Ashford Rare Breeds Centre

funding makes Rare Breeds even better

2008-07-10T10:40:00Z

Creepy Crawly World The new and very exciting Creepy Crawly World opened it’s doors to the public this Easter, A large majority of this new attraction on the farm has been funded by Ken Chappell’s awesome Pop Quiz’s – We can’t Thank Ken and his wife Debbie enough! The Creepy Crawly world is a great place for children to be educated on our fantastic reptiles. There is signage and information in the Creepy Crawly World and staff hold encounter sessions for the children, so they can get up close too...(read more)

Former BILSINGTON CRAFT FAIR - now at RARE BREEDS CENTRE

2008-04-23T12:00:00Z

Space available for one of Kent’s largest craft fairs The Rare Breeds Centre is the new home of the former ‘BILSINGTON CRAFT FAIR’, the giant TWO day craft fair will now be held at the centre in the well serviced and maintained event paddock on the 28 th & 29 th June 2008. with over 100 stalls booked – this Craft fair looks set to be one of Kent’s biggest independent local craft gatherings. If you are local crafts person looking to exhibit at this years two day event, then please contact Julie...(read more)

Lambing Fortnight - Spring Lambs and Flying Pigs

2008-02-29T09:26:00Z

Spring Lambs and Flying Pigs are the order of the day at The Rare Breeds Centre, Woodchurch near Ashford over April half term. Visitors can come along and meet the new born lambs in the undercover Lambing Tunnel and a lucky few can get to feed them at the Meet the Animals sessions in the Children’s Barn. Some of our sheep are due to lamb over the Easter Weekend, and the other breeds will Lamb over the Holidays in April. This is because our farmer has timed the breeding of our ewes, so we can have...(read more)

HIBERNATION.... where are all the Hedgehogs?

2008-01-10T13:41:00Z

Hibernation is a state of inactivity and metabolic depression in animals , characterised by lower body temperature, slower breathing, and lower metabolic rate. Hibernation conserves energy , especially during winter. Hibernation may last several days or weeks depending on species, ambient temperature, and time of year. The typical winter season for a hibernator is characterized by periods of hibernation interrupted by sporadic arousals wherein body temperature is restored to typical values. Hibernation...(read more)

Really Real Reindeer and Santa at Rare Breeds centre

2007-12-20T08:42:00Z

Really Real Reindeer at Rare Breeds Centre 15th – 23rd Dec inclusive The magic of Christmas returns to the Rare Breeds Centre in Woodchurch again this year, when Santa and his Real Reindeer make a stop over to see all the Children in the star filled wonderland. You’ll be surrounded by friendly farm animals, sitting on bales of straw and joining in with Santa’s Sing a longs and stories. Quality presents for the children, mulled wine and mince pies for the adults! ‘The One Man pantomime returns also...(read more)

PARACHUTE FOR FREE!

2007-09-13T10:40:00Z

Would you like to play part in helping to change someone’s life? Help us by raising vital funds If you have ever wanted to do a parachute jump, then here's your chance, Canterbury Oast Trust is looking for hundreds of adventurous volunteers to make a fundraising parachute jump and if you raise enough sponsorship will get to jump for free! There are three types of jump available – and ‘Accelerated Freefall’ where you can experience the thrill of sky diving solo from up to 12,000 feet a ‘Tandem Skydive...(read more)

HALLOWEEN FRIGHT NIGHTS

2007-09-13T08:55:00Z

Join in the fun and shear terror of Halloween at The Rare Breeds Centre..... 24th - 27th October 2007.... Farm open from 10.30am - 9.30pm, with Halloween fright nights haunting you from 6pm..... Bring a torch to see and Wellies to quake in. (Not for the faint hearted) check the website for more details...(read more)

ROCK N ROLL

2007-09-06T10:19:00Z

Each year we have a themed party on the farm, this year it was ROCK N ROLL, staff, volunteers, residents and friends dressed up and partied the night away with a disco in the marquee and a BBQ - (funds were raised by Friends of COT) We all enjoyed the music and food - especially the RARE BREED SAUSAGES!...(read more)

Back to School...

2007-09-06T09:20:00Z

Welcome back to school everyone, I hope that you have a great term and we look forward to your visits to the farm, did anyone visit the farm over the summer? leave me ome comments about what you have seen - and ask me some questions.... i'm here to help you understand farm life!...(read more)

IT’S BUSINESS AS USUAL AT THE RARE BREEDS DESPITE FOOT AND MOUTH SCARE

2007-08-07T12:59:00Z

It’s business as usual at The Rare Breeds Centre despite the recent foot and mouth scare. ‘ The news of the Surrey outbreak came out of the blue and was a major shock to us’ said Farm Manager Davy McColm ‘The last outbreak of foot and mouth was a disaster for the Centre and caused us to close to visitors and locked us down in terms of animal, staff and resident movements. This time, the government seem to be more on the ball and although it will be difficult for us all, the restriction on movements...(read more)

Flying Pigs and Flying Falcons …

2007-07-25T12:17:00Z

There’s lots of great new things to see and do at the Rare Breeds Centre near Woodchurch over the Summer. As well as the friendly farm animals, the daily pig race where or race bred porkers will be flying down the track, the two indoor play barns, the Mysterious Marsh Woodland Challenge, the Hill Fort, Ariel Runways, Secret Lake, Butterfly Tunnel and Discovery Garden and woodland walks the new walk through Aviary will be open and the Centre’s new collection of birds of prey will be on display. A...(read more)

Rare Breeds Centre Early Years days.

