MEET THE CRITTERS!
Welcome from all our fuzzy, fluffy and feathery friends.
There are a wide variety of animals here on the farm.
But here is a quick “who’s who at the zoo”!
ALPACAS
Alpacas are pretty interesting. They are a species of South American camelid. They are similar to, and often confused with, llamas. (We have those too!) The two animals are closely related – cousins, if you will. There are two breeds of alpaca: the Suri alpaca and the Huacaya alpaca. We currently only have the Huacayas but…. Alpacas are raised primarily for their fiber which is warmer than wool and softer than cashmere.
Too bad they don’t like snuggle…
BIRDS
I am lumping the birds together here because I only have so much time for this website business….. peafowl, ducks, chickens, guinea fowl, turkeys…. good grief. We sell farm fresh eggs, incubate some eggs and sell or keep the chicks, and even eat a few here and there – especially if they are ornery.
COWS
From a micro mini moo to the maxi moo…. we’ve got them! We have all beef cattle and I’m keeping it that way. I am not entirely sure why having an animal that needs milking twice a day seems like too big of a commitment but that’s where I’m at. (As if the rest of this circus isn’t a “big commitment” – insert eyeroll here) Anyway… there is great satisfaction in raising my own food. I hope that in a few years, I may even be able to offer meat for sale. Stay tuned.
DONKEYS
The farm is home to both mini and standard size donkeys. Besides being cute as heck, donkeys do serve a purpose on the farm. Our donkeys are used as livestock guardians. Donkeys seem to instinctively HATE canines that they don’t know. (Another reason we ask that you do not bring your pet dog to the farm.) They will attack anything that doesn’t belong in “their” pasture.
GOATS
We have two varieties of goats: Nigerian Dwarf and Pygmy. Both are small breeds and both are typical goat “naughty”. What can be said about goats? I have a love/hate relationship with these little turds.
HORSES
At the farm you will get to meet our miniature horses and possibly our “regular” size horse, too.
LLAMAS
The llama is a domesticated South American camelid, widely used as a meat and pack animal by Andean cultures since the Pre-Columbian era. Llamas are very social animals and live with others as a herd. Their wool is very soft and lanolin-free. And they are cousins to the alpacas (see above)
PIGS
Here at the farm we raise at lease one litter of KuneKune piglets per season. These adorable little bacon bits are heart stealers everytime!
RABBITS
There are several varieties of rabbits you will get to meet during your visit. I currently raise Flemish Giants and had a few litters of Mini Rex kits too last summer.
SHEEP
Currently we have two ancient Barbados Blackbelly Sheep and two Babydoll Southdown Sheep. Barbados are a super hardy “hair breed” of sheep raised for meat… or in my case, raised because they “needed a good home” (insert eyeroll here) The Babydoll sheep are raised for their fiber – and boy do they have the fiber!
