Blogging on the Farm!

This month we want to introduce you to our sweet pony Penny! Penny (formerly named Aretha) came from the Totten Family farm in Suffolk where she was ridden daily by their daughter and gave lessons to other children. She was pastured with big horses and when their daughter outgrew her, the family looked for a new home where Penny would be with bigger ponies and ridden often! She was the perfect pony to come to Hunt Club Farm as she already enjoyed giving rides and was very well mannered. Upon arrival, our Animal Care team worked to desensitize Penny to other animals and to work with our team. Penny is 40 inches tall or 10 hands and 15 years old! She has been at Hunt Club Farm since 2021 and will continue being a pony ride favorite by all the children who visit! Hunt Club Farm is looking for ponies to add to our team! If you are looking to rehome or know someone looking to rehome a pony that is 11-12 hands, please contact our Petting Farm Managers at Pettingfarm@huntclubfarm.com .

Meet Potter! Potter is a black miniature horse that came to Hunt Club Farm when he was only 4 years old and he will be 15 this year! Miniature horses are smaller than ponies and are bred to look like a scaled-down version of a full-sized horse. Prior to his arrival, he was trained as a therapy horse. He visited nursing homes, did some PR work with the Chesapeake Sheriff’s Department and helped to teach several young children to ride.  Potter’s original name was Sterling and at that time we already had a farm cat named Sterling, so we decided to change his name. We decided to call him Potter- after Harry Potter because he has a white mark on his forehead just above his eyes and 1 “magical” blue eye. He is super sweet and has given thousands of local children their first pony ride. Potter is 32” tall which equals 8 hands. His weight averages about 375lbs. He has also been in several parades and done events all around Virginia Beach.

Meet Hunt Club Farms oldest and longest resident miniature horse, Bucket! Bucket was born in 1994 and gave pony rides for over 17 years. This past year, Bucket has been enjoying his retirement after all his hard work. He spends his days in the pasture with his girlfriend Cinderella by his side, grazing and frolicking to his heart’s content. He still loves to make an appearance every now and again for Storytime and for a bath from summer campers. Many don’t know but a miniature horse is very different from a pony. They are smaller than ponies in size, usually only growing up to 34 inches at the withers (shoulder) and weigh up to 350lbs. We like to call them FUN SIZE! They also live longer than ponies with a life span of 25-35 years compared to 20-25 years for ponies. Miniature horses are recognized as a service animal in the US and can be used as guide animals for the blind. Mr. Potter is our other Miniature Horse and we will have a story on him next month!

These three are Honey, Minnie, and Eeyore! Baby goats, also known as kids, drink milk until the age of 8-12 weeks. Most nannies or does (mother goats) nurse their babies until they are weened off milk and introduced to grain and hay. However, not all mothers are able to feed their babies, which was the case for Honey, Minnie, and Eeyore. Their mothers were not able to produce enough milk to keep them full so our Animal Care team took on the job to bottle feed them. At first, they are fed 4 times a day about 4-6oz for 10 days, then they are fed 7-12oz for another 10 days. At three weeks old, they are fed 12-16 oz three times a day until they are weened off milk at about 8-12 weeks old. Not only does bottle feeding ensure our kids are at a healthy weight, but this constant interaction with humans at a young age makes them enjoy human interaction at an older age as well. If you have the space and are interested in adding a baby goat or two to your heard, please contact the Petting Farm Managers to be put on the list for baby goats! You can email them at pettingfarm@huntclubfarm.com .

At Hunt Club Farm, we have various breeds of sheep: Baby Doll, Black Suffolk, and Katahdin sheep. Sheep can have either hair fiber or wool coats depending on their breed. Did you know that there are many ways to repurpose a sheep’s wool after being sheared? Besides a wool scarf or blanket, wool is used for rugs, carpets, and even insulation. Wool has many benefits for sheep, besides keeping them warm through cold months, the fiber helps in keeping the animal’s skin healthy and protected. Sheep’s wool is hypoallergenic and creates a barrier from adsorption of bacteria, mold and dust mites. Wool helps keep good moisture on the animal’s skin, which reduces their body odor. When people turn wool into clothing, it is very durable and can stretch 70% past its natural length and return to its original shape, making it ideal for clothing. Also, it is biodegradable in soil over a 6-month time frame, while synthetic fibers can take close to 40 years to biodegrade. One time during our annual shearing appointment for our sheep, I noticed that the shearer was taking some of the wool and wiping it on his boots. He explained that the natural oil that comes from the wool and the sheep’s skin is called “lanolin” and it’s a great way to polish and condition boots. Lanolin is also used in lotions and cosmetics. The cold winter months will be coming soon, maybe for your next winter coat, hat or scarf think about buying wool. You would have it for years to come and will definitely keep you and your family warm.

