Snuggle up with baby goats as kid cuddling sessions return to Hadleigh Farm

Visitors to The Salvation Army’s Hadleigh Farm Estate can get up close and personal with some new arrivals with the popular kid cuddling sessions returning this month.

Perfect for families and animal lovers, the sessions which are available at the weekends from 29 March and during the first week of the Easter Holidays, will provide an opportunity for visitors to interact with 45 playful new young goats who were recently born in the Rare Breeds Centre at the countryside setting. With six adult goats still to give birth, more are also on the way.

Hadleigh Farm staff are currently busy taking care of the new baby goats. The majority are on mum’s milk with one being hand-reared by the team while older kids are being given Christmas trees as a snack. The newborns are currently being housed inside to protect them from birds of prey and will move outside when they have grown.

Some of the new arrivals are also being given names. The first set of twins to be born have been named Hope and Hadleigh while an appeal on social media for names beginning with H has seen other names including Hamish, Hallie (Hallelujah), Hosannah, Hannah, Humphrey and Hark being given to the young animals.

People attending the kid cuddling sessions will get an informative talk from a member of staff about the goats and then they will all have the opportunity to hold the kids under supervision.  Separate sessions are also available for SEN children, with smaller group numbers.

In addition to the kid cuddling sessions, behind the scenes tours are also being offered, where visitors will get the opportunity to help with either morning or afternoon feeding and will get access to some of the non-public areas of the Rare Breeds Centre.  The morning sessions are suitable for wheelchair users as the tour will stick to hard paths, but the afternoon session will include a visit some grazing fields and animal pens.

A Salvation Army spokesman said: “Spring is one of the most exciting times at Hadleigh Farm, and our kid cuddling sessions are a wonderful way for visitors to connect with our friendly goats. It’s a fantastic experience and a great way to learn about farm life.”

The Salvation Army’s Rare Breeds Centre at Hadleigh Farm aims to help conserve and promote the UK's Rare Breeds Livestock through education and breeding programmes and their visitors help to fund Hadleigh Farm’s Training Centre which provides opportunities for adults with additional support needs. 

To book a place on the kid cuddling sessions or behind the scenes tours, go to https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/hadleighfarm-salvation-army