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 and even handle some of the new reptiles and insects.
Birds Of Prey
It’s been a year since the Birds of Prey moved into the former poultry pens, again with the help of funds from Ken Chappell’s Pop Quiz’s another area of the farm was transformed. The Birds of Prey have settled in extremely well and as you can see from the photographs have started to breed! Birds of prey flights are now a regular sight in the Main Paddock – and the friendliest falcons come to meet the visitors during our encounter sessions.
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 28th & 29th 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 O’Neill on 01233 861493 The Centre is owned by Canterbury Oast Trust, that provides homes, care and occupational opportunities for adults with disabilities, many of who live and work on the farm. All income from your visit goes to help fund our vital work. The Rare Breeds Centre is at Woodchurch on the B2067 near Ashford, about 10 minutes from M20 J10 and open from 10.30am For more information visit www.rarebreeds.org.uk or call 01233 861493
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 lambs for easter and the holidays.
A ewe’s gestation period is about 5 months. Lambs are generally born in spring/summer when the weather is warmer and grass is growing, with annual lambing (every 12 months) being the most common. Once lambs reach 3-4weeks their milk diet is supplemented with grass/feed concentrates.
As for the Flying Pigs, weather permitting, the famous Rare Breeds Centre Racing Pigs will be taking to the Grand National style racetrack and obstacle course hotly pursued by some volunteers from the spectators. In addition, visitors can enjoy the two indoor play barns, the Mysterious Marsh ‘off-ground’ woodland challenge, the activity trails through the woods to the Secret Lake and much more.
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 allows animals to conserve energy during the winter when food is short. During hibernation, animals drastically lower their metabolism so as to tap energy reserves stored as body fat at a slower rate.
Have you seen many Hedgehogs recently?
When do hedgehogs hibernate?
It is not usually until November, December or January that larger hedgehogs finally settle down to hibernation, when they must realise that the greatest threats they face are floods, the cold or predators which can destroy them while they are inactive.
A great many will never survive until the spring so it's as a last resort, when they cannot stay out and about any longer, that they put the final touches to their hibernation nests. As long as their is still food to be had you will still see hedgehogs out and about.
In Britain the really hard frosts do not usually descend until the end of January with February and the first part of March being the time when any adult hedgehog out in the open is in trouble.
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 this year, due to high visitor demand, it was very popular last year and this really should not be missed.’ Said Julie O’Neill the Event Manager
You are able to get up close and meet and pet our friendly farm animals, It’s a brilliant mix of countryside fun, excitement and discovery set in 120 acres of beautiful countryside, wonder through our winter woodland to the secret lake.
We’ve 2 giant play barns, pig racing, woodland assault courses and trails, Arial runways, hill fort, tractor rides, birds of prey and lots more.
It’s simply an unbeatable day out and all proceeds go to fund our work providing homes and care for over 100 disabled adults. The Granary Restaurant is open for lunches, snacks and refreshments.
The Rare Breeds Centre is open at 10.30am – 4.30pm and Booking to see Santa is essential. (it also saves you £1 Per person) No guarantee to visit Santa if you turn up on the day!
We are just 10 minutes from Junc 10 of the M20, located on the B2067 between the villages of Hamstreet and Woodchurch
Check our website rarebreeds.org.uk for more information or to book call Julie O’Neill on 01233 861493 ext: 224/221
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’ from 10,000 feet attached to a professional instructor and a ‘Static Line’ jump which is performed solo from up to 3,000 feet – and you can jump from any one of over 20 British parachute Association approved airfields across the UK
No experience is necessary as all training is given and if you raise from £360 (depending on type of jump) you will receive your jump for free!!
For more information, call the Fundraising Office on 01233 860806 – for a full information pack containing everything you need to take part in the experience of a life time.
Email: ts@c-o-t.org.uk
The Rare Breeds Centre is a special place… A commercial enterprise owned and operated by Canterbury Oast Trust, a charity that offers homes, care and work training opportunities to adults with learning difficulties.
