by Sarah Becker
Patch and Lionel lean in over a festive platter, a sheep and a donkey brought together by a simple act of sharing. In this quiet moment, the barriers between species fade, leaving a gentle reminder that kindness is a language everyone understands.
Meet the Residents
The farm sanctuary’s animal family includes:
44 sheep
alpacas
8 ponies
2 donkeys
4 goats
13 pigs
turkeys and cockerels.
Christmas Day starts like any other at Neaturn Farm, the animal sanctuary run by Animals in Need Northamptonshire.
Owner Annie Marriott rises early to feed the animals breakfast, but Christmas Day comes with a special twist – all the animals are in for festive treats.
Thanks to Annie’s kindness, Andrea, Amber, and I were able to help serve the animals their Christmas dinner.
By the time we arrived at 1.30, Annie had already given all the animals their breakfast, mucked out the pens, and bedded them down with fresh hay. “Now they are all just waiting for their Christmas dinner,” she said. “They’ve all had their presents—the ponies enjoyed licks and treat balls, the sheep and pigs had treat balls, and the turkeys were treated to a special salad.”
Many of the gifts had been kindly donated, and the horses were especially delighted with their balls stuffed with toys.
The main feed takes place between 2 and 4 pm. While there’s no roast potatoes or gravy, the animals enjoy a seasonal spread: brussels sprouts, parsnips, carrots, and other goodies alongside their usual feed. The pigs are partial to anything from cake and bread to squash, and they prefer to grab their treat and retreat to enjoy it in private.
“Pigs love bread – its like giving them golden bars,” says Annie. “They’ll grab a loaf and and run into their bed with it. ‘I’m not sharing! I’m not sharing!”
The turkeys nibble on melon and lettuce, all the while making up to 20 different vocal sounds in delight. The goats go wild for carrots and apples, while the horses munch contentedly on their carrots and apples on top of their normal feed.
“This year we were donated terrific bunches of brussell sprouts,” says Annie, “so most of the animals have been happily munching on those.”
Food donations come in across the county from many different sources including food banks.
The Beauty of the Curious Turkeys
The sanctuary is decked with Christmas trees decorated with tinsel, adding to the festive atmosphere.
One of the stars, Violet the turkey has a particular fascination with her reflection and enjoys looking at herself in the caravan mirror. Annie plans to get her a mirror as an enrichment activity, highlighting the sanctuary’s attention to the animals’ happiness and well-being.
Turkeys are gentle, intelligent and highly observant birds when given space and care.
Feeding all the Animals Christmas Dinner
Once the turkeys, sheep, and donkeys had been fed, it was on to the excitable ghosts, whose festive tucker included a Christmas tree to nibble on. The pigs, in particular, were delighted by their seasonal treats—cake, bread, and squash. One cheeky fellow did indeed grab his squash and scuttle off to his bed to eat it – in private!
Meanwhile, the ponies and Wesley the horse waited patiently for their turn. Their festive bowl of feed, apples, and carrots was soon devoured, with happy crunching all around.
Our time with the animals wrapped up at 4pm. For owner Annie, once the animals were fed and mucked out, it was time to join husband Roy for her Christmas Dinner. “I’m ready for my Christmas Dinner,” she laughed, “and a big glass of gin and tonic.” The next day, she and colleague Kirsty would be up early to care for the animals again—it’s a way of life, and one she loves.
Getting up close with pigs and turkeys gave me a new appreciation for animals I’d mostly seen on TV. Turkeys were surprisingly gentle, inquisitive, and chatty, happily hand-fed and following us around. The pigs had a cheeky charm of their own; despite their size, I felt safe among nine of them enjoying Christmas dinner.
It’s clear how confident and comfortable these animals are around humans—proof that kindness goes a long way. Fortunately, at Neaturn Farm, care and kindness continue for all 364 other days of the year.
For more information about Animals In Need, see https://www.facebook.com/AnimalsInNeedMaxicare or get in touch through their website: https://animals-in-need.org/
For more information on both award-winning sanctuaries run by Animals In Need,come back and visit Northants Uncovered soon for our sequel.
A big thank you to Annie and Kirsty for letting us join them on Christmas Day at the farm, giving us a rare insight into the care, personalities, and little quirks of the animals they look after every day.
