Animals are part of the Accokeek Foundation’s stewardship of Piscataway Park. Many visitors appreciate the beauty of the farm animals without realizing their important role in farming systems. Over the centuries, domesticated animals have lived here with humans and have contributed to shaping this land as we see it today. At the Accokeek Foundation, we care for our farm animals in a way that enhances the health and stability of the natural and agricultural ecosystems of this special place.
As we manage animals, we maintain open lands in an ecologically sound manner.
- We prevent erosion. A key aspect of our management plan is to feed animals a grass-based diet. Perennial grasslands are not plowed each year.
- We save fuel. When grass is cut and baled for hay, we use less fossil fuels and fewer scarce resources than when we maintain a lawn, and we produce feed for the animals as well. Grazed grass is harvested directly by the animals, and of course, no fossil fuels are used in the process.
- We return nutrients to the soil. The problem of manure disposal is eliminated in a grazing situation because the animals fertilize the pasture as they move across the field. Manure is a resource because it adds nutrients to the soil.
- We protect water resources. Animals are fenced out of the pond and away from the river banks to prevent bank erosion and water pollution.
- We preserve genetic diversity. As part of our historical activities, we preserve heritage breeds of domesticated animals. Many of these breeds are known for characteristics such as strong feet, good maternal instincts, the ability to survive on a wide range of grasses, parasite resistance, and general overall hardiness. Today, these characteristics are increasingly important in ecologically-sound farming systems. The heritage breeds of animals carry valuable genetic diversity that would be lost without preservation efforts. The unique gene pools of these animals have global significance.
Selected Breeds from the Accokeek Foundation’s Conservancy Program
American Milking Devon Cattle
American Milking Devons are a tri-purpose breed with a ruby red coat with black-tipped white horns. Devons come from the southwestern peninsula of England, where the breed was developed over several centuries. The name comes from Devonshire, though similar cattle were also raised in the neighboring counties of Cornwall, Somerset, and Dorset. The Pilgrims brought Devons with them to New England in 1623. Devons are valued for the production of high quality beef and rich milk. They are also regarded as the quickest and most active oxen, and are reputed to trot at six miles per hour while pulling unladen wagons. The breed is known to be easy keepers, as they are able to thrive on rough forage. The breed is a favorite exhibition animal at historic sites because of its attractiveness and well-documented history. The American Milking Devon breed is now distinct from other Devon populations in the world and closest to the breed’s original type, and is unique to the United States. They are currently on the critical list by the ALBC.
Black Spanish Turkey
Black Spanish turkeys were added to the Accokeek Foundation’s conservancy program because of their extreme rarity, and because of their value for multicultural education programs. Turkeys are native to the Americas and were first domesticated in Mexico. Spanish explorers brought the turkeys back to Europe in the 1500s, where they were raised for over a hundred years for meat production. The Black Spanish turkey variety was then reintroduced to the Americas with the early colonists. In the mid-Atlantic region, the colonists used turkeys to help control insects which would eat tobacco, their main cash crop. A 1998 census found that in the U.S. there were only 200 Black Spanish turkeys, which were being raised by 15 different breeders. The Accokeek Foundation has helped to reintroduce this bird to the tidewater Potomac region by sharing breeding stock with other historical museums and local farmers.
Buckeye Chicken
The Buckeye is a dual-purpose breed of chicken with deep, lustrous red feathers. Buckeyes were developed by Mrs. Nettie Metcalf of Warren, Ohio, and appropriately named after the “Buckeye State.” Buckeyes are unique, as they are the only American breed of chickens created entirely by a woman. Buckeyes can adapt to a variety of living conditions, but they do best in conditions where they have room to move around. Because of their active nature they do not do well in small confined spaces. Buckeyes also have a personality all of their own; some breeders often compare them to cats as they are noted for being especially vigilant in the pursuit of mice. They tend to have very little fear of humans and are possibly too friendly. In fact, males show little aggression, even during breeding season. They also seem to lack the tendency to feather-pick each other. The males emit a full range of sounds beyond those typical of many other chicken breeds, including a dinosaur-like roar! They are currently on the threatened list by the ALBC.
Hog Island Sheep
Hog Island Sheep vary in physical appearance. Most of the sheep are white, though about twenty percent are black. Newborn lambs are frequently spotted over the body, but the spots usually disappear as the lambs mature. The face and legs of these sheep can be speckled brown, white, and black, or have black faces and legs. Ewes may be horned or polled and rams may have horns or are somewhat polled, with only small scurs on their heads in the place of horns. The breed originated on a barrier island off the coast of Virginia. The flock was started almost 200 years ago when the island was first settled. The sheep are thought to be British in origin. The sheep were left to their own devices and became feral (wild). Feral sheep easily adapt to unmanaged habitats. They occur most often on islands which lack predators. The annual shearing and notching in the spring was generally the only contact between the owners and their sheep. By 1945 all of the human residents of Hog Island had migrated to the eastern shore of Virginia. In 1974, Hog Island was purchased by the Nature Conservancy, and soon afterward the sheep were removed. They are currently on the critical list by the ALBC.
Ossabaw Hog
Ossabaw hogs are usually black, although some are black with white spots or light with black spots. They are a feral breed that are found on Ossabaw Island, which is off the coast of Georgia near Savannah. There is historic agreement that Ossabaw Island hogs have descended from foundation stock brought to the island by the Spanish. The Ossabaw is unusual and important for three reasons. Its history as an isolated island population has meant that the Ossabaw is the closest genetic representative of historic stocks brought over by the Spanish. Second, the presence of pigs on Ossabaw Island provides scientists with an exceptional opportunity to study a long-term feral population, which is well documented. Third, the Ossabaw breed is biologically unique, having been shaped by natural selection in a challenging environment known for heat, humidity, and seasonal scarcity of food. They are able to store astounding amounts of body fat in order to survive. This biochemical adaptation is similar to non insulin dependent diabetes in humans, making the pigs a natural animal model for this disease. They are currently on the critical list by the ALBC.
Contact the Livestock Manager for more information about the Foundation’s heritage breeds.
The Accokeek Foundation is proud to be a member of the American Livestock Breed Conservancy (ALBC). The ALBC is a clearing-house for information on livestock and genetic diversity.
