ActewAGL Farmyard Nursery

The ActewAGL Farmyard Nursery is by far the cutest part of the show and it’s not every day the kids get a chance to get up close and personal with the other kind of kids.

We have a variety of baby animals, and their mums, including sows and piglets, cows and calves, as well as ducklings, chickens, puppies, cavies (guinea pigs) and more!

Visit Kindy Corner, a hands-on area in the Nursery where children can meet, stroke, cuddle, hold and talk to some of these friendly little animals.

To celebrate the Centenary, period costume will be worn in the The ActewAGL Farmyard Nursery!

Agility

If watching dogs turn themselves inside out sounds fun to you check out the agility competition on Saturday. Watch as dogs weave their way in and out of obstacles at a rapid rate. Paris Hilton’s pooch probably uses similar skills to dodge the paparazzi!

The comp concludes with a grand finale as winning dogs from each event compete for the prestigious title "Best of the Best”.

Alpacas

Alpacas are social herd animals and should always be kept with others of their kind, or at the very least with other herd animals. They are gentle, elegant, inquisitive, intelligent and observant.

As they are a prey animal, they are cautious and nervous if they feel threatened. They like having their own space and do not like an unfamiliar alpaca or human getting close, especially from behind. They warn the intruder away by making sharp, noisy inhalations, putting back their ears, twisting their heads and necks backwards toward the perceived threat, screaming, threatening to spit, and eventually may spit and kick. Due to the soft pads on their feet, the kicks are not as dangerous as those of hoofed animals.

A native of South America, the alpaca is a domesticated member of the Camelid family which includes the llama, camel, dromedary, guanaco and vicuna. Australia has the largest population of alpacas outside of South America. Approximately 40,000 alpacas are registered in Australia.

A large number of alpacas and fleeces are displayed at this year’s Royal Canberra Alpaca Show. The huacaya alpaca will be judged in ‘short fleece’ (30-70mm) in order to be comfortable in the heat of Canberra’s mid-summer. Alpacas are shorn once a year, usually in spring. Fleece weights range from 2-5kg and are valued according to their micron and its silky feel.

Cats

The cat section is located in the Snowy River Room (Map Ref B3). Behold the judging of 16 breeds over two days and view the cat display from 9.00am to 5.00pm Saturday and Sunday.

The short-haired breeds will be displayed on Saturday including Burmese, Siamese, Orientals and Bengals. Breeds rare to Canberra such as the Japanese Bobtail, Selkirk Rex and the Cornish Rex will be on show. Don't miss them!

On Sunday, favourites such as the Persian, Exotic, Siamese and Birman will be there. There will also be Ragdoll kittens on display. Also on display are companion cats known to many as moggies). See the judges judge the cats and describe the features and origins of the breeds.

Cattle

Cattle first came to Australia on the First Fleet in 1788. The cattle did poorly in the tough Australian conditions so different breeds from Europe, including Shorthorn and Hereford, were transported to Australia to improve quality.

The majority of beef cattle in Australia are low in fat but high in iron which promotes strong and healthy young people.

Each year the ActewAGL Royal Canberra Show showcases a different breed and in 2011 our feature breed is ‘Murray Grey’. Judging will commence at 9am Friday 25 February. Come along and see if you can pick a winner!

Did you know a cow has to drink 25 litres of water to produce 1 litre of milk and that unprocessed milk contains 87% water, 5% sugar, 4.5% fat and 3.5% protein?

Beef cattle handlers use a stick called a ‘Show Cane’. This is used to help position the cattle’s feet so they have the correct stance and then to tickle or scratch them to keep them still and quiet while they are being judged. They are never used to harm an animal.

Just for fun our young exhibitors will have ‘Calf Capers’ where calves on the show grounds and their handlers get into fancy dress costumes. Have you ever seen a calf dressed as a professor? This event is on Saturday 26 February at 5:30pm in Ring 5 (old Woodchop Arena). It is hilarious to watch, great and is family fun.

Cavies

This year there will be over 50 different breeds of cavy to be judged in seven different groups including Coarse Coat, Crested and Longhair. Popular breeds such as Himalayan, Abyssinian, Dalmatian and Texel will be judged in the 2 Championship Shows on Saturday upstairs above the Craft Expo in the Coorong Pavilion.

Cavy is the popular name for guinea pig. It is derived from their Latin name, cavia porcellus. They originally came from the Andes (Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador) where they have been domesticated for around 5000 years. They were brought to Europe sometime in the 16th Century. Princess Diana had cavies as pets when she was young!

If you miss out on Saturday, you can see the cavies on display at the Farmyard Nursery (Map reference D4) every day of the show, where cavy fanciers will be on hand to answer questions including where to buy one, how to keep them, showing, etc. They will be able to tell you why they are called guinea pigs.