2007-06-25T09:38:00Z

On the 5 th , 6 th , and 7 th June, all nurseries and reception classes of schools in Ashford Rural Cluster were invited to the Rare Breeds Centre in Woodchurch, for a day of fun activities, and the opportunity for children at preschool to meet their reception teacher and classmates at their future school There were a variety of activities provided by the cluster’s leading Early Years team from Hamstreet School, Highways at Ham Street Kindergarten, Great Chart and Singleton Preschool, and St Michaels...(read more)

Rolls Royce raise money for COT

2007-06-11T14:25:00Z

The Rolls Royce Enthusiasts Club South Eastern division visited the Rare Breeds Centre on Sunday 10 th June for a Picnic, there were nearly 20 cars in the main paddock on display to the centre visitors. Not only did they enjoy their picnics, a day of sunshine, the pig racing and the walk through butterfly tunnel, they raised £190 for Canterbury Oast Trust. If you’d like to fund raise for the Rare Breeds Centre, contact Angela on 01233 861493...(read more)

Rosie the Tamworth Pig - on her way to Hampton Court Flower Show

2007-04-30T14:26:00Z

This is Rosie, she is going on a mini holiday to the Hampton Court Flower Show, The Daily Mail will be borrowing her to show her in a farm setting with their beautiful oast house. 2007 Watchlist; Category 3, Vulnerable. (info from RBST website) The breed originated in the Midlands around the town that shares its name. It is the only native breed of pig in Britain which is red, and its ancestry is subject to several conflicting claims and theories. It proved very adaptable and was exported to several...(read more)

Early Purple Orchid

2007-04-30T13:58:00Z

While out taking photos of the bluebells i saw what i thought was a discoloured bluebell, i made way across the woodland, taking time to place my feet with care, as to not trample any delicate flowers underfoot. when i reached this beautiful flower it was clearly a orchid, so i came back to the office and searched for information on the internet. This is what I have learnt today - so i thought i would share it with you! As its name suggests the Early Purple Orchid is Britain's earliest flowering...(read more)

Hope you all had a great Easter

2007-04-13T13:35:00Z

Here on the farm we have had a wonderful Easter!! The return of Pig Racing has been great fun, lots of our Sheep have had their lambs and Goats have had kids, our New Bird Avairy opened at the beginning of the holiday and our birds are now comfortable with all the people walking through, today they have been playing in the bird bath, lots of people stood to watch them splashing around. I hope to get some photos of the bluebells this week, as they have burst into a carpet of blue!...(read more)

SPRING LAMBS, RACING PIGS AND AN EASTER BURROW

2007-03-29T08:15:00Z

A chance to meet and greet lots of new born baby lambs in the new Lambing Tunnel plus a chance to watch and maybe help out in our now famous Pig Racing spectacular are just two of the highlights of Easter at the Rare Breeds Centre, Woodchurch near Ashford. ‘We’ve timed our lambing this year to coincide with Easter, so many of our Rare Breed Ewes are due lamb over the Easter Holidays, giving our visitors the chance to see this and learn more. Our Rare Breed Piggy Racers are also in training…. Lots...(read more)

Spring has Sprung

2007-03-27T09:15:00Z

By the view across this field you can see Spring is here, blossoms on trees, buds on others, the woodland is covered in a green carpet - soon to be blue with Bluebells. Soon the trees in the distance will be green with leaves!! The first Lamb was born a week ago and we have had a couple more since then, Lambing fortnight starts on the 31st march. Come along, you may be lucky enough to see our Rare Breeds Ewes give birth....(read more)

Incubation

2007-03-06T11:23:00Z

Length of Incubation Approximate incubation periods for commonly hatched poultry and game bird species in small incubators are: Species Days Chicken 21 Most ducks 28 Muscovy ducks 33-35 Turkey 28 Most geese 29-31 Ringneck pheasant 23-24 Japanese quail 17-18 Bobwhite quail 23 Chuckar partridge 22-23 Guinea 26-28 Peafowl 28 STEP 1: Gather eggs from a flock of hens with a rooster in the pen with them. It takes one rooster to every ten hens to produce fertile eggs. STEP 2: Store eggs in a place that...(read more)

