A RESCUE charity has launched an urgent appeal to help feed hundreds of animals in its care after extreme weather conditions left its hay reserves dangerously low.

Wiltshire-founded rescue, rehabilitation and rehoming charity Ferne Animal Sanctuary is seeking to raise £5,000 to buy an extra 1,000 bales of hay, after an unusually long dry summer followed by months of heavy rain created what staff describe as the “most challenging conditions” for grazing animals.

The dry summer severely reduced grass growth across the sanctuary’s meadows, while the wet autumn and winter have left land too saturated for animals to safely graze.

As a result, Ferne has had to rely on stored hay far earlier – and for far longer – than normal.

Depleted hay bales.

Nikki Haddock, animal care and estates manager at Ferne Animal Sanctuary, explained just how significant the impact has been.

“The mix of a long and dry summer followed immediately by a wet autumn and winter creates the most challenging conditions for our grazing animals,” she said.

“Hot and dry weather stops the grass growing and when this is followed by prolonged wet conditions as we have had this autumn, natural grazing and foraging becomes impossible across two consecutive seasons.

“This pairing of conditions forced us to rely on supplementing natural grazing with hay much earlier than usual.

“This year, we began using hay in July, whereas we would normally wait until October or November, when the growing season naturally ends.”

In a typical year, the sanctuary purchases around 2,000 hay bales. This year, that figure has already doubled in cost, with the total bill reaching around £10,000.

Rising prices have compounded the challenge, with the cost of hay more than doubling since January 2025 as farmers across the UK report yields up to 50 per cent lower than usual.

“Over the course of an average year we buy 2,000 bales of hay and this year our bill is around £10,000,” Nikki added.

“This winter we have already used 1,000 bales and we need the additional 1,000 bales to take us through to the next harvest in late spring. This puts a huge pressure on our reserves, as we can’t leave the animals without basic nourishment.”

More than 106 animals at Ferne currently depend on hay for their daily diet, including horses, cows, pigs, goats and guinea pigs.

“We currently have over 106 animals who rely on hay for sustenance, including horses, cows, pigs, goats and guinea pigs,” Nikki said.

“Please help to refill our barn and buy the forage our four-legged residents need over the coming months. Every single donation will make a difference and help keep those bellies full.”

Donations can be made via the sanctuary’s JustGiving page, or supporters can donate clean, unused hay bales directly to Ferne Animal Sanctuary in Wambrook, near Chard.

Ferne Animal Sanctuary was founded in 1939 by the late Nina, Duchess of Hamilton & Brandon, at her home on the Ferne Estate in Donhead St Andrew.

Although the original house no longer stands, the charity’s roots remain firmly tied to the county.

In 1975, the sanctuary relocated to its current home overlooking the River Yarty Valley, where it now operates across acres of countryside in the Blackdown Hills, continuing a legacy of animal care that began in Wiltshire more than eight decades ago.

Ferne Animal Sanctuary relies entirely on public support to continue its work.

For more information, visit www.ferneanimalsanctuary.org