Now that summer’s over and the kids are back at school, the animals at Folly Farm have been enjoying some well-deserved ‘me time’ with their own ‘pet-icures’ to relax after a busy holiday season.

Farm senior supervisor and official Folly Farm pedicurist, Kim Brickell, says that some of the animals are trickier customers than others when it comes to grooming.

She said: “We give all the farm animals regular pedicures, with the rabbits, guinea pigs and ferrets booked in once a month, and the larger animals scheduled in for an appointment every six to 10 weeks.

“I usually take one foot or claw at a time as there are so many of them to do, and trim the nails little by little as it’s important not to cut too low or cut below the quick. It’s particularly important for us to trim the sheep and goats’ hooves as, just like us, their feet can get sore if they grow too long.

“Unlike a normal salon, we can’t offer them a cup of tea when they arrive and we don’t get much of a response to, ‘where are you going on your holiday?’ but most of the farm animals really enjoy it and love the attention.

“We use clippers that are really similar to the ones you’d find in salons on smaller animals, but the sheep and goats need bigger clippers as they have tougher hooves.

“The sheep can sometimes kick up a bit of a fuss as we have to sit them down on their bottoms to be able to hold onto them. The bottle-fed sheep in particular can be divas as they are a bit spoilt and don’t like sitting still for too long.

“We work with local suppliers and John Byrne the farrier comes in to pamper the horses, ponies and donkeys. They have their own appointments with the farrier, even though a few of them can sometimes be late!”

Kim started working at the Folly Farm funfair when she was 17 before moving over to working at the farm four years ago, and has always been passionate about working with animals after growing up on a farm.

Kim says that pedicures aren’t the only form of pampering that the animals enjoy:

“As well as the pedicures, we also brush our long haired guinea pigs once a day and they absolutely love it. They make a wheeking noise when we’re grooming them to show how much they’re enjoying it, so they’re definitely the most pampered animals in the farmyard.

“The pedicures also give us a chance to weigh the animals and perform a health check, so it’s fun for them and allows us to regularly take stock of how each animal is doing.

“Animal husbandry, which is the routine care of the animals, is a big part of my job and is something I’ve always taken pride in, as for me, the most important thing is that each animal is happy and well cared for.”

For more information and updates on the new additions at Folly Farm, visit www.folly-farm.co.uk.