Many of the people we care for live in family style residential homes, on or off site and work on the farm, in the restaurant or in the Rainbow Plant Nursery. Much of the work and training brings our residents into contact with the general public. This helps break down barriers and foster greater understanding of disabilities.
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
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!
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!
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 is essential to prevent the spread of the virus’
Back in 2001 when foot and mouth closed the Rare Breeds Centre, the people of Ashford rallied around and raised close to £70,000 through all types of fundraising events and activities to help keep the Centre running.
‘Over the years, Canterbury Oast Trust has built up fantastic support from everyone in the area and our message to everyone is to keep on coming to see us. We have some great new attractions this summer including the walk-through aviary, a great collection of birds of prey that are currently being trained for public displays and best of all we’ve reopened our big paddling pool on the terrace by the restaurant!’
For more information – www.rarebreeds.org.uk or 01233 861493
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 visit to the Rare Breeds Centre is all about country fun, excitement and discovery and with over 120 acres of beautiful woodland, ponds, lakes and fields there’s no better place to bring the children.
The Centre is owned by Canterbury Oast Trust, an inspirational local charity that provides homes, care and work opportunities for over 100 disabled adults – all income from your visit goes to support our vital work.
On the 5th, 6th, and 7th 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 Preschool. These included natural materials sculpture, collage, butterfly printing, digging and planting, and bikes and other wheeled equipment. There was also all the usual exciting things to see at the Rare Breeds Centre, including meet the animals sessions, the butterfly tunnel and pig racing.
At lunchtime the nursery children sat with their future reception teacher and their classes to eat a picnic lunch and get to know some of the other people they will be joining in September. Children from 37 different schools and preschools attended and the week was a great success.
The nursery manager from Yellow Elephant in Kingsnorth said: “We really enjoyed today, thank you. We hope it will become an annual event.”
Hamstreet Primary School said: “It made our parents information evening so much easier, because the parents had already met and were all relaxed and talking to one another.”
The children’s entrance fee and resources were funded by Kent County Council, with the Rare Breeds Centre kindly allowing one adult to enter for free with each child.
Gill Lancaster from Ham Street School, and Matthew West (Early Years Advisory Teacher) who organised the event were delighted with how well it went, and hope to be able to repeat it in the future.
The Rolls Royce Enthusiasts Club South Eastern division visited the Rare Breeds Centre on Sunday 10th 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
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 parts of the world, including not only North America and Australasia, but also South-East Asia. Breeding stock from Australia was brought back to Britain by the RBST in the 1970s and 1990s.
The Tamworth is suited to both quality pork and bacon production and, although historically it was noted in the Midlands as a pork pig, it now is mostly promoted for dry-cured bacon which commands a premium in speciality markets.
The pointed-eared Tamworth is active and suited to outdoor systems, being used in woodland and scrub reclamation projects, where its colour protects it from sunburn. It experienced the least influence from imports of Asian pigs used in the 18th century to improve native types, and retains the longer snout of earlier British types.
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 Orchid. In April and May the attractive pink-purple flowering spikes can be found scattered in profusion across open woodland, in rough grassland and on cliff ledges.
When many people think of orchids they imagine the exotically beautiful flowers of tropical orchids cascading down from the branches of a rainforest tree. The Orchids are one of the largest and most diverse families of flowering plants and, although most do occur in the tropics, Orchids can be found on every continent other than Antarctica. The Early Purple Orchid occurs throughout Europe from as far South as the Mediterranean and North into Scandinavia.
British Orchids are all terrestrial (ground growing), sometimes small and hard to spot, but also include some of our most beautiful and spectacular wild flowers.
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!
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 of audience participation required!!
As well as the pigs and the lambs, we will have a Straw Bale Burrow where, after doing the Farm Yard Easter Trail the children can meet the Friendly Giant Chicken and get their free Easter chocolate (bank holiday weekend only).
