Meet our Animals!

It's Buster!

BUSTER…..the potbellied pig
Buster was born in 2000 on a farm in Hightstown. Buster loves to be petted by children. His favorite snacks are dandelions, and he eats almost all types of fruits and vegetables. He doesn’t like peppers, potatoes, or squash though!

Because pigs can’t sweat when they get hot, Buster likes to roll around in the mud to help him stay cool in the summer. Since Buster doesn’t have a whole lot of hair, he needs to stay in the barn or in the shade so he doesn’t get sunburn.

***NOTE***  Buster passed away this winter.  He was here on the farm with us for almost 10 years, and he was part of the VonThun Farm family…he’ll be missed by many!

Checkers is owned & loved by Kristie

CHECKERS…..
Checkers, born in 1998, came to live with us in November of 2005. He is an American Quarter Horse and his color (brown with black legs, mane & tail) is called bay. He is ridden both English & Western, sometimes goes to horse shows, and goes to the Middlesex County Fair each summer. Checkers favorite treat is pretzles.

Razor is owned & loved by Kellie

RAZOR…..
Checkers and Razor are best friends.  Born in 2001, Razor came to live with us in January of 2008. He is a Paint Horse that was born in Idaho. His reddish brown color is called chestnut. Razor has a full blaze on his face, has white stocking markings on his front legs and white socks on his rear legs. Razor is ridden both english and western, occasionally goes to horse shows, and goes to the fair each summer with Checkers. Razor’s favorite treat is apples. Razor is owned and ridden by Kellie.

DAZZLE…..the miniature donkey
Dazzle was born in 1998 in Pennsylvania. She is considered a miniature donkey because she is a breed that is smaller than most donkeys. Dazzle eats hay (dried grass) and grain (oats, corn, soybeans, and molasses) just like the other farm animals.  Dazzle’s favorite treat is watermelon.

It's party time!

DAISY…..Dazzle’s daughter
Daisy was born on the farm on May 26, 2004. She was the first donkey baby ever born on the farm! Her dad still lives in Pennsylvania and his name is Scooter. Daisy is good friends with Jake the farm dog.  Daisy’s favorite treat is grass.  We had a big party for Daisy’s 1st birthday…and she LOVED eating her own birthday cake!

CHICKENS…..
Our flock of chickens is made up of about 35 hens (girl chickens). The brown hens are called Orpingtons and they lay brown eggs. Both the black and brown chickens are called cochins.  The black hens lay green eggs and the brown hens lay blue eggs. We have two roosters (boy chickens).  Brooks is black and white and has long feathers on his neck and tail.  Ace is a huge black rooster, also with lots of long feathers.  Hens lay eggs, roosters don’t. Each hen lays one egg a day. We sell the fresh eggs in the farm market.

Just a big 'ol mush!

THE SHEEP…..
Born here on the farm in 2008, Madison, and Sabrina are used by Kristie as 4-H projects and are used for our Christmas nativity work. Sheep eat hay and a grain that is very similar to what the goats’ eat. Sheep grow wool to keep them warm in the winter, but that wool must be shaved off each spring – it’s like getting a haircut. Madison’s favorite treat is rice krispie cereal.  Both Madison and Sabrina enjoy peas and stringbeans as a treat!

Little Ellie...sweet, but sassy!

CASEY….the cat
Casey is the big, ol’ fat cat that everyone loves. Casey came to the farm as a kitten, and has grown into a big, loveable mush! Casey enjoys wandering the farm at night and can often be found sleeping on the office chair during the day. Casey enjoys being the center of attention and is very affectionate around kids.

Jake just LOVES being a farm dog, but he also does agility and is a registered therapy dog!

OUR FARM DOGS…..Jake and Ellie
Jake is our old farm dog. His breed is called a Large Munsterlander, which is a German bird dog, or hunting dog. Although the breed is very popular in Germany, there are very few Large Munsterlander breeders in the United States. Jake was born in Michigan, and came to us in the fall of 2004. His birthday is July 19, 2004.  Ellie was born in July of 2008 in Tennessee.  We adopted her from a shelter in November 2008.  She is a mix of 6 different breeds, American Eskimo being the most dominant.  Ellie and Jake, best friends, both enjoy running around the farm chasing rabbits and wild geese out of the fields. When Ellie and Jake are not at the farm, they can probably be found in the house, stretched out and asleep.  Jake likes to sleep on the couch and Ellie likes to sleep on the back deck in the sunlight.