Two boys learning about sheep from a team member

Animal Encounters

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An animal experience up close

  • Interact with your favorite farm animals! You'll encounter big life lessons about animal husbandry, life cycles, and silly and surprising animal behaviors. Speak one-on-one with the specialists who care for animals year-round on our grounds. Make sure you ask about our rare historical breeds of livestock, and the important role Conner Prairie plays in preserving these animals.

    Purchase General Admission Tickets

     

  • Encounter Something Rare
  • Observe Incredible Behaviors
  • Chat With a Pro
  • Make a Diet Discovery

  • Get a closer look at animals from our world-class rare breeding program, including English Longhorn cattle, Ossabaw hogs, Tunis sheep, and Arapawa goats.

  • Learn how farm animals are different from people—and your pets at home! You can observe how these animals carry on their daily live and also how they interact with each other as well as other animals.

  • Conner Prairie’s animal specialists care for these animals year-round. Speak directly with these agricultural experts to learn what life is like on a working farm.

  • What’s an Arapawa goat’s favorite snack? How much does a hog eat each day? Ask questions and see if you can discover how an animal’s diet differs from yours.

  • Heritage Breeds Week

    May 17–23, 2026

    Participate in exciting activities, watch fascinating demonstrations, learn about Conner Prairie's efforts to preserve heritage breeds and discover what makes these rare animals so special. Meet and Greet with animals all across the grounds. Learn about how livestock has changed throughout the years and how the livestock of the past are important for us today!

Heritage Breeds Week Programming

About our Heritage Breeds

 

  • English Longhorn Cattle
  • Ossabaw Hogs
  • Arapawa Goats
  • Tunis Sheep
  • American Rabbits

Origin: England 
Introduced to USA: 1600s, 1990s 
Uses: Meat, Milk, Draft Power 
CPL Status: Not Listed, but critically endangered in the U.S. 

Reintroduction 

At some point in history, English Longhorns went extinct in North America and were only reintroduced in the 1990s. Even today, there are fewer than 100 longhorns in the U.S. 

Selective Breeding 

Robert Bakewell, the father of modern day breed improvement, used his methods to make the "Dishley Longhorn," nicknamed for Bakewell's home, the predominant cattle breed for a short time during the 1700s. 

Horned cattle were preferred in 1836 as they could more easily protect themselves from predators while free ranging. 

Important Facts

  • Their characteristic long horns were often crafted into "poor man's glass" or other household items such as buttons, cups, lamps or cutlery, making the longhorns even more useful to early settlers.
  • Conner Prairie is one of the only herds with registered longhorns in the U.S. Because the breed does not have an association in the states, all the cattle have to be registered through the Longhorn Cattle Society in England.
  • Many people often mistake these cattle for Texas Longhorns, but there's no relation between the breeds. Texas Longhorns descend from Spanish stock and have horns that grow out and away from their head rather than curving down around their face. 

Origin: USA 
Introduced to USA: 1500s 
Uses: Meat, Lard 
CPL Status: Critical 

Genetic Mystery 

Although it's agreed that Spanish explorers were responsible for releasing hogs on Ossabaw Island, the hogs are not necessarily Spanish in origin as genetic analysis shows Asian influence. 

Isolated Population 

While this breed was not historically in Indiana, its centuries-long isolation on Ossabaw Island makes them the closest genetic representative of stock brought over by the Spanish that would have been available at the time. 

Early Indiana farmers found they could turn more profit if they fed their excess corn to fatten their hogs before market. 

Important Facts 

  • Historically, most hogs in America were once lard type. Lard enhances the flavor of the meat, but it is also a versatile substance as it can be used as a cooking fat, lubricant, preservative for eggs, and for many other purposes.
  • Because of the challenging island climate, Ossabaws have adapted to store large amounts of fat for times of food scarcity. This mechanism functions like non-insulin dependent diabetes in humans.
  • These hogs are smaller than average hogs, partially due to insular dwarfism caused by their limited environmental range on the island. This effect reverses in hogs raised on the mainland, making new generations slightly larger than their predecessors. 

Origin: New Zealand 
Introduced to USA: 1994 
Uses: Meat, Milk 
CPL Status: Critical 

Genetic Mystery 

Although James Cook introduced the goats to Arapawa Island, their exact origin is still unknown. The Old English goat is though to be their ancestor; however, recent genetic studies link them to an unknown South African origin. 

Natural Selection 

While living feral on Arapawa Island, the breed adapted to the harsh climate and, as a result, are more hardy, self-sustaining and disease-resistant than most modern-day goats that have been selectively bred for production. 

Not only can goats provide food products, they are also adept browsers and are excellent at clearing underbrush. 

Important Facts 

  • Arapawas were at risk of going extinct in the 1970s when an eradication program was initiated after it was deemed that the goats posed an ecological threat to the New Zealand island's biodiversity. Luckily, and island resident saw their value and saved a small population through the foundation of the Arapawa Wildlife Sanctuary.
  • With approximately 20+, Conner Prairie ranks among the top five of the largest active breeding herds in the country.
  • Arapawa bear a striking resemblance to the Old English Milch Goat, a now extinct breed of goat common among early English settlers. This style of goat fell out of favor in the 1900s as Swiss dairy breeds known for their high milk production out-competed them. 

Origin: USA 
Introduced to USA: 1700s 
Uses: Meat, Fiber 
CPL Status: Watch 

Uniquely American 

The breed was developed after the Bey of Tunis in North Africa gifted George Washington with sheep. These sheep were crossed with local American stock to develop one of North America's first unique livestock breeds. 

Founding Fathers 

Records show that many big names and agricultural leader in the Revolutionary world kept these sheep on their farms including John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Richard Peters and George Washington Custis. 

Wool in the early 1800s could be cheaply shipped to eastern markets such as Boston, where it fetched up to fifty cents a pound. 

Important Facts 

  • Tunis sheep almost went extinct during the Civil War due to fighting and the soldiers' need for food, but one farm in South Carolina hid away a flock on their land. After the war, the breed made its way to the Great Lakes region where it began its recovery.
  • These sheep have a medium-grade cream-colored wool with a three to five inch staple. One sheep can produce anywhere form seven to twelve pounds annually.
  • Because of their North African influence, Tunis sheep are more tolerant of warm, humid climates. They are also known for their disease resistance and grazing ability which has made them popular in the sustainable agriculture movement. 

Origin: USA 
Introduced to USA: 1918 
Uses: Meat, Fur 
CPL Status: Threatened 

European Export 

Although there are rabbits native to North America, all domestic rabbits in the U.S. descend from the European rabbit - the only species of rabbit known to be domesticated by humans. 

Color Morphs 

While originally only recognized in the blue variety, these rabbits con be blue, white or black. The white variety was recognized in 1925 but the black rabbits have yet to be recognized as an accepted color variant for the breed. 

Americans were thought to have the best blue color and could fetch up to two dollars per pelt in 1920. 

Important Facts 

  • With fewer than 200 animals known to exist at the time, American Rabbits almost went extinct toward the end of the 20th century due to availability of imported commercial breeds and the collapse of the fur market, but began their recovery when the Livestock Conservancy added rabbits to the conservation priority list in 2005.
  • Because of the founding stock used to develop it, the breed was originally known as the German Blue Vienna but was quickly renamed due to World War I.
  • While there is little to no documented evidence of domestic rabbits being in the U.S. prior to the 1840s, it is likely they were casually raised on farms or in gardens among early settlers given their popularity at the time in Western European countries. 

 

 

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