Halfpenny-Farm Animal Sanctuary

19/09/2025

Happy birthday to Mike.
It’s been a slog this year but he’s kept going, trying to fix all the things that are starting to show their age, myself included!
He has given his all to Halfpenny and continues to do so, he keeps in the background so doesn’t really get the credit he deserves, just putting up with my nagging is to be commended!
We’ve had a lot of losses and continually broken hearts this year in particular and lots of uncertainty for the future but he’s taken the load when I’ve been overwhelmed.
Thank you from all at Halfpenny.

19/09/2025

***these have been taken to help another older horse, I’m sure Bo and Bums will be happy they will help another.***

We have nearly a full bottle of Hestevard hepalyte for liver disease in horses and most of a tub of acidease for horses left after losing Bournville and Bumble.
If anybody can use this, please let me know, I’d rather see it help another pony than go to waste.

18/09/2025

Many thanks to Ross the farrier, Sophie and Bruce the vets who facilitated Janet’s pedicure.
It’s been a stressful couple of hours from 8.30 this morning, 3 lots of sedation to knock her out and fast work by Ross to trim her feet.
We are now waiting for her to waken up, which could take a while as she’s had a cocktail of ketamine and other sedatives.
We will be monitoring her closely to watch her breathing and her temperature as pigs can overheat with sedations.
Her feet are neat and tidy, we just need her to wake up.

17/09/2025

We have a worrying day tomorrow as Janet is going to be sedated to have her feet trimmed because her nails have grown so long, they are starting to cause issues for her, especially with her being very arthritic.
We have 2 vets and our farrier lined up to try and trim her feet.
Pigs are not great under sedation at the best of times, but with Janet being a very old pig, whilst still being big and strong when stressed, it’s a potentially dangerous situation for her and us.
Please keep your fingers crossed for our old lady, she’s 11 and the average lifespan of a large breed pig is 6-10, so the anaesthetic is a big risk.

15/09/2025

Sorry for being so quiet, but it’s been a tough month and we have had another 2 losses.
We sadly lost Gustav, one of our older cockerels, to a suspected heart condition last Tuesday. He was a big boy but a nice lad and will be missed.
We also said a very sad goodbye to little Sam, our cavalier King Charles spaniel.
Sam came here about 8 years ago, at the age of 4 when his owner had to go into care.
Sam had syringomyelia, which is a condition that can cause neurological pain and eventual lameness.
Sam did very well for most of his time here, but recently got diagnosed with heart failure and had to go onto more meds for his heart, whilst having been on meds long term for pain relief.
Unfortunately Sam went downhill over the last month, starting to struggle to walk and losing weight.
He was no longer the happy little dog we knew and was severely compromised.
He left us today, peacefully and lovingly, with the help of Laurie the vet.
He will be missed greatly, T***s was his wee pal and he is lost tonight, as are we.
Sleep well, wee man. You did well getting to the age of 12 with all your issues and you were such a lovely, cuddly boy. We miss you.

05/09/2025

My lovely cousin has decided to do a go fund me, to help Halfpenny. Please consider supporting her.

Want to join me in making a difference? I’m raising money to be… Linda Bignall needs your support for 31 Days Alcohol Free for Halfpenny Farm Animal Sanctuary

01/09/2025

We were very concerned about Belle after losing Bumble and then Bournville in less than a month. Belle was very bonded to both and had lived with them for the 8 years we have had her.
She was suddenly on her own, so we put the big boys next to her yesterday, to take her mind off losing Bournville and introduced them today.
Thankfully it seems to have gone very well, although we will monitor them closely. They had a very short run around and then started grazing close to each other. Hopefully this eases her loss and is one less concern for us.

31/08/2025

I really don’t know how to write this ‘Goodbye’, because it’s one I hoped would never happen.
I lost my big, beautiful boy, Bournville at 2am on Sunday morning.
He collapsed and died after seeming to get a little better from the colic he had earlier in the day.
Bournville was my horse, I bought him when he was under 4 for £2500 as a ride and drive horse, he would have been 28 in October and had been in our lives for 24 years.
He was the best horse in the world, who would carry children on his back without putting a foot wrong and then try to jump canter poles when I was on him and pull a cart effortlessly with Mike driving.
He was a small, fluffy cob, called ‘tarantula legs’ by Mike.
He was a cob but he was fit and flexible and fun, my only horse and I could not have wished for anyone better.
We have so many funny stories about him, he made me smile everyday and even when he got to the point where I couldn’t ride him, he was still the sunshine in my life.”
We lost him, when he seemed to be doing really well, we lost him when I was planning how we would manage him over winter, we lost him so unexpectedly that I can’t believe it’s happened and I hope it’s a nightmare.
Halfpenny won’t be the same without him, it would not have happened without him.
The only thing I can take away from this, is that he spent nearly his whole life with the same people, in the same place, with a constant herd.
He was loved and admired and appreciated for what he was. He wasn’t fancy, he wasn’t a big, tall warm blood, but he was kind and willing and cheeky and his coat shone like a black diamond.
He is irreplaceable and I will love and miss him til the day I die.
My beloved Bourneo, Bo, Bourneeeeville!

30/08/2025

It’s been a very stressful day so far.
When feeding the guinea pigs this morning, I noticed Garnet was quiet, on exam I found a large lump over one of her mammaries.
Vet exam confirmed a mammary tumour, so she is in on Wednesday for its removal. They are apparently very quick growing so we need to remove asap.
When I got back, Bournville the horse, wouldn’t eat his lunch and kept lying down.
A vet call out and it looks like he had the start of colic. We are obviously very anxious after losing Bumble to colic a few weeks ago. We have no idea why we’ve had 2 colics close together, especially when we have barely had any colics over our 24 years of owning horses.
He’s feeling much better after meds, but is being closely monitored in case he regresses again. It’s going to be a very anxious day.

30/08/2025

We have a stall at the Kintore Street Party today, in the Kintore square.
Come along, say ‘hello’ and find out more about what we do or if you are interested in volunteering.
Thanks to Leanne and Janice for getting it set up.

29/08/2025

Congratulations to Val, who volunteers here on a Tuesday and Thursday. She’s such a talented lady!