Barnyard Babies is, quite literally, the most ADORABLE business idea ever. Think a miniature zoo full of utterly sweet baby farm animals (calves, lambs, goats, ducklings, piglets, chickens etc) set up in your own backyard!
For my nephew's first birthday party, recently, my brother got Barnyard Babies to set up a "petting zoo" out the back of their house. It took me all my strength not to push various excitable toddlers out of the road so I could get to my favourite baby goat. (I totally bonded with him after he tried to eat my dress - I figured he had good taste).
Most of the baby animals are orphaned (all together now: "awwwwww") and have been hand reared, so they're really comfortable with human contact. Hence they're not even slightly bothered by a bunch of squealing toddlers, nor various cooing adults. They're happy to let you pat them, rub their ears, tickle their tummies, talk nonsense to them and pick them up for a cuddle. There was even a pony for the smaller kids to ride.
And at the end of the two hour "zoo" experience, some of the lucky adults at the party got to carry an animal each out to the truck. So I got to hold my favourite darling baby goat - who immediately put his little head on my shoulder and fall asleep.
Which is so damn cute, I feel a tiny bit sick. In a good way. read more