Meet the Real Animals

Zetland Cow is a rare breed of cattle. Shetland cattle closely resemble the Jersey, Canadian and Breton breed in conformation but Shetlands are Scandinavian in origin. They remained pure until the mid-1800s when small numbers of Shorthorn, Angus and Highland cattle were introduced to the Shetland Islands. 

In the 1920s, Friesian cattle were imported which resulted in the existing coloration of the breed of black-and-white while historically dun and red-pied animals predominated. Originally these animals were a small, angular dairy breed with legendary longevity and resistance to diseases. Over time, and with the introduction of other breeds, they have increased in size.

In some respects the Hampshire can be regarded as a ‘British Native’ Breed, as the original breeding stock was imported from Wessex, UK in 1832, the date being recorded in the “Hampshire Blue Book” published in 1928. The book records the complete history of the breed and its origin.

The Hampshire is used extensively as the sire of cross bred pigs for the pork and manufacturing markets in the USA and many other countries. It has the reputation of being the leanest of the North American Breeds and the majority of carcase competitions in North America are won by Hampshires and Hampshire crosses.

The Suffolk Horse is an English breed of draught horse. The first part of the name is from the county of Suffolk in East Anglia, and the word "Punch" is an old English word for a short stout person. 

It is a heavy draught horse which is always chestnut in colour, traditionally spelled "chesnut". 

Suffolk Punches are known as good doers, and tend to have energetic gaits.  The breed was developed in the early 16th century, and remains similar in phenotype to its founding stock. The Suffolk Punch was developed for farm work, and gained popularity during the early 20th century. 

The Pekin or White Pekin is an American breed of domestic duck. It derives from birds brought to the United States from China in the nineteenth century, and is now bred in many parts of the world. 

It is often known as the American Pekin to distinguish it from the German Pekin, a distinct and separate breed which derives from the same Chinese stock but has different breeding. 

Many of these ducks were reared on Long Island, New York, in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, from which the breed derived its name Long Island Duck

The Valais Blacknose, is a breed of domestic sheep originating in the Valais region of Switzerland. It is a dual-purpose breed, raised both for meat and for wool.

The breed originates in the mountains of the canton of Valais – from which its name derives – and of the Bernese Oberland. It is documented as far back as the fifteenth century, but the present German name was not used before 1884; the breed standard dates from 1962. 

In the past there was some cross-breeding with imported sheep,.

The Border Terrier is a British breed of small, rough-coated terrier. It originates from the area of the Anglo-Scottish border, and shares ancestry with the Dandie Dinmont Terrier and the Bedlington Terrier from the same area.

The breed was officially recognised by The Kennel Club in Great Britain in 1920, and by the American Kennel Club in 1930.

Border Terriers have a broad skull,  moderately short muzzle, and strong teeth. The tail is naturally moderately short, thick at the base and tapering. Narrow-bodied and well-proportioned,

A tabby is any domestic cat (Felis catus) with a distinctive 'M'-shaped marking on its forehead; stripes by its eyes and across its cheeks, along its back, and around its legs and tail; and (differing by tabby type), characteristic striped, dotted, lined, flecked, banded, or swirled patterns on the body—neck, shoulders, sides, flanks, chest, and abdomen. 

"Tabby" is not a breed of cat but a coat type seen in almost all genetic lines of domestic cats, regardless of status.

The tabby pattern is found in many official cat breeds and is a hallmark of the landrace extremely common among the general population of cats around the world. The tabby pattern occurs naturally and is connected both to the coat of the domestic cat's direct ancestor and to those of their close relatives

The little owl (Athene noctua), also known as the owl of Athena or owl of Minerva, is a bird that inhabits much of the temperate and warmer parts of Europe, the Palearctic east to Korea, and North Africa. It was introduced into Britain at the end of the 19th century and into the South Island of New Zealand in the early 20th century.  

This owl is a member of the typical or true owl family Strigidae, which contains most species of owl, the other grouping being the barn owls, Tytonidae. 

It is a small, cryptically coloured, mainly nocturnal species and is found in a range of habitats including farmland, woodland fringes, steppes and semi-deserts.

An area surrounded by or near farm buildings.

A farmyard of the 19th century was fenced-in an area of about 1-acre (4,000 m2) or more; modern farmyards per se may not be as large, but agricultural properties still may use a perimeter fence around areas of concentrated animal management to help contain any that may get loose. 

The farmyard is the domain of the mules, horses, and other working animals, as well as fowl and working pets, such as barn cats. 

On small farms, pasture animals such milk goats or a dairy cow may stay in the farmyard when not in the fields.