For the past 40 years one of the main features of Meanwood Valley Urban Farm has been its animals. From the early days we have always tried to maintain the feel of a working farm.
As part of our commitment to conservation, we have strived to promote rare breeds and high welfare wherever possible. The farm has a successful breeding programme for endangered animals such as the Whitefaced Woodland sheep which originates in the hills around Yorkshire. By ensuring these breeds survive, we are able to protect them for future generations. This is essential for the preservation of the genetic pool in order to ensure continued biodiversity.
We operate as a working farm, which means that our animals are not always in the same place. They may be rotated between the different fields, or brought into the barn when they need treatment – or when they’re giving birth!
Ask at Reception to find out where they are when you come to visit.
You can support our animals by buying them a bale of hay or by buying an animal sponsorship pack
We have two lovely Huacaya alpacas named Eric and Bertie.
Bertie was born in 2008 and likes to keep himself to himself. Once he has the halter on he will happily go for a walk but catching him and avoiding being spat on is not easy!
Eric was born in 2011 and is very inquisitive and wants to be your friend but if he is unsure about you or anything near you he will spit at you.
Both Eric and Bertie like apple and carrots as treats. They occasionally fight each other but then soon become friends again and protective over each other.
Alpacas can be grazed with ewes and lambs and will keep any foxes/dogs away that might want to attack the sheep. You may notice them become very alert if they spot a dog in the distance or near their field.
We have more sheep than any other animal at the Farm, they are a mixture of breeds
The large white ones with horns are Whitefaced Woodlands, There is a Jacob (brown and white with black horns) and the rest are crossbreds, mainly LLeyn cross. Some of our sheep are quite characters and are very friendly. They all like a treat of apple or carrot.
Our ram, Jaxon born in 2024 is a Blue Texel, which originates from the Netherlands. His two pals are Woody, born in 2019 and Bud born in 2021.
Both male and female sheep can have horns, it depends on their breed.
We have two cows are called Summer amd Torque, who are mother and son.
Summer was born in 2011 and Torque in 2016. They arrived at the farm in 2016 when Torque was just 1 month old. Summer loves apples and carrots., but Torque can be quite picky. If he doesn’t like the apple he will turn his nose up at it or spit it out.
They are both Dexters, a breed that originates from Ireland. They are classed as a dual purpose breed meaning they are good for both producing meat and milk – although we produce neother of these from our cows.
Summer andTorque are quite big for Dexter cattle and like sheep both males & females can have horns.
We have 4 female goats – Poppet, Nanny, Bramble and Willow.
Nanny is the friendliest and likes a fuss. Bramble is known to have false pregnancies, which can make her produce milk, giving her an enlarged udder – we have followed the vets advice on this issue.
Nanny, Bramble and Willow are Golden Guernsey, a breed that originates from Guernsey, one of the Channel Islands. They have been known to be on the island for over 200 years. King Charles gave the breed a Royal title and they are now the Royal Golden Guernsey Goat! The breed is recognized as a rare breed with the Rare Breed Survival Trust.
We’ve always kept chickens at Meanwood Farm; we have over 50 chickens representing a variety of different breeds.
You can buy their eggs from the farm shop!
Can you spot Vera? – She is the small black one in the big pen. We are unsure of her breed, as she was a rescue that we got in 2020.
‘White Star’ are a small, economical bird, fast, lively and very independent. They lay 300+ eggs per year.
‘The Goldtop’ is an excellent mother hen. They are friendly and can become quite tame, but only lay ~200 eggs per year
‘Speckled Marans’ are very good-natured hens with a pretty, dark plumage that is speckled with white. They lay lovely brown speckled eggs.
‘Silver Sussex’ are a friendly, attractive breed. They have silver feathers around the neck & tail. They lay 270+ brown eggs per year.
‘Rhode Rock’ are one of the best layers. They have gold markings on their neck , and their black feathers can have a green sheen.
‘Light Sussex’ are a friendly breed with black feathers around the neck and tail. They can lay 260+ medium eggs per year.
‘Golden Partridge’ Pekin are known for their gentle temperament. They produce small, cream-tinted eggs, ~ 100-120 per year.
‘Cuckoo Pekin Bantams’ are small, gentle birds with feathered legs and a distinctive cuckoo pattern, making them ideal pets.
‘Cheshire Blue’ is a small, lively bird that lays about 280 sky-blue eggs yearly. It’s white with dark-blue spots and a crest, and rarely goes broody.
‘Blue Bells’ are large, docile birds that lay about 260+ medium to large brown eggs yearly and are generally trouble-free.
We have two gorgeous guinea pigs, Floss and Blossom
All the piggies are very vocal when it comes round to feed time.
They are fed special guinea pig pellets along with vegetables, herbs & fruit & also lots of hay. Sometimes you can hear the guinea pigs gnawing on their wooden houses. This helps to keep their teeth short.
Blossom was also born in 2021. Due to her long hair, she needs to be brushed regularly. She also has an occasional haircut!
Floss is the youngest, born in May 2023. She is very shy & nervous. She likes to hide all day, then come out at feed times. She then grabs some food & takes it away from the dishes to eat it. Floss needs regular grooming & the occasional haircut too, just like Blossom.
We have 4 fluffy rabbits – Oates, Twitchy, Peppermint, and Popcorn.
They can be found opposite the cafe. They eat special pellets, plus fruit, vegetables, herbs, and plenty of hay. You may also see them gnawing on wood, which helps keep their teeth short.
Twitchy – Oates’s sister, named for her twitching nose. Shy, nervous of people and loud noises. Prefers privacy when eating, but CCTV shows her playing with Oates,
Peppermint – Rescue, age unknown. A typical feisty Netherland Dwarf, sometimes bossy and occasionally “snoring” can be heard if quiet.
Oates – Female, born 2021, named after Captain Oates. Braver of the two sisters, often stands on her back legs to observe.
Popcorn – Neutered male, born 2022. Full of character, often stands on his back legs for treats, and likes to nap on the hutch roof.
We keep pigs for a few months of the year, usually from May until November.
Often found sunbathing in their pen next to the car park, pigs have been a feature of the Farm for many years, and with our new fencing, we may be able to keep them year-round!
Donate here to help us replace fencing around the site.
We keep three lovely donkeys, Alfie, Trooper, and Reggie, over the winter period
You will often see them being walked or groomed by the HOOF team.
They are very friendly as they spend the rest of their time working in Blackpool!