Page 14 - Hillside 2018 Web Newsletter

A Rainy Day at Hillside...

A wet and windy December morning at Hillside...

Bracing Ourselves for Another Difficult Winter...

By November 2018 the Norfolk It is hard to convey the challenge of as comfortable as possible.
weather had once again turned wet keeping over 3000 rescued animals Thousands of bales form walls to
and windy and, with Christmas during such difficult conditions. Each and provide shelter from the winter
approaching, the rain seemed to be every one is as important as the last. weather, while lots more are used
settling in for longer and heavier Every life, where they have been let down to give the animals a sufficient dry
spells. in the past, now depending on us for their living area
welfare.
As we look towards 2019, current In addition to other feed, we also
forecasts are predicting a harsh winter Our responsibility, to keep them warm need around 150 tonnes of hay each
and some have warned that we could and well fed, and to provide them with and every week, just to keep all the
be in for the ‘coldest winter in years’ dry-standing, is one we take extremely animals well fed.
with a risk of ‘crippling snowfall’. seriously. Yet, in the face of seemingly
constant rain and sometimes freezing Providing all this throughout the
conditions, it pushes our funds, and our winter would be impossible without
staff, who care deeply for our animals, to the help of our dedicated and
the limit of what we can acheive. compassionate staff and our caring
and generous supporters. We would
The key to making this work is vast like to thank you all for your support,
quantities of straw to make our animals particularly during difficult times
such as these.

Prolonged heavy rain meant this straw bed would need
a top-up much sooner than in dry weather...

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