fed them all rabbit muesli. Shouldn't a well established petting farm know proper care? One of the buns had an obvious bite from one of the others. Another issue was when they got the guineas out for handling one of the staff members just handed one to my 11mth old daughter - I just said I think she's a bit young for that and took the piggy off of her. 

The only good thing was my littl'un was so good with them I think we'll be getting some guineas in a year or two.


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## loukodi (Oct 27, 2010)

:O :O :O

They really should know better, complaint time!!

When doing my animal management course all the rabbits and guinea pigs were kept together and had a bowl of rabbit muesli and guinea pig muesli in each tiny hutch / run....
Think they were quite glad when I left


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## HoneyFern (Aug 27, 2009)

loukodi said:


> :O :O :O
> 
> They really should know better, complaint time!!
> 
> ...


My sister's a tutor at a college that teaches animal management - they only house and feed their buns and guineas correctly because she's there! If animal colleges do that then how is anyone supposed to know better?!


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## simplysardonic (Sep 1, 2009)

I found a rabbit being kept with chickens & a duck in an enclosure on the stall for one of these petting farms at my local game fair  I looked for their website so I could write them a complaint & both that & their Facebook page had been removed, so I think a lot of other people felt the same way


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## HoneyFern (Aug 27, 2009)

simplysardonic said:


> I found a rabbit being kept with chickens & a duck in an enclosure on the stall for one of these petting farms at my local game fair  I looked for their website so I could write them a complaint & both that & their Facebook page had been removed, so I think a lot of other people felt the same way


A local garden centre houses their buns with everything but guineas - goats, sheep and even pigs! The pig enclosure even has a wallowing pond that I don't think is any good for buns, never mind the feeding issues.

There should be better/clearer legislations to stop this happening.


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## emzybabe (Jun 30, 2009)

It's taken me a few years to become strong enough but I no longer ignore these things, Im not a confrontational person face to face so quite often follow up with an email. 

If he rabbit has a bite that's not being treated then your should report to the RSPCA. They will have to look at the situation. If it is because they have unneutered rabbits together then they should be able to make some recommendations.


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## HoneyFern (Aug 27, 2009)

I went to a local town fair today and guess what they had in the animal section - bunnies and guinea's together!  The pitch was for an inner city farm too. I am not confrontational at all but just mentioned the risks loudly to my sister.


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## loukodi (Oct 27, 2010)

I usually just start a conversation then say "Oh by the way this its not a good idea to keep them together..." etc. Or play dumb "oh I didn't think you were supposed to do that" then wait for the excuses.
Only once my friends and I have been confrontational and that's when we found a goat panting on its side in a pen, eyes rolled into its head, no water, wearing a coat in 30 degree heat. The reason, they had been bathed to look nice for the shows that weekend.... 
We went back in half a hour later though and all the goats had the coats off and full water buckets


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## Pippapotomus (Jun 16, 2013)

I know the farm you mean! They plonk piggies on laps and some children are scarily rough with them. My mother in law sat down to rest her feet and was given a guinea pig much to her surprise.

I asked the staff why the piggies and rabbits are in together and was told the enclosures are so big they don't have trouble:001_huh:


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## Hanwombat (Sep 5, 2013)

DUH! Why can't people see that rabbits and guinea pigs SHOULD NOT be housed together.... sure it was a thing families used to do 20 years ago but things have changed and people have gotten more common sense and that is to no that you don't house them together.... regardless of whether their enclosure is huge or not.


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