"On the Road Again..." - Travelling Critters!

If you would like to bring the Barnyard Zoo closer to you...

YOU CAN!!!

Vanderlaand Barnyard Zoo also has a Mobile Petting Zoo.

It's available for birthday parties, bigger community events, daycares and schools.

Distance: Within 60-90 minutes of the farm (Ottawa, Gatineau, Seaway)

Cost: Please call 613-774-2695 for your quote.

There will be lots of small animals and babies to pet and cuddle. It's a great way for your children and friends to pet and learn. 

Set up in Barrhaven - Canada Day

Set up in South Mountain

Indoor Setup in Morrisburg

Goats at a birthday party

Setup in Limoges

Meet the Critters - "Fainting" Goats, Zebu and Miniature Horses and Ponies

You can see these amazing critters on Sundays from 11 AM to 5 PM

"Fainting" Goats

"Fainting" goats is actually a misnomer because the goats don't actually lose consciousness, but their bodies and limbs do stiffen when they're startled or frightened. Their real name is "myotonic" goats. when a myotonic goat stiffens they may or may not fall over. The stiffness last from ten to fifteen seconds.

Fainting goats are from Nova Scotia. It is thought that they were used as decoys amongst sheep and goat herds.

It is actually considered cruel to deliberately startle one of these goats just to see it fall over.

These goats are very gentle. 

Miniature Horses & Ponies

Miniature horses are horses that stand less than 86 cm (32 in) at the last hairs of the mane ("the withers"). Ponies are smaller than horses, but larger than miniature horses. Ponies are less than 14.2 hh (hands high) at the withers. Ponies "often exhibit thicker manes, tails, and overall coat. They also have shorter legs, wider barrels, heavier bone, shorter and thicker necks, and short heads with broad foreheads." (Cheyenne Mountain Zoo)

Vanderlaand offers pony or miniature horse rides for $5. Children up to 4 years of age can ride the miniature horses. Children aged 4 to 8 years of age can ride the ponies.

Zebu

A new zebu arrived at Vanderlaand last month. I was only familiar with zebus as part of one of Larry the Cucumber's silly songs in the VeggieTales movies.

Zebus are native to the jungles of South Asia and are known for the humps on their upper backs and the large flap of skin below its lower jaw. The zebu is "one of the smallest species of cattle in the world with adult zebus reaching a height of just over a meter." (a-z-animals.com) They are considered a sacred animal in India and used for light agricultural work in Southern Asia and Africa.

And you don't need to go any farther than our own Winchester Springs to see all these critters in one place!

Meet the Critters! Birds of a Feather...

Here are just some of the feathery friends you'll find at Vanderlaand Barnyard Zoo. Come see them from 11-5 on Sundays. Just $5 per person.

One of the bird pens - perfect for watching mamas and chicks!

Emu - Emus are native to Australia where there are about 700,000 of them. They are probably most famous for the fact that they do not fly, and that the male is the one who sits on the nest. Female emus generally lay between 5 and 24 eggs which will hatch after 48 to 56 days of incubation by the male. Female emus may make more than one nest depending on how many eggs they lay. Each nest will hold the eggs of several females and be incubated by a different male.

Emus grow to an average of 145 cm and weigh between 36 and 40 kgs. Emus' muscled calves make them ideally suited to sprinting and long distance running. They can sustain speeds up to 13.4 m/s and can cover an average of 3 meters per stride. They also have extremely powerful kicks capable of breaking through fences or maiming predators. (University of Michigan, Museum of Zoology. http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Dromaius_novaehollandiae/)

Frizzle Roosters - Frizzle roosters got their name from their feathers which grow and curve outward instead of inward, or along the bird's body. It is actually considered a mutation. (Feathersite.com)

Buff Polish Rooster - What a brilliant photo! These birds have been around since the sixteenth century and, while it is a very popular breed in England, no one really knows where they came from. The cocks weigh about 6 pounds while the hens are only 4.5 pounds. (Feathersite.com)

Swans - Obviously. The ones pictured below are actually mute swans. The male is called a "cob", the female a "pen", and the chicks "cygnets". Swans typically mate for life and stay with each other throughout the year, but "divorces" have been known to happen usually after a nesting failure. The mute swan is one of the larger swan species and can reach a length of over 1.5 m, weigh over 15 kg, and have a wing span of almost 3 m. (Avianweb.com).

