There's so much to learn about animals commonly found on a farm. Meet all of our Children's Farmyard animals here, and learn a bit about how they live, and how they contribute to our farm.
Dairy Goats: Yaya, Honeybee, and Magpie are Nubian goats, which have long, floppy ears. Can you pick them out in this photo? Zola and Raisin are our alpine goats. Find out more about what (and how), they're eating.
Dairy Cows: We milk a herd of Brown Swiss dairy cows twice a day, and make cheddar cheese from their milk. Starting May 14, 2022, you can meet one of our cows and calves at the Children's Farmyard. The rest of the herd can often be seen along our walking trails, grazing on pasture.
Heifers: These yearling cows (and future milk makers) rotate around the farm to keep our pastures healthy and nutritious. They are always on the move so you never know where you will see them next. They come closest to the Children's Farmyard when they are pastured on the hill behind and to the north of the Farm Barn. Keep an eye out for them from our trails.
Beef Cows: Did you know that Shelburne Farms also raises beef cows? These Red Angus and Brown Swiss crosses are redder in color than the Brown Swiss cows. See if you can spot any in the pastures on the farm.
Sheep: Look out for our production sheep flock that provides us with meat and wool. Like the cows and heifers, they are rotationally grazed across the land. You will also find a small flock of education sheep on pasture near the Farm Barn.
Rabbit: We have two new French Angora rabbits, Hazelnut and Coconut, and faithful Freddy, our Rex/New Zealand cross. Join us this season to spin the angora fiber into fashionable yarn bracelets!.
Pigs: We will have piglets arriving in early June!.
Chickens: We have a variety of chicken breeds, including Black Copper Marans, pictured here. They can typically be found foraging, sunbathing, and dirt bathing near the Farm Barn. **To keep our birds healthy and safe during the current Avian Influenza pandemic, we have quarantined them and they are unavailable to the public until further notice.**
Turkeys: Meet our three heritage turkeys. See if you can tell which is a tom (male turkey) and which is a hen (female turkey). Tom turkeys have red and blue faces with bumps called caruncles. They also have longer snoods which are the pieces of flesh that hang down over their faces. **To keep our birds healthy and safe during the current Avian Influenza pandemic, we have quarantined them and they are unavailable to the public until further notice.**