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The homestead/Conoco barn showcases domestic breeds, some are rare and endangered.
The barn area is an area of constant change with animals coming and going with the seasons. This area is designed for children to interact with and even touch some of the animals. Do not enter corrals or hang children over fences, instead encourage them to patiently wait for the animals to approach them for petting. There are 2 quarter operated feeding stations at the barn, one for the chickens and one for the goats.
Our “Motley Crew” chickens represent several different varieties. All chickens are thought to descend from the wild Asian junglefowl. Over the centuries these birds were selectively bred to bring out certain characteristics. The cochins are the little puffballs of different colors with feathered legs and feet. The barred black and white chickens are Dominiques, America’s first chicken. They arrived with the pilgrims and spread westward with the pioneers. This variety is still in danger of disappearing. The Polish chickens are the ones with the “bad hair day-look”.
The Shetland sheep originally come from the Shetland Islands of Great Britain. They are thought to be descendants of little sheep brought to the islands by Viking settlers. They are hardy animals and their wool once came in many shades, but people stopped breeding them in the early 1900’s because large sheep with white wool were wanted. Only a few people kept the Shetlands alive but, unfortunately, some color variations are now lost to us.
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