by: bagpuss - 09-10-12 12:29
We have been critised for not having any pets. When we had guinea pigs some of the children and staff were allergic to the hay and we had asthma attacks.
We have Rolux blinds so our Nursery is in darkness when we are not here.
We have an outside area that is linked to a pub carpark and the area is unpleasant after dark so animals could not be left outside.
What do other town nursery's do??
by: Blossom
We have fish in the play rooms for the children to feed and look after (not that they need much looking after!) :)
by: whmon
We haven't got any pets either. I think it's a little unkind to keep them in nursey, and also a hassle to feed and water them on a weekend. Do you know that if you've got 5 or more of something you need DEFRA permission and licenses.
We do have a furbaby robotic horse though that the children 'feed' and groom, it is very realistic and interacts with the children through touch and noise. I think it gives them a rudimentary idea of caring for pets, without having any terrified guinea pigs etc!
(I do think fish are a good idea though - think I'll get some)
by: newsetting
We have fish and guinea pigs. The children take it in turns to take the guinea pigs home at weekends
by: Lucylui
We have African land snails, bit slimey but the children are able to handle them. They then learn about being gentle. children have to clean them out weekly and they feed and water them. They are so easy to look after. ours have been going for 3 years now and we've just allowed 2 babies to hatch to replace the other 2 when they go.
by: Sunshine
Sorry to jump in on this post but we've just been given some giant African snails, which are just babies at the moment. Any tips on how to look after them as we have no idea?
by: Eejay
Goldfish really need to be kept in huge tanks and so aren't ideal as pets (http://www.fishkeeping.co.uk/articles_12/keeping-goldfish.htm). Keeping them in small "normal" tanks is actually quite unfair, although pet shops seem quite happy to sell small tanks that are intended as goldfish tanks.
Giant African land snails are really good pets though. The only thing to be aware of is the fact they need warmth. My nursery has some and they keep going into hibernation because they are really cold - there's nowhere that's particularly warm overnight. It's worth investing in a heat mat for them - we got one for the snails we have at home and it cost £45ish, but the temperature can be adjusted so it's quite good. You need some coconut fibres for the bottom of the tank, which costs around £3 for a block (you put it in water and it expands and crumbles), some cuttlefish (although I've read eggshells are better as they're less salty), water in a spray bottle and fresh vegetables/fruit. You can easily find a list online for what they can and cannot eat, but generally they like things like lettuce. We also have plant pots in our tank, with "doors" cut into them - it's better than having very hard objects that may break their shell if they fall. It's also important to wash hands before and after handling snails - they can be quite sensitive to chemicals or germs we have on our hands, and of course we may catch illnesses from them (although it's uncommon with captive bred snails).
by: Lucylui
Really simply to look after. They like to bury, so ideally give them compost to live on (however this is really messy and dirty looking, we keep ours on woodchip).
They prefer a glass tank- they just seem to grow better.
They grow to the size of their envionment so the bigger the tank the bigger the snails.
They will definetly need cuttle fish to keep their shells strong. Don't let children handle them until the shells are tougher- they are very soft when first born and children easily sqush them- thats from experience!!
they like all manner of salad, tend to only need to eat once a week.
They love dandelion leaves, but this tends to make them frisky and lay eggs.
They are A-sexual so can reproduce on their own, they will lay eggs if they are happy in their environment and they lay hundreds- you will have to destroy them i'm afraid, or feed to goldfish.
you can oil their shells with olive oil to keep them looking pretty
. As mentioned before they do get cold, try to keep them in a warm place. if they get cold they form a seal and this is the start of the hibernation. You need to break the seal ideally by placing them in warm water to liven them up again.
they do enjoy froliking in warm water!!
Phew!! I have kept them in nurseries for about 10 years now- they are so simple! anything else let me know.
by: Lucylui
please excuse typo's i didn't read it back, just bashed it out!