Meet the “small animal” team.
A blog written by freelance journalist Megan Brownrigg who interviewed our small animal team.
Between them they’re responsible for looking after some of the finca’s biggest characters including the dogs, ducks, cats, chickens, guinea pigs, birds, goats, sheep, rabbits, pigs and even the tortoises! Like Charlie’s Angels, but with an extra chica and always stylishly covered in animal poo and mushy food: meet Lena, Alina, Diana and Chiara….our small animal team.
But what are they like? We spent the morning chatting to this finca-four about everything small animals. Here’s what they told us about how the small animal team rolls…
What’s your favourite part of the small animal shift?
Lena: I actually like cleaning, for real! When you go into the animals’ enclosures without food, you realise that they still come to greet you and sniff you in a friendly, non-food-wanting way. That’s true love.
Alina: I love visiting the leukemia cats. You can sit quietly with them, rest, and take a moment to really cuddle them. Especially Tattoo, who is always meowing and waiting for me, naww.
Chiara: Any time that I’m outside and with the animals, which is most of the shift!
Diana: First thing in the morning when the animals are all super hungry and make all of their different sounds asking for breakfast – it’s a full choir out there.
Who are the biggest characters in the small animal kingdom?
Alina: Our pigs, Daisy and Maisy, are hilarious and completely crazy. They are SO excited to see you all the time. They push you, they step on you, they shove their noises right through your legs….all the while screaming for their food! Once their heads get into those food buckets, you don’t see them again for a long time.
Diana: The sheep, our black one is crazy and likes to try to attack people, and the other one is super chilled and friendly. The contrast is so funny.
Chiara: The sheep for me too. In normal life I’d never have made friends with sheep, or thought it was possible, but here I’ve fallen in love with them. That’s what you get from spending more time with animals and just being outside.
Lena: Don’t make me choose! But Meh the goat is a bit of a comedian and a complete softie – especially when you give her a brush.
Something really interesting you learned about animals here? (X-rated warning on Chiara’s answer!)
Diana: Small animals don’t always need specialised processed food and they really can thrive on vegetables – we’re lucky that we have such a variety from our donations.
Lena: Guinea pigs and rabbits have endlessly growing teeth so you have to give them enough food to chew on to keep those babies under control!
Alina: How to catch a chicken, I learned this when we needed to catch the mother hens to look after orphaned or rejected chicks. My tip is to just go for it, and hold the wings to stop everyone getting too flustered.
Chiara: Ducks and pigs have corksc
