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Rare Breed GoatsGoats Capra hircus

When female goats give birth to their young, called kids, the process is called “kidding.”

Goats are agile climbers.  The bottoms of their feet are very soft, which gives them the ability to climb on rocks - or the goat bridges at the Zoo - with a sure footing.

All goats are ruminants, meaning they have a multi-chambered stomach.  Cud is food that is brought back up into the mouth from the stomach. While resting, goats bring food back up from a stomach chamber and chew it.  They then swallow their food again for more thorough digestion.

Animal Class
Mammal
Diet
Herbivore
Status in Wild
Stable

AlpacaVicugna pacos

Alpacas produce one of the finest and most luxurious natural fibers.  It is soft like cashmere and warmer, lighter and stronger than wool.  With 22 basic colors, it comes in more colors than any other fiber produced by an animal.  The Zoo’s alpaca is sheared every other year in the spring.  Her shorter summer ‘do helps keep her cool in the summer.  

Llama or Alpaca?
The physical differences between llamas and alpacas are the most obvious. One of the easiest differences to spot is the ears. Llamas have long, banana-shaped ears, while alpacas have shorter, spear-shaped ears.  Another difference is their size.  Most alpacas weigh between 100 and 175 pounds when fully grown. Llamas, on the other hand, weigh between 200 to 350 pounds with some as heavy as 400 pounds.

Animal Class
Mammal
Diet
Herbivore
Status in Wild
Stable

Jacob SheepOvis aries

The most distinguishing feature of Jacob Sheep is their impressive horns. They generally have one or two pairs of horns, but some Jacob Sheep have six horns! The ram’s horns can reach 30 inches or more, while ewe’s horns are shorter and more delicate.

Jacob Sheep wool is light, easy to spin and contains little lanolin (a waterproofing substance). Approximately 5-10 pounds of wool is collected of each animal each year at the Zoo. The annual trim helps keep them cool in the summer.

Animal Class
Mammal
Diet
Herbivore
Status in Wild
Stable

Hy-Vee Face-to-Face Farm

A visit to the Hy-Vee Face-to-Face Farm gives children and adults the opportunity to feed rare breed species goats, or a receive a kiss from a sheep with six horns! Finish your Farm adventure with a trip to the Mining Sluice, or feeding a newfound animal friend! 

  • Love this zoo! Great place to get a walk in and the animals are everywhere! The museum/indoor part is very educational too. Has a lot of shade for when it's hot out. Very clean. Friendly staff.

    Taylor F.

  • We love to visit the zoo. They have great outdoor exhibits and lots to do inside as well. Great for kids and adults.

    Robin A.

  • Lots of great exhibits and animals to see! Fun gift shop and learning center.

    Stephanie N.

  • The museum gives you a break from the sun on hot summer days and has a great selection of animal exhibits from around the world.  The zoo keeps growing and adding new animal habitats or improving existing ones.  Membership offers reciprocal benefits to other zoos around the country.

    Bill T.
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