Heritage or Minor Breeds of Livestock at Historic Brattonsville

The farm maintains representative numbers of livestock to interpret the important role they played in the life ways of historic peoples in the region.  The farm currently keeps a flock of sheep, small numbers of poultry, cattle, pigs and horses. Watch our interpreters cultivate the field with a horse! 

Devon Cattle

The farm maintains a herd of about fifteen Milking Devon cattle. Although the breed has been in America for some 300 years, it is now one of the rarest breeds of cattle in the United States.  The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy (ALBC) estimates that there are less than 500 Devon cattle left in North America. Historic Brattonsville has been breeding Devons since 1999. 

Among the herd is a pair of oxen.  Oxen are two steers (at least four years of age) trained to work.  The current pair—Cain and Able are approximately 15 years old.

Gulf Coast Sheep

Historic Brattonsville is also home to a flock of rare Gulf Coast Sheep. They are listed as “critical” by the American Livestock Breed Conservancy (ALBC) because their worldwide numbers are fewer than two thousand. Brattonsville’s Heritage Breed Program is actively working to preserve this unique and important animal.  Gulf Coast Sheep are a remnant population descended from Spanish sheep first brought to Florida in the 1500s.  With nearly four centuries of free ranging the Gulf Coast region, and strong natural selection, they have developed a great tolerance to heat and humidity and a strong immunity to parasites.

Ossabaw Island Hogs

Recently Historic Brattonsville acquired new Ossabaw Island hogs. The hogs of Ossabaw Island (an island off the coast of Georgia) are descendants of Spanish pigs brought to the New World in the 1500s. Offspring of Historic Brattonsville’s pigs have been distributed across the United States to various historic sites and breeders.

Poultry

The site maintains flocks of rare Dominique and White-Faced Black Spanish chickens. 

The Dominique was developed from chickens introduced during the early settlement of New England.  By the mid 19th century they were widely distributed across the Eastern half of the United States. They are hardy bread, and do well on open range and in confinement.  The Dominique is a medium sized bird with distinctive black and white striping over the entire body.  They are generally calm, easy to work with and produce brown eggs.

The White-Faced Black Spanish is believed to one of the oldest breed of chickens existent in the U.S. Originally from Spain, the bread arrived in the U.S. via the Caribbean Islands and became very popular in the South during the Colonial period.  These chickens are easily recognized by their characteristic snow white faces and deep red wattles and combs on an otherwise black body. The White-Faced Black Spanish are active and noisy bead that lay large, chalk-white eggs.

Links to resources about:

Devon Cattle - www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/cattle/devon/
Ossabaw Island Hogs - www.ansi.okstate.edu/breeds/swine/ossabawisland/
Poultry - www.tedach.com/chicken%20hist.htm