Here you can meet of the animals at the farm, past and present. Simply click on one of the images below.
Cows
We have two very sweet short-legged Dexter Cows.
Dexter cattle originated in Ireland and are the smallest of British breeds – first introduced into England in 1882. They are extremely hardy and can live outdoors all year round if necessary. We like to provide them with shelter over winter as this gives the grazing areas chance to recover in time for Spring and also gives the cattle some respite from our cold wet weather.
Dexters come in three colours – black, red and dun. The Dexter is traditionally a horned breed.
Ducks
You can sometimes find duck eggs in the shop but you can see the ducks are often seen splashing about the pond, even when it’s freezing cold!
At the city farm we have all different breeds if ducks. We have Call Ducks which were originally known as Coy ducks or decoy ducks from the Dutch word de kooi meaning “trap”.The tame ducks were fed at the entrance to great traps constructed in the form of a ‘pipe’.
From the original colours of white and grey noted in 1865 there are now nine standard colours in the uk. These include the long-recognised Dusky, the black and colour variants of the silver.
Another breed of ducks we have at the city farm are Silver Appleyard Ducks, these were developed in the 1940’s by the famous duck breeder Reginald Appleyard in West Suffolk. He was trying to create the perfect duck with the right combination of beauty,size,lots of white eggs and deep long wide breast. It is based on a cross between the large breeds of Rouen, Pekin and Aylesbury.
Minature apple yard is a large and heavily set bird. it grows quickly and makes a good table bird. They look very stylish with a classical yellow beak and orange legs and fee. They are quiet and well suited to being keptat home.
There is only one standard colour, Silver. Minature versions are also available.
Our last breed at the city farm is Indian Runners. These were first introduced into the Europe nearly two hundred years ago from the East Indies.
Indian runners have been referred to as Penguin Ducks by a Dutch explorers and some of the early importers. Characterised by their tall ,upright bodies and their incredible reputation for egg laying,
Goats
We have quite a few different breeds of goats, and they each have their own personalities and quirks. The bagots are the rarest breed of goat in the world. They’re very shy, but can be seen running and jumping around their paddock. The Pygmies are really friendly and will always welcome a stroke and a cuddle. The Pygmy goats are the most playful and mischievous, and even though they’re tiny they will try to push you about if you’re not looking.
Guinea Pigs
We have guinea pigs which are some of our smaller animals that like to be petted and brought carrots to eat!
Guinea pigs are tail-less rodents that are native to the west coast of South America. Guinea pigs usually weigh around 3 ounces at birth, around 1-2 pounds full grown, and live for 5-6 years. An adult will measure 8-10 inches from the tip of its nose to the end of its rump. Their hair comes in a wide range of colors and the hair may be long, short or short and curly. Guinea pigs have a very good sense of smell and sensitive hearing. They love to vocalize with squeals, chirps, squeaks, and whistles. Although not known for their intelligence, they do recognize their owners and will seek them out and return affection.Guinea pigs make excellent pets, especially for children, as they are easy to handle.
Our volunteers are happy to get a gueina pig out for you to stroke
Sheep
Cotswold Sheep
Every lamb is really friendly and would like to be stroked so feel free to come and see our Lambs and the Ewes.
Take a look at our Photo Gallery to see our new animals this year.
The Cotswold breed, originates from the Cotswolds. The name “Cotswold” was given the breed because in the early days they were folded or housed in shelters known locally as “cots” or “cotes” and they were pastured on the wild,treeless hills of the area “Wolds”.
Its suggested that the sheep were in the Cotswold Hills at the time Caesar’s conquest of Britain,and Sheep were mentioned in most of the early agricultural writings of the area.
The Cotswold has a white face and white legs,greyish white colour is not considered objectionable,and small black spots on the face or legs are not entirely unknown. They will also exhibit dark pigmentation on the skin of the nose,inside the ears and on the hooves.
