I have been spending quite a bit of time in our Barnyards working on the Waterfowl expansion. This has allowed me to spend more time than usual with our Hoofstock. I thought I would share some pics of our motley crew...... "The strength of our character is measured by the kindness we show to those in need." ... See more

This morning was a typical day here at the rescue, parrots talking and screaming, dogs barking, geese honking and ducks quacking. It was breakfast time and our demanding residents were hungry and ready to start their day. Multi tasking is a way of life here so sometimes things slip through the cracks. I was finishing up feeding the parrots when our Blue & Gold Macaw, Tucano, said "Cookie?" Without looking up I responded " I already gave you a cookie." She politely asked again, which is very unlike her as she is one of our more challenging parrots. This time I looked up so see she had no food bowl, it was sitting on the counter. I apologized and promptly gave her breakfast. Animals routinely convey their needs and wants but it is so amazing that these birds can step into our world and communicate in this way...... "The strength of our character is measured by the kindness we show to those in need." #hshartampa #parrots ... See more

In a world where technology rules and life experiences seem to take a back seat to the internet's perception of fact vs fiction, we take every opportunity to educate the public to the facts. With that being said, we are technically closed for visits until October 1 as we complete our Barnyard renovations however, a local Girl Scout Troop reached out to us and they had a project deadline. They arrived on time and as we entered our Barnyard, our working dogs, Gunther and Kody, made it clear that the animals are under their protection. When I used the term working dogs to the group some seemed to be a bit confused, no not every dog is a couch potato nor do they want to be. They were bred for a specific job and some are happiest when allowed to perform the task at hand while others prefer a life of leisure.... Now, well into the Waterfowl Barnyard our visitors were greeted by Ollie's Tribe. Geese are notoriously territorial and have the reputation of being very aggressive. Ollie's Tribe needs to work on their Greeting Skills. As they approached our guests it looked more like a turf war between two opponents. Our animals routinely interact with people so they are not typically aggressive but can be quite inquisitive and in Ollie's case down right nosey which can lead to misinterpretations about their intentions.... Our pig, Arnold, promptly came running when I called his name. He was a little slow at sitting when I asked him to do so as I had no reward in hand. Yes, he is a typical pig, very food motivated. Our group was impressed with how smart he is.... Our goat, Effie, was up for some positive interactions with our group as well....We next moved on to the chickens. The day was coming to an end as dusk was approaching. One of our roosters headed up into the big oak tree, once situated he started crowing. One by one our chickens headed up into the tree. During this time there is always much chatter as they prepare to roost for the night. In our particular case, no hens are left unprotected, each branch that houses hens also has a least one rooster. Each night as the last remnants of daylight fades, any chickens that have not made their way to roost in the tree will be given a stern "talking to" by one of the roosters who fly down to get the slow poke..... This is the reality of our life here. It is a real and honest look into the life of our wonderful farm animals...... "The strength of our character is measured by the kindness we show to those in need." #hshartampa #farmanimals ... See more

One of our young ducks, Toffee, is enjoying the new Waterfowl Barnyard Expansion. We have 5 youngsters that go everywhere together Toffee, Coy, Duxbury, Dudley and Yappita. Yappy came from Birds In Helping Hands, she is extremely small for a Pekin Duck, we believe she may be part mallard. Toffee, Coy, Dux and Dudley actually surprised us, when several months ago they waddled across our Barnyard following their mallard mother, who we affectionately refer to as Maggie. Maggie does not belong to us, she is flighted and can leave if and when she chooses. We routinely have fly in wildlife visit us for a bite to eat. They find varying degrees of comfort and friendship here. Some eat and run, others stay for a short time then head out, while still others enjoy our hospitality and become that guest that never leaves. The latter is Maggie. I guess each species has their freeloaders😂. Just kidding Mags. Maggie spends a lot of time with our Indian Runners and Anconas aka "The Brunch Boys" obviously, too much time♥️🦆...... "The strength of our character is measured by the kindness we show to those in need." #hshartampa #ducks #coexistingwithwildlife ... See more

Good Day, Facebook Friends! We have been somewhat off the grid for the last week or so because we are renovating our Barnyards. I am not sure why I seem to take on these projects in August when it is very hot, humid and rainy but that seems to be the trend around here😊. We have many projects in the works that will enhance our animals lives as well as our visitors experience. Our targeted completion date is October 1. Once these projects are finished we will schedule some volunteer classes for our Community Outreach Program, Busy Beak Enrichment Program and work in a few Work Days.... Thank you for your continued support. We look forward to seeing you out and about..... "The strength of our character is measured by the kindness we show to those in need." ... See more

