James Lyon
Barnston Village ,Wirral
Summary
Experienced animal care professional with expertise in Animal Husbandry for a diverse range of species, including small mammals, dogs, goats, sheep, pigs, hoofstock, alpacas, small & medium sized birds, reptiles, insects, amphibians, salt & freshwater fish. Skilled in vivarium habitat design and aquatics husbandry. Dedicated to advancing highest standards in animal care & husbandry. Gained experience from various animal businesses and sanctuaries. Ranging from Kennels, Catteries, Stables, Sanctuaries, and paid zoos experiences- Chester zoo & Knowsley Safari Park. Kind, friendly, confident, enthusiastic and upbeat.
Overview
3
3
years of professional experience
Work history
Farm Assistant
Holmwood Farm
Barnston Village, Wirral
2024.07 - 2025.05
- Working as part of a small hold farm. Daily feeding & cleaning of animals, from pigs, chickens, and goats.
- Duties also include gardening maintenance, planting vegetables, collecting & selling eggs to general public.
- Chopping logs and storing in crates, then repackaging into log nets to be sold.
Kitchen Porter
Fox & Hounds Pub
Barnston Village, Wirral
2023.07 - 2023.09
- Working in a busy kitchen of nine, as a kitchen porter.
- Cleaning dishes, cutlery and pots from service.
- Maintaining the kitchen work areas including disposal of all waste, sweeping, mopping out all kitchen areas, emptying full bins and taking away recycling at the end of each shift.
College Practical sessions
Coleg Cambria
Northop, Flintshire
2022.09 - 2023.05
- Learning through practical's about exotic & specialised husbandry.
- Learned husbandry of reptiles, feeding & cleaning of habitats. Humidity and temperature monitoring. Enclosure design including learning how to handle reptiles like snakes, lizards and tortoises.
- Husbandry of small mammals like degus, hamsters, chinchillas, rats, hedgehogs, and tenrecs. Feeding them grains, pellets, vegetables and sometimes insects and learnt how to handle hedgehogs and rats.
- Husbandry on birds like parrots, finches, parakeets and cockateels. Feeding grains and supplements like salt licks and cuttle fish bone for calcium. Learnt about biosecurity on birds from bird flu.
- Husbandry on amphibians like dart frogs, milk frogs and toads. Feeding insects and treated water.
Volunteer, College Work Experience
Horse Sense Wirral
Thornton Hough, Wirral
2022.11 - 2023.04
- Volunteering for a local Animal charity, for rescued and mistreated animals. From rabbits, ducks, goats, small sheep herd, to horses and ponies.
- Cleaning and Maintaining - mucking / skipping out barns and stables. Like straw and shedding.
- Preparing food & water – mostly hay and grains. As well as fibre sticks, pellets.
- Working as part of a team, monitoring the health and well-being of the rabbits and chickens.
- Moved small sheep herd into field every morning.
- De-frosted water buckets and hosepipe lines in winter.
- Local Animal charity for rescued and mistreated animals.
Volunteer, College Work Experience
Ivy Kennals
Storeton Village, Wirral
2022.09 - 2022.10
- Volunteering in local kennels and walking variety of dogs. 1 to 3 dogs per time, twice a daily.
- Cleaning and maintaining kennels – water bucket / mopping floors and picking up faeces.
- Preparing food and water – certain dog foods for variety of breeds like, shepherd, Labradors, Irish wolf hound, rottweiler, pugs and terriers.
Education
Zoology Undergraduate Student - Zoology
Liverpool John Moores University
Liverpool 2024.09 -
Level 3 Advanced Technical Extended Diploma - Animal Management
Cambria College, Northop
Northop, Flintshire 2022.09 - 2024.06
GCSE -
Neston High School
Neston, Cheshire 2017.09 - 2022.07
Skills
- Knowledge of Standards in Animal Health & Husbandry
- Animal Health Checks & Handling
- Vivarium Habitat Design
- Aquatics Husbandry
- Hard Working
- Team Worker
- Great Communication
- Confident
- Positive Attitude
Affiliations
- Zoo habitat design, climbing, surfing, camping & keeping fit.
Timeline
Zoology Undergraduate Student - Zoology
Liverpool John Moores University
2024.09 -
Farm Assistant
Holmwood Farm
2024.07 - 2025.05
Kitchen Porter
Fox & Hounds Pub
2023.07 - 2023.09
Volunteer, College Work Experience
Horse Sense Wirral
2022.11 - 2023.04
Level 3 Advanced Technical Extended Diploma - Animal Management
Cambria College, Northop
2022.09 - 2024.06
College Practical sessions
Coleg Cambria
2022.09 - 2023.05
Volunteer, College Work Experience
Ivy Kennals
2022.09 - 2022.10
GCSE -
Neston High School
2017.09 - 2022.07