Rare Breed Arrivals at Battersea’s Barley Mow Farm!

In recent months we have been busy at Battersea Park Children’s Zoo, preparing for a number of exciting new arrivals on our beloved Barley Mow Farm. To raise awareness of rare breed farm animals and promote the conservation of these stunning old breeds, we have looked closely at the work of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust (RBST) and a couple of our newest resident's feature on their current watchlist.

This week we welcomed our newest resident Cynthia, an Oxford Sandy & Black pig. This stunning breed can be identified by their ginger fur, black spots, and large floppy ears! This impressive breed is unfortunately at risk of being lost forever with only 300-500 individuals left! We are working alongside the farmers keeping this old English breed to raise awareness of their struggle and hopefully encourage more people to support rare breeds in the UK. Cynthia is already making a muddy splash on Barley Mow Farm as she digs out her own wallows and sunbathes in her new lush green paddock!

April 2019 saw the arrival of our two stunning male Swiss Valais Blacknose Sheep. This unusual breed originates from the Valais region of Switzerland and are known for being characterful and hardy sheep- well adapted to the harsh mountain conditions of the Alps! Although only four months old, our two boys are growing very quickly and will one day reach their impressive adult weight of 130kg! Mac and Tosh have settled into life at the zoo very well and can often be seen chasing their keepers around the paddock for attention and chin scratches!

April continued to be a busy month for our keepers as they hatched and raised eight chicks to join the farm. Alongside five Silkie chickens, they are proud to have successfully reared three Buff Orpingtons, a heavy and boldly coloured breed that are also on the RBST watch list due to a decline in their numbers. Named after the town of Orpington, Bromley in South-east London this large breed is known for being good egg layers and even better parents! Our chirpy chickens can be found in the barns on Barley Mow farm, alongside our fancy rats, rabbits and guinea pigs.

We look forward to welcoming you on your next visit to Battersea Park Children’s Zoo where our dedicated team of keepers are excited to introduce you to our newest residents and help you learn about the work being done to conserve rare farm breeds!