Some of the colonists were real animals! We’re not being insulting. It’s the simple truth. Mayflower and the English ships that followed brought all kinds of 17th-century livestock typically found on farms in Britain. And those animals were very different from the sheep, goats, chickens, pigs and cows found on farms today. Without exaggeration, Plimoth Plantation has searched all over the world for the most accurate animals to portray the furry, fluffy and feathery colonists in the 1627 English Village.
Just like the colonial men, women and children that you meet every day at Plimoth Plantation, these animals are 17th-century role players, too. (They just don’t need a costume, and their accents are perfect to begin with.) The museum raises seven different types of rare breed livestock to represent the animals that appear in the early records of the colony. When you visit the 1627 English Village, Ivy an American Milking Devon is playing the role of the “Red Cow” mentioned in the Cattle Division. Serene, a rare Kerry cow, plays the “Great Black Cow.” Both are very convincing in their performances and are ably supported by an ensemble cast that includes Arapawa and San Clemente goats, Wiltshire sheep, Tamworth pigs and Dorking chickens.
All of these animals are traditional livestock breeds, and they are in danger of disappearing from the face of the earth. Your help is needed. Historical accuracy is essential, and accuracy is expensive, yet Plimoth Plantation must make the investment because extinction is forever. Our cows, goats, sheep, chickens, and pigs are included in the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy (ALBC) Conservation Priority List. The museum is part of a growing global network focusing on sustainable agriculture and genetic diversity.
Traditional livestock carry the genetic material that allows them to resist disease and parasites, tolerate heat, thrive on poor pasturage or excel in mothering – all traits important in maintaining biodiversity. This, as well as their direct connection to America’s unique agricultural heritage, makes them a high priority in international conservation efforts.
What would the 1627 English Village be like without the sound of lowing cows or the sight of goats clambering up their cotes and contented pigs rolling in mud? Livestock bring life. Your gift is an expression of how much you care about animals. Your contribution will maintain their 17th-century homes and pastures in the 1627 English Village, support the Maxwell Agricultural Center, and provide animals like Ivy and Serene with medical care and a nutritious diet.
Are you ready? Adopt an animal now!
Learn More
RARE BREEDS PROGRAM
The endangered breeds we maintain at the museum.
READY TO ADOPT
For as little as $25 you can ‘adopt’ one of our four-legged friends.
HAVE EWE HERD?
Some of the colonists were real animals!
THANK YOU!
Thank you so very much for adopting a rare breed animal.
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