Daily Routine

Banksia Park Puppies

   
6.00am – The start of the day for employees 

The day starts at Banksia Park at 6.00am with an overall inspection of the newborn nursery to see if there have been any new arrivals during the night. Any new litters are tended to first; this involves bathing the new mum, replacing the bedding and ensuring all of the new puppies are cleaned up and drinking.    

7.00am – Breakfast for the puppies and exercise for the mums

By 7.00am all mums are outside for their exercise, toilet and the day’s first feed of Pedigree Pal Dry Food. This is a time for mums to have a break from their puppies and a good run around outside. While mum is outside, the puppies are given their first feed for the day of Eukanuba Puppy Mix. After breakfast, the pups are moved into a clean pen with fresh bedding, so their old pen can be cleaned and disinfected.

9.00am - Cleaning 

Once the mums have returned, the nursery is cleaned and emptied of all used bedding, hosed out and scrubbed from top to bottom with a hospital grade disinfectant.

10.00am – Breakfast for the Girls

By now it’s 10.00am and time to feed the girls who are not pregnant in the live-in yards. Depending on the day, they may be having anything from fresh chicken, red meat and beef bones to Pedigree Pal Dry Food. While the girls are being fed, their water is freshened and their bedding inspected and replaced as necessary. 

To find out how often the girls can give birth, as well as how big the resting yards are, please visit the FAQ section.

1.00pm – Cleaning, washing and grooming

The early part of the afternoon is spent on a range of tasks depending on the day. There is the washing and grooming of expectant mums, which involves a bath, nail clipping and hair cut. The hair cut is very important to ensure the newborn puppies are able to feed as soon as they arrive. On other days, there are group maintenance issues involving all of the dogs on the farm. This comprises monthly worming and flea control treatment, grooming of stud dogs as well as regular hair and nail clips. There are also vet checks and vaccinations for 6 week old puppies and annual boosters for mums and stud dogs. 

2.30pm – More exercise for mums and second feed for pups

At around 2.30pm, the mums are ready for their exercise time again where they spend approximately another 2.5 hours outside and away from their puppies. During this time, they are fed their second meal for the day. The night time feed always consists of some kind of meat either chicken, beef, lamb or pork; sometimes cooked and other times fresh. Brand new mums who might be a little tired and fussy, have tinned food with gravy or cooked meat, for example roast chickens. Also during this time, the puppies are fed their second feed for the day. This is a mixture of cooked meats, vegetables and rice with essential vitamins and minerals mixed in. It is served to the pups warm and is sometimes mixed with hot water for the pups just starting out on solid food. Later in the day, around 5.00pm the mums return, and any large litters are given fresh bedding again, ready for the night.  

5.30pm - Days end for employees

The day finally ends for the full time employees  with an inspection of all nurseries to ensure that all mums and puppies are happy and that any pregnant girls who are due to whelp soon, are comfortable with fresh warm bedding.

Night time  

The days don’t end at 5:30pm for the mums due to give birth, and thus they don’t end for the managers at Banksia Park Puppies. The managers spend the nights from 5:30pm through to the days start at 6am ensuring that any mums are taken care of while birthing, and completing any during/after birth care and cleaning which may be required through the night.

The winter nights also keep the managers busy, with the food fires and heated floors through the nurseries and sheds needing frequent tending to throughout the nights, to ensure the pups and mums are warm and safe in all hours of the day.