Bee Happy

Have you ever wondered what goes on in a bee’s life? Has petting goats (or mini horses, or donkeys, or sheep, or alpacas) always been on your bucket list? You’re in the right place, because at The Ranch, there are plenty of opportunities to make new friends, from animals to insects to humans!

Read on for fun information about each type of animal in our herd, and then learn more about how we care for our herd and when you can visit!

Please note that animal activities are available only to resort guests and members.

  • Goats at Carmel Valley Ranch

    Goats

    Our goats are all very social, and we’ve got almost 20 in all! Our herd includes Nigerian Dwarf goats and our famous Swiss Saanen goats, who produce milk we use to make cheese. When you’re done at the Hilltop Corral, the treats we make from their bounty is available for you to taste and buy at Valley Kitchen and The Market & Creamery.

  • Four chickens

    Chickens

    The Coop in the Organic Garden always stays busy with our chatty flock! We have multiple species at The Ranch—including Ameraucanas, who lay bluish to green eggs; our fuzzy-footed Frizzles, and Rhode Island Reds.

  • A fresh honeycomb covered in bees

    Bees

    Our honeybees are some of our hardest-working employees, rapidly producing sticky-sweet honey for guests to savor. From morning to evening, they forage nectar from surrounding flowers and travel back to their hives to pack into their hexagonal pantry.

  • A white and brown alpaca

    Alpacas

    Our Huacaya alpacas are native to South America and the Andes mountains; they can live at elevations as high as 13,000 feet. Come and say hello to Valentina, Callie Rose, Luna, and Sunshine!

  • Two mules

    Donkeys

    We have four Sicilian Mini Donkeys: Paco, Pablo, Percy, and Penny. They’re not only cute, they can even be “hired” to carry drinks at picnics and events here at The Ranch!

  • Sheep

    We have a whole flock of sheep who graze and help keep the Hilltop tidy. There are too many to list all of their names here, but our breeds include Valais Blacknose, East Friesian, Zwartble, and Wensleydale. We harvest their wool for seasonal crafts, and if it’s the right time of year you might be able to watch us shear them!

  • Furry cows in their pen

    Highland Cattle

    We have a miniature heifer (young unbred female) named Belle and a miniature steer named Bucky. While they aren’t related, they were raised together and are good friends!

  • Mini Horses

    Pebbles and Flowermoon are mother and daughter (or mare and filly); Flowermoon is friendly and loves to trot up to guests and say hello. She can be a bit sassy, though! Both of them serve as “seeing-eye guides” for Shy Shy, who is about 85% blind.

Helpful Herd Info

When can I see the herd?

That depends on who you want to meet and what you want to see! Usually, the Hilltop Corral is open during daylight hours with shuttle service starting at 8 a.m. and ending at 4:30 p.m. Guests can also access the Hilltop Corral during the day using our scenic Horseshoe Loop trail. We have organized activities with the herd and our bees that you can join as well. (You can’t go hang out in the apiary on your own, sorry.)

What do the animals eat?

All of our animals eat hay and grains—we stock four kinds of hay: alfalfa, barley straw, grass, and a blend of alfalfa and grass. Alfalfa is nutrient-dense, with high protein and high sugar; the sugar content is why we have to carefully monitor what everyone eats.

 

Two goats at the door

Can I feed them?

If you’re taking part in one of our activities and you get the go-ahead from your guide, you bet. Besides that, please refrain from sneaking them snacks of any sort; each type of animal has different nutritional needs, and some are on special diets.

 

 

Is the herd safe?

Our Ranch Hands take great care of all of the animals here—and while there are some predators in the surrounding area, such as mountain lions and coyotes, we’ve been able to keep them away from our friends.

 

Fun Facts

  • All of our animals sleep lying down. Most have a similar sleep schedule to us, but horses just need a few hours a night.
  • The goats and sheep huddle together in piles when it’s time for bed.
  • Goats have four stomach compartments, while alpacas have three!
  • Instead of fighting for dominance, alpacas graze and sometimes rub necks.
  • Our horses and goats are very curious—and they love to butt heads (the goats, that is, not the horses).
  • The Ameraucanas chickens in our coop lay eggs that are bluish to green.
  • We carefully monitor horse feeding—if we don’t, they will eat and eat and eat!
  • Our Swiss Saanen goats are the only ones we milk—we get a half-gallon from each milking, and it all gets used right here. But if they eat too much oak, their milk can get sour.
  • We go through about 600 bales of hay each year!
Four chickens outside of the coop
Three Young Goats
Alpacas on The Ranch