Meet Our Farm Animals
Welcome to Hidden Acres Farm, a wonderful place full of furry friends and unique experiences.
Here you'll find more than just your typical goats, pigs, or chickens – but rather an eclectic mix of animals that represent the various faces and lifestyles of homesteading..
Whether you're looking to purchase goats for your own small farm or just reconnect with nature through petting some baby bunnies on a family outing, Hidden Acres has something special for everyone. So throw on your boots and grab your children – it's time to witness the beauty of rural living!
Nigerian Dwarf Goats
The Nigerian Dwarf is an American breed of mini or dwarf goat that was imported to the U.S. between 1930 to 1960 from West Africa. Originally reared as a show breed and companion animal, the Nigerian Dwarf goat is a favorite amongst homesteaders for its docility, plentiful milk production (yearly potential as opposed to seasonally) with a high fat and protein content (averaging 6.5% and 3.9% respectively); the high fat content is perfect for making cheeses, lotions and soaps.
It may be horned or naturally hornless (polled) and the ears erect. The coat is fine and fairly short, and may be of any color, or multicolored; (gold, chocolate and black, frequently with white markings.) The average weight is approximately 75 lb., while maximum height is about 24 in. for males and slightly less for females.
A precocious breed, Nigerian Dwarf goats may be bred from an early age-males from about three months, females from seven or eight months with females going into heat every 21 days; the gestation period is in the range 145–153 days. The twinning rate among Nigerian Dwarf goats is high, and triplet and quadruplet births are not uncommon.
Our very first goat at Hidden Acres Farm is Feta who has been followed by Truffles, Colby Jack, Brie & Gouda.
Chickens
The Rhode Island Red was developed first and foremost as a dual-purpose bird by poultry farmers in New England; their defining qualities were utilitarian, not ‘good looks.’ They are a bird that requires little in the way of care and is usually extremely healthy. The preferred color of ‘perfection’ has varied over the years from rich mahogany to a dark rust color; the wattles, comb, and ear lobes should be red while eyes are orange/red in color. The weight of a large fowl rooster is approximately 8.5 lb, with a hen reaching 6.5 lb. Hens are generally pretty laid back and docile enjoying the company of people and chickens alike; roosters, however, can be aggressive, so you should take care to select the least aggressive of the bunch and keep them away from young children.
The Rhode Island Red is very good at laying eggs – a good hen can lay 200-300 eggs each year. In general, a Rhode Island hen will lay around 5-6 eggs/week and are medium to large and light brown in color. They will tolerate confinement but love nothing better than investigating the yard for any tasty morsels like garden “odds and ends”, bugs and small snakes, and especially kitchen scraps.
Our beautiful Rhode Island Reds are named because of our rooster who wears his tails, daily and seems to dance with his lovely ladies: Fred Astaire and the Gabor sisters: Zsa Zsa, Eva & Magda.
Juliana Pigs
Juliana pigs are considered one of the smallest breeds of pigs and often referred to as miniature painted pigs because of their small size and markings. They are not formally recognized as a pig breed but tend to be considered a good pet because of their gentle and affectionate nature. Originally bred in Europe by selectively breeding other small breeds of pigs, the Juliana pig has a lifespan of 10-15 years and is usually has a silver, black, cream, red or white body. Although considered a “mini pig” breed, they are mostly kept as pets and are considered to be smarter than dogs and have the ability to be house and leash trained.
There really is no guarantee that a small piglet will become a small pig. While most Juliana pigs top out at 40 pounds and cannot be considered a Juliana if it weighs more than 65 pounds, any individual pig can grow much bigger than this.
Our breeding Juliana pigs have names like: Mr. Pepper, Sage & Rosemary.
TAMUK Rabbits
“TAMUK” is an acronym standing for Texas A&M University - Kingsville, and not the name of a particular breed of rabbit. TAMUKs were originally created by Dr. Steven Lukefahr at Texas A&M University – Kingsville, who wanted to create a hardy and vigorous backyard meat breed with a variety of coat colors, high production, strong feed conversion and a high tolerance to heat temperatures.
TAMUKs are a composite breed made up of the following seven breeds: New Zealand Red, Siamese Satin, Californian, New Zealand White, Dutch, Champagne d’Argent, Harlequin, and Havana. Fortunately, TAMUKs have long ears and thin fur coats that help them to tolerate the hot and humid Texas summers much better than any of the other breeds separately.
Our breeding rabbits have names like: Hershey, Coco, Twix, Reeses, Butterscotch and Toffee.
Guinea Fowl
Guinea Fowl are the ugliest, most wonderful birds for any homestead known as a “natural control” of wood ticks and insects such as grasshoppers, flies, slugs and crickets. Guineas have been known to reduce owner’s risk of Lyme disease by consuming deer ticks, which carry the disease. Guinea flocks have a place in many a homesteader’s heart for being known to attack snakes.
Guineas are restless birds that will wander off a property unless their wings are clipped. They like to make their homes in the trees than in a coop like a chicken. They are a great “watch dog” alerting their owners to unusual guests to the area.