A growing family of critters

Funny Farm Petting Zoo offers a great place to explore.

Funny Farm owner Bob Irwin (in the background) checks on the stalls.

Amy Wilson

The name says it all. When you enter the Funny Farm Petting Zoo in Laurie, expect to be greeted by some four-legged creatures.
Just opened in 2010, owners Bob and Mary Ann Irwin say the goal is to offer families a chance to get back to basics with this authentic, kid-friendly experience.
From Patsy Swine, the pot-bellied pig, to the more exotic emu, a wide variety of critters call the 15-acre farm home, and the Irwins continue to add more to the family.
Besides attending animal auctions, Bob says they try to have something hatching or birthing as much as possible, so kids can see the babies.
"We wanted to do something different. There's not a lot of kid-friendly things to do around here. This is an affordable activity for the whole family where kids can experience something maybe they wouldn't have had the chance to otherwise," Bob says. "Kids love it. The hard part will be getting them to leave."
In addition to interacting with the animals face-to-face, pony and horse rides are available for kids and adults.
The grounds include walking trails and a picnic area with firepit, and The Funny Farm is also available for birthday parties and field trips.

Cast of characters
Petunia, an approximately 650-pound Old Heritage Spot sow
Porker Wagoner, a Red Tamworth board of similar gerth
Pork Chop, a four-year-old Pot-bellied pig and her other piglet friends, Kevin Bacon and Patsy Swine
Posie the pony
Otis, a miniature long-haired Scottish Highland steer
Scout and Blue, two Spotted Grass yearling draft horses, Midget and Bill, a pair of lofty Clydesdales and other a couple of Perchoron-Belgian crosses - there's also mini-donkey Barack, Bo Jangles, a mini-horse and mini-mule Pelosi
Becky and her babies, Buck Trent and Domino, Ricky Bobby and several other pygmy goats
Andre, a Flemish Giant Rabbit
Four llamas
An assortment of foul, including emus, J.T. and Fisher, and their offspring, Banty chickens, Blue Slate, Bronze and Bourbon Red turkeys, peacocks and pigeons and geese and ducks