Sponsor a Farm Animal for Christmas: A Gift That's Actually Different

Some people are impossible to buy for. They don't need another candle, they've got enough socks, and they'd quietly regift a gift card. But very few people already have their own goat.

At Hidden Camp, our family farm near Gympie in Queensland, you can sponsor one of our animals as a gift. Your person gets a certificate with their name and their animal on it, plus photo updates from the farm, and the animal gets fed, wormed, trimmed and spoiled. Everyone wins, especially the animal.

How it works

1. Pick an animal and a level (Bronze, Silver or Gold). Prices start at $3 a month for our feathered friends, $5 for goats and sheep, $8 for pigs and $10 for horses.

2. At checkout, choose the animal (or let us surprise you) and add the gift recipient's name.

3. The sponsor certificate lands in your inbox straight away, ready to print, pop in a card or forward on Christmas morning. You can cancel anytime.

Because the certificate is instant, it's the rare present that still works if you remember at 11pm on Christmas Eve.

Gift ideas by budget

Stocking filler, $3 a month: Bronze for one of our ducks, like Dash, our sharpest-dressed Indian runner, or the Dot and Ditto twins. Pick a feathered friend

Most popular, $12 a month: Silver for a goat (Goatzilla, Party Marty or Cookie). They get photo and video updates and a birthday message from their goat. Pick a goat

The big one, $35 a month: Gold for Marvin, our grand old campsite inspector, or Kenny. It includes a feed-them visit when we reopen. Pick a horse

No monthly commitment: shout the mob a bale of hay ($20) or a carrot feast ($10) as a one-off gift. See the treats

Whichever you choose, put their name in the gift box at checkout. The certificate is made out to them and says it's a gift from you, so you can print it, pop it in a card or forward the link on Christmas morning.

Who you can sponsor

Marvin, the campsite inspector. If you've ever camped with us, you've met Marvin. Our grand old rescue horse made it his job to check every campsite personally, and guests loved him for it. He's a perfect gift for anyone who's stayed at Hidden Camp.

Party Marty, the goat who thinks he's a dog. Great for the friend who's the life of every party.

Babe, the runt pig and the kids' favourite. A sucker for a back scratch, and a lovely pick for children.

The Goose Family, brand-new parents with fluffy goslings. Sponsors get to watch the little ones grow up in their photo updates.

There's more of the mob too, from Goatzilla to Sir Hiss-a-Lot the Muscovy duck. Meet them all here.

What's in each level

Bronze: a sponsor certificate and photo of the animal, plus monthly photo updates. Silver: everything in Bronze, plus regular photo and video updates and a birthday message from the animal. Gold: everything in Silver, plus a visit to feed them once we reopen.

Every level also comes with the animal's diary: whenever we post a new entry, the email address used at checkout receives it. You can forward the updates to your gift recipient. To see what that looks like, have a read of Goatzilla's diary. She's recently been fitted with a GPS collar, and the map is a bit incriminating.

Not after anything monthly?

You can shout the mob a one-off treat instead, from a grain scatter for the ducks ($8) to a carrot feast for Marvin and Kenny ($10) or a bale of hay ($20). Or chip in to our Rescue Fund, which helps us say yes when someone needs to rehome a horse, a pig or a mob of chooks. No account needed for either. See treats and the Rescue Fund.

Quick answers

Can I choose the animal? Yes. Pick from the list at checkout, or tick "Surprise me" and we'll match them up.

Can I cancel? Anytime. It's a monthly sponsorship with no lock-in.

Is it tax-deductible? No. Hidden Camp is a family farm, not a registered charity. It's just a bloody good deed.

Ready to sort Christmas? Sponsor an animal here.

Shopping for a birthday, thank-you or another occasion? Read our year-round animal sponsorship gift guide for prices, recipient details and how the monthly subscription works.