Rare Breed Pigs

2007-02-26T09:37:00Z

Most farm animals were created to provide traction, milk products, fibre or meat. Only by utilising rare breeds in the most appropriate way for them can we increase numbers. The development of practical commercial uses for rare breeds, to make them attractive to potential users, is one of the most effective methods of conserving them. There is much enjoyment from keeping rare breeds but if it cannot be done profitably, then the breeds become only living museum pieces. Meat Some rare breeds may not...(read more)

Holly goes out to play

2007-01-29T14:45:00Z

Holly has spent the day out in the paddock playing with the sheep, she has been turned out with two Jacob Lambs and two Lincoln Longwool Lambs, the lambs are coming up for 1 year old, they, like Holly have been hand reared by the farm staff. Read about the breed...(read more)

Bagot Kids due soon

2007-01-24T16:21:00Z

Many of our Bagot Goats are due to Kid (have babies - known as Kids) in early February. We hope to have a few by Half term They are long haired with their heads and fore-quarters black and the rest white. Many animals now have spots and patches of black on their hind-quarters and a small white blaze upon their face. Both of these are allowed in the show standard but they are faults that will be bred out as numbers increase sufficiently to allow improvement. Bagot goats are very nervous. and have...(read more)

Seasonal Changes…

2007-01-19T15:44:00Z

Today I have been for a lovely walk around Rainbow Wood and into Tinkers Wood at The Rare Breeds Centre, I have noticed a few things along the way. The start of the Bluebells…. they are just starting to rise through the woodland mulch and mud, I hope to take some photographs for you to look at this week. They are tiny at the moment and very delicate. Did you know?: The biggest threat to the Bluebell is the destruction of woodlands in which they grow. Climate change (if the climate of Britain warms...(read more)

Meet the Berkshire Piglet

2006-11-23T14:39:00Z

Today you can learn a little about some of the breeds of Pig which are homed at the Rare Breeds Centre.... The Berkshire pig is the oldest recorded pedigree pig in Great Britian. It is a small pig, all black with white feet, nose and tip of tail and has *** ears. Historically, it was much favoured as speciality pork and the flesh is noted for it’s wonderful texture and flavour. They were commonplace in the nineteenth century but their slow maturation rate and fattiness resulted in a decline in their...(read more)

Wednesday 27th September

2006-09-27T07:58:00Z

Good Morning.... Welcome to The Rare Breeds Centre. I hope that you all enjoy your day at the farm, when Donna has shown you how to use the blog, you can leave me a comment - remember you can look at the blog when you are at School or even at home. Remind your teachers to use the blog.... you can learn so much....(read more)

Welcome to The Kestral Room

2006-09-26T12:03:00Z

Hello! Good afternoon Bloggers, day two of the Creative Harvest Activity Week seems to be going really well. I met up with the 'Tamworth Pigs' in the woods by the secret lake. Adrian was telling them stories and they were having a sing along. It was really relaxing! I enjoyed it. I hope you are all enjoying yourselves.... leave me your comments & happy blogging! Remember you can look at the blog at home too – it’s easy!...(read more)

Welcome to The Rare Breeds Centre & the Creative Harvest Festival Activity Week

2006-09-25T11:13:00Z

Good Afternoon Bloggers! I hope you all have fun learning how to use the Blog! Once you have learnt how to use this, you can show your parents and all of your friends at home. The information on the Blog can be used in the class room as well as at home. I hope that you all have a fantastic week at the centre and I can't wait to receive your comments! Remember - your teachers will be able to help you with this. Don’t forget to look at the Gallery to see lots of photos from around the farm…. There...(read more)

Creativity Festival Week

2006-09-11T14:10:00Z

We are holding the first Creativity Week of its kind at the centre from the 25 th September. Everyone is getting very excited and I can’t wait for your comments informing of your plans children!!! Our Creativity week will celebrate children’s creativity, the work of Canterbury Oast Trust and The Rare Breeds Centre and the Countryside in which we live. The first five days are for the schools to prepare and create their work, with the Public and parents invited on September 30 and October 1 st . As...(read more)

Rare Breeds in National Newspaper

2006-08-02T11:19:00Z

It was a very hot day on the 26th July and it wasn't only the humans who needed sun hats. The piglet got to wear one too!...(read more)

Hoof and Trotter Races at Rare Breeds Centre

2006-08-01T15:04:00Z

Everyday this summer we are making piggy racing even more fun, by racing our sheep, we have 2 highly trained Southdown Sheep and 2 Lincoln Longwool Lambs, If you visited us in Febuary you may have seen the Southdown Lambs being born, Easter time the Lincolns Longwools were born. We will race both Pigs and Sheep everyday (weather permitting- if too hot we will not race the sheep as they are too wooley and they are to young to shear) (I wouldn't wear a jumper and run around in this heat)...(read more)