Farms and Farm Animals

Today’s farms can be called anything but traditional in today’s climate. They often sell many different products than in the days gone by but what will never change is the animals and pets kept on them. Some farms even run petting Zoo’s to attract revenue and host a wide range of different animals as well as the opportunities to handle and stroke them.

These farms often have rare breeds that you can learn about, see and pet.  These animals include graceful horses, pigs, cows, goats and sheep, llamas and sometimes even alpacas.  Along side these more traditional farm animals you often find several breeds of rabbit, poultry, geese, pheasants, peafowl and donkeys. 

But what are better known on farms is their pets. When you think of farm pets you will think of dogs and/or cats. The farm dog is often a worker as well as a pet and is more often than not a certain breed. These breeds include; Belgian Sheppard Dog, Border Collie, Canaan Dog, Cur, Berger, Cattle Dogs, Aidi, Alpine Shepherd and Old English Sheep Dog. Farm dogs have to be trained to the highest level as they are depended upon for so many things; they help herd the sheep/cattle and help keep the farm safe from predators and trespassers.  They are often sent away on courses as their owners do not have the time to train them themselves nor do they have all of the skills. These training camps are aimed at teaching the dogs all of the skills it will need to become a fully fledged member of the farm and the home.

A farm cat is more of a pet than a worker although traditionally they are thought to have kept the mice at bay away from the farmers grain stores saving the farm from ruin before the planting has been done for the next season.  The farm cat does not have to be trained to do their job and can be any breed the farmer chooses. Often a farm will have more than one cat where as they will normally only have one dog except on very large farms where they will have two or three to cope with the growing farms.

Farms often keep livestock as pets and refuse to kill them when the time would normally come as they form emotional attachments to them just like any other pet. Pigs are often the favourite choice with pot bellied pigs topping the list.

The pot bellied pig is quite intelligent and have huge personalities, their owners train and care for them in the same way that they do a dog/cat. Some people can find them quite demanding where as others find them easy to deal with, it is the same with most animals. Pigs are easily trained, playful, affectionate, non allergenic and clean. The idea that a pig is dirty is a huge misconception. Pigs hate being dirty and will clean them selves at the first available opportunity. Pigs are beautiful and gentle, children love them and they make a perfect addition to any home.