We go behind the scenes with one of our dedicated farm team members to reveal just some of the expertise that goes into caring for donkeys – and a new piece of equipment making the work easier.
David Beer is one of the 17 grooms at Slade House Farm in Sidmouth who, like all our donkey-facing staff, works 365 days a year helping to care for our donkeys.
We catch up with him on a typical morning among the donkeys and hear how a new piece of farm equipment is helping make the work just a little bit lighter.
David arrives for work at 7.30am, and after a quick catch up with the rest of the team, heads off to start his morning routines.
After making his pre-start checks on the team’s tractor, David heads off to Shelter 1, with a new piece of equipment called a link box unit, attached to the back of the vehicle.
The new hydraulic link box is designed to fit on the back of the tractor and is used to carry feed and bedding, as well as removing material when stables are being cleaned. It has a larger capacity to what the team used before, and its hydraulics allow it to be raised and lowered, offering easy access for loading and unloading.
The tractor they use is just small enough to fit through shelter doorways, and thanks to the new link box, now has a greater load capacity.
After David has checked all the donkeys, he then ensures they have clean drinking water and plenty of clean straw to rest on.
All the donkeys on the farm are weighed every month, with feeding plans put in place if required, and David searches out specific donkeys that need their morning feed first, while the others are given haylage to feed on.
David now has the tasks of cleaning out the wooden feeders, then filling them with fresh straw. This is followed by poo picking and sweeping the concrete yard and stables. He then heads over to the sand area to clean this too, filling his wheelbarrow as he goes, which is then loaded into the new link box.
David has another five shelters to get to before a well-earned cup of tea, and his breakfast with the rest of the team.
Back on the tractor, his next task is to deliver small bales of straw, shavings, bags of hard feed and haylage around the six shelters at Slade House Farm. The tractor can also be used to carry pressure washers around the site, and to deliver logs for the donkeys’ enrichment.
David’s shelter rounds take him up until lunchtime, where after a break and a bite to eat, it is then ready to head back out on his afternoon routine.
Thanks to our supporters, staff at Slade House Farm have had their working lives made just that little bit easier, with the purchase of a new piece of equipment that will help them care for our donkeys. The new link box will provide many years of service, playing its part in helping to care for our Sidmouth herd.