Baby animals bring joy to residents

Baby chicks, lambs, goats, ducks and hens will bring an abundance of joy to the lives of more than 40 Queensland’s Toowoomba aged care residents next month.

Northridge Salem residents will cuddle and bottle feed the babies including Blackberry the piglet, Donald and Daisy the ducks and Amber the little lamb (pictured with Laidley resident Vera Zischke and assistant in nursing, Rosie Boughenwhile) while reminiscing about country life. 

Northridge Salem resident, Mervyn Kahler, lived on a 640 acre dairy farm in Cooby Dam for about 60 years and said the animal nursery will make the residents’ day.

“It will be interesting for them,” he said. “One lady here will be 90 this year and she has never seen a chicken being hatched before.”

Mr Kahler said he loved his early life living on the land and taking care of the animals.

“We used to look after the orphans, bottle feed them and they became like surrogate children,” he said.

“I’d wake at daybreak, milk the cows at dawn and feed the pigs. We used to handle a lot of horses, breed them and break them in. I would never swap the country for the city. On the farm you are on your own time and enjoy a more relaxed lifestyle.”

Farm Fun Travelling Animal Nursery farmer, Jules Colgan, said the animal farm always brings a smile to residents’ faces.

Ms Colgan recently took the animal farm to Northridge Salem’s sister service Tabeel Lutheran Home in Laidley and resident Vera Zischke was delighted by the baby animals.

“Everyone loves animals,” she said. “They love little lambs because they can put them on their lap. The calf sucking their fingers takes them back to childhood. Many residents have come from dairy farms.”

She added the experience would be enjoyable for staff and residents to engage with the animals.

“I’m looking forward to seeing their smiles and their delight when they see and touch the animals,” she said. “They will all have their favourite by the end of the visit.”

Northridge Salem director of nursing, Maxine Noone, said animals contributed to the services ‘home like’ environment.

“The animal farm will be a great day for our residents. Animals give unconditional love,” she said.