These fa-baa-lous farm animals are looking for their forever homes

The charity has seen a rise in the number of farm animals coming into its care in recent months and with only limited facilities to care for farm animals, the RSPCA is urging those who can provide a home for a pig, goat, chicken or cockerel to consider adopting.

There are currently 26 farm animals waiting to find their forever homes in RSPCA care and a further 76 in partner boarding facilities patiently waiting for their homes too.

Dr Marc Cooper, Head of Farm Animals at the RSPCA, said: “We know that some people assume we just rehome cats and dogs but that is far from the case - we actually have lots of farm animals that are rescued by our inspectors that end up coming into the care of our fantastic animal centres with facilities to care for them, and are now looking for homes.

“Farm animals often have different needs to animals such as dogs, cats or rabbits, so it’s important to consider whether you have the time, resources and money they need. For example, goats need lots of enrichment and climbing space in their enclosure to keep them busy, and chickens need places to perch and somewhere to scratch and dust bathe. Farm animals should also be seen by a specialist farm vet who can give you lots of advice regarding their diet and health care.

“If you have the right environment for these animals, they can make wonderful additions to your family. They are very intelligent, curious and can be very affectionate, and rehoming a farm animal can be very rewarding.

“Whether you’d like some hens in your garden or have space for a huge pot-bellied pig, we are urging those looking to bring a farm animal into their lives to consider rehoming from the RSPCA.”

Peppa Pig came into the care of the RSPCA as part of a litter of piglets. She is now seven-years-old and is looking for a home with her mum Penelope.

Penelope is a very unique pig - she only has one ear due to being picked on in her previous home, and she is now hoping for a second chance in a home where she can live her life as a companion pet pig. Penelope lives quite happily with her now grown-up babies, so being homed with Peppa is essential to ensure she has companionship for the remainder of her life.

These are friendly pigs who need a large enclosure with a snug pig hut for comfort where they can spend their days playing in the mud and looking for morsels to eat.

If you think you can give Peppa and Penelope a loving home, contact RSPCA Southridge Animal Centre in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, on [email protected].

Another gorgeous older girl is Crumpet, the portly pot-bellied pig. Little is known about her previous life but she came into the charity’s care with Phil. However, due to disagreements between them the pair are looking for homes separately.

Crumpet needs a chilled retirement home however she can be pretty sprightly around feeding time! She would like to live as an only pig with someone who can dedicate some time and resources to keep her stimulated and happy. She is a confident girl who knows what she wants and does occasionally like to be stroked, especially on the side of her belly.

She is a little overweight and the staff at the centre are monitoring her hind legs for stiffness as well as putting her on a diet to shift some pounds. She will need a large field with a shelter and the field will need secure fencing. Crumpet is looking for an owner with previous experience of caring for pigs and a CPH number from Defra.

Phil is a young Old Spot pig with a lovely nature. He is happy to have back rubs and enjoys his wallow on a warm day. Phil will run over with great enthusiasm and a wagging tail whenever it’s breakfast or dinner time; he loves his pig nuts but is not so fussed about his fruit or veg.

He will need a large field with a shelter and the field will need secure fencing as well as an owner with a CPH number from Defra.

If you think you can give Crumpet or Phil a home, contact RSPCA Stubbington Ark, Fareham in Hampshire, on 01329 667541.

Gary and Gertie are the sweetest pair of Boer goats who are looking for a home together. The loved up couple get on very well together. They are very friendly and described as a delight to be around. Gary is playful and Gertie is a very gentle goat.

Goats need plenty of space to live in and explore - they are natural foragers, not grazers like sheep so they thrive best with trees and bushes. Grass only plays a minimal part of their diet and they have very different needs to sheep - a common misconception.

They are naturally very inquisitive and love climbing and investigating so will need a secure enclosure with fencing that they can look over. They would like a dry and comfortable goat hut to shelter them from wet and warm weather and an area of hard standing in case of muddy ground.