All that plus friendly farm animals to get close too, two indoor play barns, the amazing Mysterious Marsh off-ground assault course, encounter paddocks, walk through aviary, the make and do Activity Barn, bluebell walks, woodland trails and Discovery Gardens and over a hundred acres of country fun, adventure and discovery.
Here's the Piglets in training - one going the wrong way back up the track!!!!
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.
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's between 50 and 75 degrees F until they're placed in the incubator.
STEP 3: Read the incubator instructions and follow its guidelines.
STEP 4: Keep the incubator indoors where it's easy to maintain.
STEP 5: Start the incubator a few days before you place eggs in it in order to adjust the temperature, humidity and airflow.
STEP 6: Place an "X" with a pencil lightly on one side of egg. This will tell you if you have turned the egg.
STEP 7: Turn eggs at least two to three times a day for the first 18 days. Do not turn them the last three days of incubation.
STEP 8: Test for infertile eggs by "candling" the eggs.
STEP 9: Clean and disinfect the incubator after all the eggs have hatched
Laila has a few eggs in the incubator at the moment, We hope that we will have a few cute Chicks for Easter time
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 have the conformation to suit today's mass market but they make up for it in flavour, succulence and eating quality. It will help the conservation of rare breeds if the public seek out butchers who sell it.
Pigs (Information taken from RBST)
|
Category |
Breed/s |
|
1. Critical |
N/A |
|
2. Endangered |
British Lop; Middle White |
|
3. Vulnerable |
Berkshire; Large Black; Tamworth; Welsh |
|
4. At Risk |
British Saddleback |
|
5. Minority |
Gloucestershire Old Spots |
The only pig from this list that we do not farm is the Welsh Pig. All other breeds live at The Rare Breeds Centre
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
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 to be treated with lots of care.
The Billy Goat below is Nigel our proud father
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 a few degrees the Bluebell will fail to germinate after mild winters)
- Bluebells are intolerant of trampling, water logging, deep shade and competing with vigorous grasses
The Bluebells through our woodland bloom between April and June, covering the woodland floor with a blue carpet of flowers, it is vital that you stick to the paths to avoid damage to these tiny flowers.
Bluebells flower before the surrounding trees come out in full leaf (this may change over the next few years – due to climate change) by doing this the Bluebells are able to complete their lifecycle while daylight levels are high.
They propagate by seed, which are to heavy to be borne by air (the wind) and so they spread relatively slowly, and by natural division of the bulbs underground, much like a daffodil.
The new pond is full of water and the Ducks are back on the ‘Duck Pond’, they have come back to breed and before long it’ll be spring time and the farm will have the familiar site of Ducklings following along behind their mother.
After the high winds lots of trees have been damaged causing old branches to snap and fall to the woodland floor, these will soon become home to lots of insects. They will provide a home and shelter.
The Woodland Coppice
Along Tinkers Wood Nigel has been out coppicing. When you next visit the centre read up on coppice in our Interpretation lodge (near the secret lake)
And lastly a walk around Rainbow Wood showed me that the much hidden pond (not the secret lake) (you will need to walk around Rainbow wood to find this pond) is alive with nature.
In the mud close to the edge I was able to see Badger foot markings, this pond is now obviously a water hole for some of the animals that live in and around the woodland.
There were lots of Rabbit droppings around the pond, I managed to catch site of a rabbit diving into the bramble bushes to take shelter from me passing by.
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 popularity in the 20th century and they are now classed as a rare breed.
We have several Berkshire pigs at the farm... piglets too!
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.
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!
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 is a competition you can enter too…. Win tickets to Rare Breeds at Halloween!!!
We are holding the first Creativity Week of its kind at the centre from the 25th 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 1st.
As well as enjoying the Rare Breeds Centre, parents and public will be able to watch performances by the children and view the work which they have created.
The weekend will also have a farmers market and have a–go demonstrations and displays!
Why not buy your Rare Breed Sausages while your at the farm?
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!
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)
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