The petting farm at camping Le Paradis, in Talmont-Saint-Hilaire
A donkey that comes looking for cuddles, four sheep with delightful names, six busy hens, a duck named Géraldine, a rabbit and three guinea pigs: here are the new residents of the petting farm at camping Le Paradis, in Talmont-Saint-Hilaire in Vendée.
Our petting farm is a fenced-in area, just steps away from the accommodations, where children come to observe, learn and care for the animals. It's often the first stop in the morning and the last one before bedtime.
Who lives at the petting farm?
Choco, Oreo, Coton and Cookie, the sheep
Four sheep, four personalities. They spend their day peacefully grazing and watching the comings and goings of holidaymakers.
The 6 hens
They scratch, they cluck, they lay eggs. Children love hunting for the day's eggs.
Géraldine, the duck
Chatty, a bit of a daredevil, often in the middle of the hens. Impossible to miss.
The rabbit
Quiet but very affectionate once trust is established.
The 3 guinea pigs
The favorites of the youngest children: the perfect size for a first encounter with an animal.
Care and discovery with the Mini Club
The mini farm is not just a place to look at the animals: it is a real activity area, fully integrated into our Mini Club programme.
Throughout the week, children can take part in:
- Caring for Capucine: brushing, grooming, cleaning her living area and giving her the food prepared by our team. A special moment that teaches children gentleness, patience and respect for the animal’s own rhythm.
- Discovering farm animals: learning to recognise and name them, understanding what they eat, where they sleep and the sounds they make.
- Collecting eggs from the hens.
- Helping to look after the mini farm: real little farming tasks, specially adapted for children.
These activities are supervised by our entertainment team and adapted to the participants’ ages. The Mini Club programme is available at reception and displayed each week.
Please do not feed the animals
This is the one essential rule at our mini farm, and it is important.
Each animal follows a carefully adapted and monitored diet. Bread, biscuits, picnic leftovers or even grass picked outside the farm can cause serious digestive problems. The donkey and sheep are particularly sensitive.
Please do not give the animals anything to eat, even in small amounts, even if they seem to be asking for it. You are welcome to watch them, talk to them and stroke them when a member of the team is present — that is already plenty of interaction for them.
A few other simple rules:
- Stay calm: shouting and sudden movements can frighten the animals;
- Children must be accompanied by an adult during unsupervised visits;
- Please make sure you close the gate behind you: the mini farm is enclosed and must remain so;
- Wash your hands after touching the animals.
ALSO DISCOVER AT CAMPING LE PARADIS
The Mini Club and entertainment programme
The full programme for children
The indoor heated swimming pool
After saying hello to the animals, you can still enjoy a swim whatever the Vendée weather, from the beginning to the end of the season.
FAQ
Camping Le Paradis, in Talmont-Saint-Hilaire (85440), has introduced a fully enclosed mini farm this season, with free and unrestricted access. It is home to Capucine the donkey, four sheep (Choco, Oreo, Coton and Cookie), six hens, Géraldine the duck, one rabbit and three guinea pigs. The Mini Club organises animal care and discovery workshops there throughout the week.
A campsite with a mini farm can really change the pace of a family holiday: children have something to look forward to every day, whatever the weather or the tide. At Camping Le Paradis, the mini farm is fully enclosed and freely accessible, and the Mini Club activities — such as brushing the donkey, collecting eggs and discovering the animals — are included in the entertainment programme. The campsite is located in Talmont-Saint-Hilaire, just 15 minutes from some of Vendée’s most beautiful beaches and from Les Sables-d’Olonne.
Sixteen animals in total: Capucine, a female donkey; four sheep named Choco, Oreo, Coton and Cookie; six hens; Géraldine, a duck; one rabbit; and three guinea pigs.
Yes, as long as it is done calmly and preferably when the entertainment team is present. Children must be accompanied by an adult during unsupervised visits and should wash their hands afterwards. However, they must never feed the animals on their own. Feeding is only allowed when the entertainment team is present.
Because their diet is carefully planned and monitored. Bread, biscuits, picnic leftovers or even grass picked elsewhere can cause serious digestive problems, such as colic in the donkey or acidosis in the sheep. These animals may beg for food — it is part of their natural behaviour — but giving in can make them seriously ill. At the mini farm at Camping Le Paradis, visitors are therefore asked not to give the animals anything to eat, even in small amounts.
The Mini Club runs care workshops with Capucine the donkey (brushing, grooming, cleaning her living area and giving her the food prepared by the team), animal discovery activities to help children recognise and learn about each animal, and egg collecting from the hens. The programme is displayed at reception each week.
No. Visiting the mini farm is free of charge, and the workshops are included in the campsite’s entertainment programme, with no additional fee.
Les ateliers autour de Capucine sont proposés dans le cadre du mini club et adaptés à l'âge des participants, de 4 à 12 ans. Capucine est douce et habituée aux enfants, mais reste un animal de 200 kg : tout se fait sous l'encadrement de l'équipe. Renseignez-vous à l'accueil pour le détail du programme.
Activities with Capucine are offered as part of the Mini Club and adapted to the age of the participants, from 4 to 12 years old. Capucine is gentle and used to being around children, but she is still a 200 kg animal, so all activities take place under the supervision of our team. Please ask at reception for details of the programme.
Yes, the area is fully enclosed. Please make sure to close the gate properly after your visit, and children must be accompanied by an adult during unsupervised visits.
Yes, it is accessible throughout the campsite’s entire opening season.
No. For the safety and well-being of the animals, dogs are not allowed inside the mini farm. They have their own dedicated area: the fully enclosed dog agility park, open 24/7.