Domestic goats are raised worldwide in almost every type of habitat and require grass to eat and a clean, ventilated shelter.
Having a four compartment stomach, goats are able to acquire nutrients from plant-based food by fermenting it in a specialized stomach before digesting it. Goats are good browsers, feeding on a variety of shrubs, woody plants, and weeds and can also survive on bushes, trees, desert scrub, and aromatic herbs.
Goats typically reach sexual maturity at 6 months and in temperate zones, females begin to cycle in the late summer and show signs of eat for 1-2 days about every 21 days, through January. The strongest heat cycles occur from November to January. Baby goats are called kids.
Typically residing in elevations of 3.281 to 16,404 feet above sea level. Goats and sheep were among the earliest domesticated animals - goat remains have been found at sites in western Asia dating around 7,000 B.C.
Plateaus with low lying shrubs, grasses, and small trees.
Natural diet consists primarily of grasses, shrubs, tree foliage, lichens, and young shoots. In human care, their diet consists of hay, grains, and herbivore pellets. Similar to cows, llamas will regurgitate their food and chew it as cud.
Females have a gestation period of 11.5 months, typically producing a single offspring, called a cria.
Native to the regions surrounding the Andes mountains, llamas are a domesticated relative of the camel and are not found in the wild. Llamas are heavily used by the people of the Andes mountains but can also be found in Europe, North America, and Australia.
Dry, desert like climates with spare vegetation.
Their natural diet consists primarily of grasses but can also include shrubs and desert plants. In human care, their diet primarily consists of hay.
Females have a gestation period of 12 months, typically producing a single offspring which is called a foal.
Native to the islands of Sardinia and Sicily in the Mediterranean, miniature donkeys can now be found in human care throughout the world. The population of miniature donkeys in their native regions are reported to be near extinction.
Orson (male) was born in July of 2011 and likes eating, and playing with toys.
Reside in open woodlands near wallows.
Females have a gestation period of 114 days, and can have 4 to 10 piglets.
These pigs are a domestic breed of pig that came from Vietnam in 1985 and can be found on farms around the world.
These chickens get their name from their silky, satin, fluffy plumage that comes in a variety of colours. They are thought to have originated from China and spread to the west via the silk trade roads.
Bantam chickens are not a breed of fowl, but rather a class of smaller chicken, about 1/4 to 1/5th the size of standard sized chicken. They require less space, lay smaller eggs, and have a friendly personality.
Named after a native American tribe, this breed was created in the late 1800's for the dual purpose of eggs and meat. They are large chickens that are also bred in Bantam size and in a variety of colours, making them ideal for poultry exhibitions and shows.
Annie and Archie the kunekune pigs were born in December 2022 at a farm in Langley, BC. They arrived at the BC Wildlife Park in March of 2023 to become permanent residents of the Home Hardware Family Farm area.
Often found on farms or kept as pets in urban areas.
Omnivore
Females, called gilts, reach sexual maturity around 5 to 6 months of age. The gestation period is around 114 days, and litter size can be up to 20 piglets, though 8 to 12 is typical. After her first pregnancy, a female pig is called a sow, and she can have 2 to 3 litters in one year.
Kunekune pigs are a domestic breed found worldwide. Until fairly recently, these pigs were only found in New Zealand living among the Maori people, though the breed is thought to have originated somewhere in Asia.
Reggie was hatched at the BC Wildlife Park in 2022. He spent the first part of his life in a warm coop inside the park’s front entrance, and moved to the Home Hardware Family Farm once he had matured.
Often found on farms or other settings in human care.
Domestic turkeys reach sexual maturity at around 12 months of age. A turkey may produce up to 100 eggs per year.
The Ridley Bronze turkey is Canada’s only heritage turkey breed, and it originated in Saskatchewan in the 1940s. They are found on farms throughout Canada but are considered an endangered breed.