Chickens are very popular for all who visit the farm! We have noticed such an increase in chicken lovers on social media and now it is common for people to own their own. Did you know that there are approximately 27.6 billion chickens in the world, while there are only 8 billion people! That means there are 3.5 chickens to 1 human. Chickens originated over 10,000 years ago in Southeast Asia and started as a small flightless bird known as the Red junglefowl or gallus gallus. These birds were domesticated in areas of Southeast Asia and archaeologist discovered evidence of China being the earliest to domesticate these birds dating back 8,000-10,000 years ago. We now call these birds “Chickens”. There are so many breeds of chickens in the world, the US has classified them into 53 different large chicken breeds, not including bantam (small breed) chickens. The chicken that lays the most eggs in a year are Leghorns, they average 280-320 eggs per year! Other breeds including the Rhode Island Red hens lay about 200-300 eggs yearly; Australorp hens lay around 250 eggs yearly and Plymouth Rock hens lay 200 eggs yearly. Although Plymouth Rock hens have the longest period of laying eggs starting as early as 16 weeks old and all the way until they are 10 years old. Plymouth Rock hens lay between 200-280 eggs yearly. That is a lot of eggs!!!! Visit our coop the next time you visit Hunt Club Farm to see our flock! Our chickens are more docile than other chickens you may find because we raise them from chicks to hens. They are handled by people daily and enjoy interaction with guests. You will even be surprised with how fun it is to pick up a chicken and hold them.

Welcome to Kera’s Corner! This month we will introduce Sebastopol Geese! Sebastopol geese are one of my favorite breeds of waterfowl on the farm. They are a heritage breed known for their long curling feathers, bright blue eyes, and orange beaks and feet. They are very docile in nature, although during breeding season they get protective of their nest and offspring. They make incredible parents; a bonded pair work as a team to care for their goslings. At Hunt Club farm, you will notice that our Sebastopol’s are white, which is the most common color for this breed. A common question asked is, “What happened to their feathers?” They have a curled feather mutation, which causes the shaft of the feather to split and curl. However, we also have a smooth breasted male, whose feathers are much straighter and less silky than the more common curly breasted variety. Sebastopol’s cannot fly because of their unusual feathers. They are medium sized geese, weighing around 10-15 pounds. Come see our Sebastopol geese and goslings. We are happy to be able to give these geese a family and flock of their own here at Hunt Club Farm! 

One of the many treasures in Hunt Club’s Petting Farm are the few exotic birds located in our aviary, including our Indian Blue and Black Shoulder peacocks. If you are lucky enough, you may be able to snap a great picture of one of our males showing off their train feathers! They are long and colorful. Peahens are females, and peacocks are males. We have two peafowl breeds on the farm: the Indian Blue and Black Shoulder peacocks. The differences between the males and females are color, their tail feathers (train), and their call (the noise they make when communicating). Peacocks have vibrant blue and green coloring, while peahens have more muted tones. Peacocks have a very long train that will fan out to attract a female mate, while peahens have a shorter set of neutral feathers that they do not show off as often as the males. Peacocks lose their tail feathers annually. This usually occurs during early summer months, after breeding season is complete. As you walk through the petting farm this month, see how many peacock feathers you can collect!  As for their call, peahens are generally quieter, while peacocks have a very loud, wailing call. Peacocks have been known to make great security guards as they will use their alarm call when something out of the ordinary happens. They are also great for pest control! They will roam and eat ticks, termites, spiders, and other insect pests. On your next visit to our farm, visit our aviary and check out our peafowl!

At Hunt Club Farm we have various breeds of birds such as our Sebastopol geese, runner ducks, guinea hens, African Crowned Crane, golden pheasants, Indian Blue peacocks, and parakeets, just to name a few! All birds have a brain no matter how small and as bird owners, we have a duty to stimulate their brains and enrich their domesticated lives. Here at the farm, we have a bird enrichment program where we include natural amenities into their habitats that help stimulate their brains or enrich their life. It can be something as small as adding a variety of seeds into their food or as large as planting different types of plants that they like to chew on.