Animal lovers have the chance to make farmyard friends, with opportunities to feed, handle and see adorable animals at Gloucestershire's farm parks, wildlife centres and petting zoos.
With spring welcoming hundreds of babies, too, discover the best places in Gloucestershire to coo over fuzzy newborn lambs, hungry goats and tiny chicks for a wholesome family day out.
Cattle Country Farm Park
Among the host of animal encounters available at Cattle Country in Berkeley, visitors can bottle feed the park's newest lambs and get up close to other fluffy residents in the Animal Barn – meeting goat kids and calves and handling rabbits, guinea pigs and baby chicks.
Cotswold Farm Park
Experience one of the largest lambing events in the country at Adam Henson's Cotswold Farm Park, where over 800 lambs are due to be born this spring. See the ewes welcome their new arrivals and enjoy live talks from lambing experts in the Animal Barn until Sunday 16 April 2023; with goat kids expected, too.
Daylesford Organic
Meet the new additions to Daylesford's flock, with lambing tours taking place at various times on Thursday 13 April 2023. Hop on a tractor trailer and ride out to the barns where the ewes give birth for a special tour and introduction to the lambing process.
Court Farm Shop
Stop by the animal area at Court Farm Shop in Cheltenham to catch a glimpse of new baby lambs snoozing in the barns and say hello to young calves, pigs and goats. Best of all, it's free to visit during the farm shop's opening hours.
Over Farm
Over Farm's Countryside Adventure is home to all sorts of farmyard characters, with everything from donkeys, pigs and sheep to slightly more quirky residents like llamas and ostriches to meet along its Animal Trail. Pick up a bag of animal pellets to hand-feed them and give them a good fuss.
St James City Farm
St James City Farm brings a piece of the countryside to Gloucester city, with sheep, goats and ponies frolicking about and ready to make your acquaintance. Run by volunteers, the urban farm is totally free to visit.
Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens
Thanks to its successful breeding programme, there's a good chance of spotting baby animals at Cotswold Wildlife Park near Burford, which welcomed over 350 births from 50 different species in 2022. As well as exotic big cats and creatures from all over the globe, there's a lovely children's farmyard where visitors can get up close to friendly residents, too.
