Learn All About Different Farm Animals

While families enjoy petting and watching the animals, we think it is important that they know some basic facts about our petting zoo animals.  Visitors are free to ask any of our attendant's questions about the animals. The life span and gestation information are given on this page may vary in each different breed.

The Alpaca is a camelid native to South America. It is a cousin to three other South American camelids: the llama, the guanaco, and the vicuna. An adult alpaca weighs 100-175 pounds and stands about 36 inches at the shoulder. The baby alpaca is called a "cria."

They are easily trained and produce a luxurious fiber that is softer and lighter than sheep's wool. Alpacas are the ideal family livestock for small or large farms. Their feet have pads with two toenails instead of hooves. They have teeth on the bottom jaw that close against a soft pallet on top. Alpacas eat pasture, hay, and grain, with some basic supplements. Alpacas are ruminants, chewing cud like cows.

There are two kinds of alpacas: the "Woolly" Huacaya and the "Silky" Suri. The Huacaya has fiber that is structured like sheep's wool, while the Suri has silky, shiny fiber that falls in locks.

Neither fleece type has lanolin, so alpacas are generally hypoallergenic.

Average Life Span: 20 Years

Average Gestation: 330 Days

Chickens are used for their feathers, eggs, and their meat, and sometimes as pets. The male is called a rooster, and the female a hen. The male often has brighter, more attractive plumage than the female. We primarily use Silkie hens in our petting zoo.

The Silkie chicken was developed in Southeast Asian countries or china. It was valued as a medicinal food item because of its black skin and bones and was thought to be particularly good to reinforce body immunity and protect from emaciation and feebleness. It also is reported to treat diabetes, anemia, female reproductive functioning, and postpartum disorders. Marco Polo gave the first accounts of Silkie chickens in the late 13th century. As the trade route between East and West was established, the Silkie was brought to Europe. Records have shown that in the Netherlands, they were sold as the product of crossing a rabbit and a chicken! The breed was officially recognized in North America by acceptance into the Standard of Perfection in the first year of publication, which was 1874

Average Incubation: 20-22 Days

Average Life Span: 5-7 years

Females are known as duck, and males as drake; babies are called ducklings. They are found in both fresh water and seawater. Black duck males and females are very similar in coloring, except that the males' feet turn bright red and their beaks yellow during the breeding season. They feed on grasses, aquatic plants, fish, insects, small amphibians, worms, and small mollusks. Ducks are hunted for food, sports, and farming. Ducks have no blood vessels or nerves in their feet, so they can't feel cold even in frigid water. Ducks are related to geese and swans. The duck is the smallest of them all and has shorter necks and wings and a stout body. Ducks can live from 2-12 years, depending on the species. Ducks have webbed feet, which act like paddles. Ducks are economical as they provide us with eggs, meat, and feathers. Their feathers are waterproof. There is a special gland that produces oil near the tail that spreads and covers the outer coat of feathers. Beneath this waterproof layer is fluffy and soft feathers to keep the duck warm. The weight of an adult drake (the male) is 9 lbs, and an adult duck (the female) is 8 lbs. They adapt very easily to different climates and are found throughout the United States.

Average Life Span:2-12 years

Average Incubation: 26-28 Days