This little guy has the coolest name ever. Meet Broostah the Roostah. His Mom, Cinder-ella, is a master at hiding and hatching out her eggs. Broostah's Dad, Mocha, is a Silkie that came to us last year. Silkies are unable to fly due to their feather structure but Mocha's offspring are flighted since their mother in not a Silkie. Cinder-ella is a banty so their offspring are quiet small...For those of you that don't personally know me, yes I am from Boston and do speak with a Boston accent as do many of our parrots😊... "The strength of our character is measured by the kindness we show to those in need." ... See more

Although, we focus mainly on disabled or severely injured feathered friends we also provide a home for some goats, Arnold the Pig and our tortoise, Sahel. Today we would like to share a very cool story. Sahel is an African Spurred Tortoise and the third largest of the tortoises. Most people think tortoises have no personality and are unintelligent. I am here to quickly dispel that misnomer. Each day, Sahel greets me as I give her breakfast. Now, one would think that food is the main attraction but even after I feed her she follows me around. After her main feeding, I usually provide flower hibiscus treats which we grow in our Barnyards. Tortoises are attracted to bright colors and have a keen sense of smell so she is very aware when the goodies arrive. African Spurred Tortoises tend to dig some awesome burrows much like our native Gopher Tortoises. Did you know some 350 different species will use their burrows for shelter? Now you have a little background information so it is time to share Sahel's story. Sahel dug a couple of burrows, unfortunately, they did not withstand the heavy rains and collapsed. I decided to put her in the back yard where there is more grass than she can possibly eat. Also, if she digs a burrow it will be less likely to collapse because of the intense grass root system. After, a day of grazing I looked for Sahel but couldn't find her anywhere. There are several good places in which she could hunker down. My place has several fenced areas so if she got past one fence were still others to hinder escape. The next morning I found Sahel on my screened in lanai. She literally, climbed through a ripped screen in the door to get in. To be truthful, my jaw dropped as I observed her heading back outside. I am constantly, using that door to enter my house. I am not sure if she used her powers of observation or her sense of smell but one thing is clear she was looking for me. What a wicked cool experience to share with such a wicked cool modern day dinosaur...... "The strength of our character is measured by the kindness we show to those in need." ... See more

We would like to introduce you to Stormy, the newest addition to our family. Most of you know we focus on disabled or severely injured farm birds and parrots, so why would we take in a seemingly healthy pigeon or dove? The answer is simple, we have a totally enclosed multi species pen where we can safely house them. This is the problem, these members of the Columbidae family are not native to Florida and therefore once they are brought into captivity cannot legally be released to live in the wild. This bird may have been used at a wedding or possibly as a racing or homing pigeon - the racing and homing pigeons are typically banded but this bird is not. Unfortunately, for one reason or another Stormy did not make it home. The wildlife rehabbers typically do not take them since again they are not wildlife. There are limited places for them to go so as long as we have the space we are happy to lend a helping wing to a bird in need😊..... Stormy got his name when he was found after a severe rainstorm unable to fly. We have found this is very common in these captive doves, they basically run out of gas as they are not accustomed to foraging for food. After a few days of R & R they are good as new..... "The strength of our character is measured by the kindness we show to those in need." ... See more

Wow, where has the time gone? Chloe turns 13 years old today. She was 3 weeks old when she came to live here, we were her 4th home. When our goats hit their teenage years I consider it a gift to still have them in my life. They may require a little more care but that is all part of sharing your life with another living being....... "The strength of our character is measured by the kindness we show to those in need." ... See more

Our African Grey, Batwa, came to us with a previously broken left leg. It was obvious he never received medical attention as the leg was not set. His leg sticks out at a 90 degree angle. You would be amazed to see how he has adapted and overcame this injury. African Greys are reputed to be the best talking birds in the world but Batwa is on the quiet sit. He very rarely makes any sounds or speaks but he seems content. Truthfully, with all the big yappy birds that call our rescue home, Batwa probably can't get a word in edgewise😊. We love him just the way he is, we have no expectations of our animals except that they are happy....... "The strength of our character is measured by the kindness we show to those in need." ... See more