Turken - Also known as Transylvania naked neck chickens. A genetic mutation is the cause of their naked necks. The birds are native to Romania. Bare-necked birds "are more resistant to heat and thus produce better meat and eggs...." (National Geographic - http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/03/110315-transylvanian-naked-neck-chicken-churkeys-turkens-science/).

Turkeys - Broad Breasted Bronze turkeys are originally a cross between the domestic turkeys European colonists brought over and the eastern wild turkeys that were already in North America. The breed came to Canada and northwestern U.S. in the early 1900s where they were crossed with larger U.S. turkeys. Broad Breasted Bronze turkeys are the commercial variety of choice until the 1960s. (American Livestock Breeds Conservation - http://www.albc-usa.org/cpl/bronze.html)

Toms (male turkeys) weigh about 25 pounds and young hens 16 pounds.

Meet the Critters! This Little Piggy...

Confused between pot-bellies and "normal" pigs? The telltale sign is normal pigs have curly tails, pot bellies have straight tails.

This little piggy is named:

Orson
Breed: Pot Belly

Bonnie
Breed: Mini-Pot Belly

Bella
Breed: Pot belly

Piggy Sue
Breed: Old-fashioned meat pig

Weasley (with Piggy Sue)
Breed: Tamworth pig

Wilbur
Breed: Pot belly

Make Vanderlaand Barnyard Zoo Your Destination for Group Events

Vanderlaand Barnyard Zoo is the ideal place for your group event.

Ideal for kids and adults of all ages.

Girl Guides / Boy Scouts

Daycares

Give your daycare kids the experience of a lifetime. With tons of baby animals to cuddle and pet, your children will love the hands-on experience of Vanderlaand Barnyard Zoo. Let them run off a little energy, too, on the large play structure.

Birthdays

An ideal and unique birthday outing option!

Seniors & Kids/Adults with Mental Disabilities

Many studies have shown the benefits of animal therapy for seniors and kids and adults with mental or other learning disabilities. Animals can relieve stress and reduce blood pressure. The large play structure is also suitable for kids and adults with mental challenges.






Please give at least 1 weeks' notice when planning your event.

For more info, see: www.thebarnyardzoo.com or call Ruth at 613-774-2695

Summer Day Camp at Vanderlaand Barnyard Zoo - Register Now!!!!

What kind of stories will you hear from your children this summer?

"Mommy, I bottlefed a calf today!"

or

"Daddy, I saw a baby goat today!"

or

"Mommy, I watched a chick hatch!"

These are the statements of children who are lucky enough to attend summer day camp at Vanderlaand Barnyard Zoo.

Your child will be exposed to and included in the active farm life at the Vanderlaan Farm. With so many things to do, your child can learn and do at their own pace and comfort level. Each child leaves with something different.

If you're still wondering what to do with your kids under 12 this summer, this is the place!

Give your kids a summer they'll remember and talk about for a lifetime.

$50 a day / $200 per week
The fun starts the day after school's out until July 27 then again from Aug 5 to the Labour Day weekend.

Get all the details at www.thebarnyardzoo.com for more details and to register. Feel free to call Ruth at (613) 774-2695 if you have any questions.

4th Anniversary Celebration with Baby Animals and Tribeck Inflatables

Everyone loves a birthday party. And everyone loves baby animals. This Sunday, June 2 from 11 to 5, you get to do both at the same time!

Four (4) donkeys were born in May. Another one is due in June.

Goats and sheep will start arriving first week of June.

Always a selection of chicks, rabbits and guinea pigs.

Turkeys and peahens are setting, as well as ducks and geese. What an awesome way to teach your children about the life cycle.


Also...

         Coffee,

                           Cake,



                                                                            And Tribeck Inflatables


 Click HERE to see the Fun of Tribeck!


All for the bargain price of $5 per person. Can't beat that for an afternoon of wholesome family entertainment and fun!