Their feet will need to be regularly trimmed and their vaccinations and worming treatment kept up-to-date. To keep goats, your premises need to be registered and you need to be in possession of a CPH holding number - the centre can provide more information.

If you think you can rehome Gary and Gertie, contact RSPCA Southridge Animal Centre in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, on [email protected] with an interview form and a photo of your set-up.

Paul and Barry Cluckle came into the care of the RSPCA Leybourne Animal Centre after they were abandoned in Kent.

The pair, who can be rehomed separately or together, are now looking for a flock to call their own.

Paul and Barry can both be a little shy and are initially wary of people but with time they soon come around. They would benefit from lots of enrichment to keep them busy such as hanging vegetables, a box of soil for dustbathing and lots of perches to sit on and watch the world go by.

If you think you can give Paul and Barry a home, please contact the RSPCA Leybourne Animal Centre on [email protected].

Arlo, Wyatt and Martin are three very impressive looking cockerels who are looking for a home with an existing flock of similar sized ladies. Each of these gentlemen would like room to roam, forage and scratch about and will need a chicken coop with an enclosed area of approx 12ft x 6ft or larger.

To rehome them contact RSPCA Ashley Heath Animal Centre, in Dorset, on [email protected].

Walnut is a bantam cockerel who was sadly found straying along with two other cockerels, Acorn and Sycamore.They have not been reclaimed by an owner so are now looking for their forever homes. They all have sweet docile natures and have been sharing a pen together for some time. They will need a secure coop to roost overnight and access to a safe area to roam during the day where they can scratch, dust bathe, and exhibit their natural behaviour. They could be rehomed together but only without other chickens at the property, as the presence of hens or another cockerel will cause serious fighting.

If you think you can give Walnut, Acorn or Sycamore a home contact RSPCA West Hatch Animal Centre, in Somerset, on [email protected].

Blanche is looking for a home with Hilda and boyfriend Edwin. They are all young and have recently been introduced to each other.

The malay is one of the larger breeds of chicken. They are quite active and enjoy a spacious enclosure and do not cope well with confinement. They will spend most of their day foraging from dawn until dusk if given the chance!

They are not known to be good fliers but we have found them here to be quite athletic. For that reason, the area will need to be very secure to allow them to free range.

This little trio could be introduced to an established group of decent sized hens, but the malay cockerel cannot be around other males.

The centre has found this lovely little trio to be friendly. However, the malay is generally quite bold and can be wary and at times aloof. They are not usually affectionate although tolerant of handling and not generally recommended for young children to keep as pets.

They will need a large secure enclosure with plenty of stimulation, a decadent sized coop suitable for a tall bird and opportunity to free range in a secure environment.

If you think you can offer Blanche and her friends a home, contact RSPCA Southridge Animal Centre in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, on [email protected].

Meet Elvis Peckley and Ben Affpeck. They came into the care of the RSPCA as the pair were sadly abandoned. They are both cheerful little fellas looking for a home either separately with some hens, or together, if there are plenty of hens as they could fight when there are females around. They could also be rehomed as just a pair with no existing hens in the home.

They need a large space, so ideally access to a secure, open area of grass or a wild area to forage in with some accomodation which they can be securely shut into at night to keep them safe from any predators.

They are a sweet pair of cockerels who will thrive in a home, so if you think you can rehome Elvis Peckley or Ben Affpeck contact RSPCA Blackberry Farm Animal Centre, Buckinghamshire, by emailing your perfect match form to [email protected].

Sadly, the RSPCA regularly deals with cases of abandoned cockerels, and it is thought this could be as a result of disputes between neighbours over their crowing, or simply the fact that they cannot lay eggs.

For more information on farm animals visit: https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/farm/farmanimals.

To help the RSPCA continue rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming animals in desperate need of care please visit our website or call our donation line on 0300 123 8181.