> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://keiem.be/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # 't Kakelend Kippenmuseum: from chicken coop to official zoo - URL: https://keiem.be/en/kakelend-kippenmuseum-zoo/ - Published: 2026-10-10T11:12:55.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-27T19:53:57.000Z - Description: 't Kakelend Kippenmuseum in Keiem started with a few chickens and has been officially recognised as a zoo since March 2026. With dromedaries, pancakes and a play barn. - Author: Giovanni Vandewaetere - Tags: About Keiem, #en Say "chickens" in Keiem and people soon think of **'t Kakelend Kippenmuseum** ("the cackling chicken museum"). What started with a few chickens grew into an animal park that delights some 10,000 visitors a year. And since this spring it may officially call itself a **zoo**. Time for a visit to the Wittepoortstraat! ### It started with a chicken The name says it all. "The name refers to the fact that we started with chickens," owner **Hendrik David** told the Flemish broadcaster VRT. And the "cackling" is there for a reason: you won't find stuffed specimens in a glass case here. Everything scratches, honks and cackles around very much alive. ![Where it all started: chickens, with chicks](https://keiem.be/content/images/2026/10/kippenmuseum-kippen.jpg) Where it all started: chickens, with chicks (photo: 't Kakelend Kippenmuseum) Today the Kippenmuseum is an alternative children's farm and animal park, with an educational walking park full of animals: hundreds in total, from old chicken breeds, **donkeys**, **ponies** and shaggy **Highland cattle** to species you would not expect in the polders. Be sure to look for the **zonkey**, a cross between a zebra and a donkey. A real eye-catcher! ![Ponies in the meadow](https://keiem.be/content/images/2026/10/kippenmuseum-pony-s.jpg) Ponies in the meadow (photo: 't Kakelend Kippenmuseum) ![A Highland cow with her calf](https://keiem.be/content/images/2026/10/kippenmuseum-hooglander.jpg) A Highland cow with her calf (photo: 't Kakelend Kippenmuseum) ### From children's farm to zoo On **25 March 2026** the good news arrived: 't Kakelend Kippenmuseum is officially recognised as a zoo. It was a long road, as the application dragged on for no less than **five years**. Why was the recognition so important? Under the rules, a children's farm was no longer allowed to keep the exotic species. And by now they are simply part of the family: a pair of **dromedaries**, **wallabies**, **emus**, **prairie dogs**, **maras** (Patagonian hares), budgerigars, ringneck doves, white swans and pheasants live there alongside the chickens. Without the recognition, they would have had to leave. ![The maras, also called Patagonian hares](https://keiem.be/content/images/2026/10/kippenmuseum-maras.jpg) The maras, also called Patagonian hares (photo: 't Kakelend Kippenmuseum) ![A prairie dog keeps watch](https://keiem.be/content/images/2026/10/kippenmuseum-prairiehondje.jpg) A prairie dog keeps watch (photo: 't Kakelend Kippenmuseum) Don't expect a savannah in the polders, though. "You shouldn't expect lions and tigers here any time soon," Hendrik laughs. For him, the recognition is above all a pat on the back: "This is how we are rewarded for our hard work." ![The team behind 't Kakelend Kippenmuseum](https://keiem.be/content/images/2026/10/kippenmuseum-team.jpg) The team behind 't Kakelend Kippenmuseum (photo: 't Kakelend Kippenmuseum) ![Exploring along the footpath through the animal park](https://keiem.be/content/images/2026/10/kippenmuseum-wandelpad.jpg) Exploring along the footpath through the animal park (photo: 't Kakelend Kippenmuseum) ![Who's watching whom?](https://keiem.be/content/images/2026/10/kippenmuseum-hertje.jpg) Who's watching whom? (photo: 't Kakelend Kippenmuseum) ### Play, feast and unwind A visit is more than just looking at animals: - **Goat petting area:** where you can stroke and cuddle the goats up close. A favourite with the youngest visitors. - **Playground and play barn:** where children can romp to their heart's content, even when the weather is typically West Flemish. - **Cafeteria with a sunny terrace:** with homemade pancakes and ice cream. The fresh milk comes from their own **Jersey cows**; the chain can't get any shorter. There is room for 155 people inside and 100 on the terrace. - **Picnicking** is allowed too, and the park is wheelchair-friendly. - **Charging point:** if you drive an electric car, you can charge it during your visit across the street (Wittepoortstraat 34). ![Mother and kid in the goat enclosure](https://keiem.be/content/images/2026/10/kippenmuseum-geitjes.jpg) Mother and kid in the goat enclosure (photo: 't Kakelend Kippenmuseum) ![The terrace of the cafeteria](https://keiem.be/content/images/2026/10/kippenmuseum-terras.jpg) The terrace of the cafeteria (photo: 't Kakelend Kippenmuseum) ![A fresh pancake by the stove](https://keiem.be/content/images/2026/10/kippenmuseum-pannenkoek.jpg) A fresh pancake by the stove (photo: 't Kakelend Kippenmuseum) **Read also:** [Kaasmakerij 't Dischhof](https://keiem.be/en/t-dischhof-cheese-farm/) · [Keiem, a polder village with character on the Yser](https://keiem.be/en/keiem-polder-village-on-the-yser/) ### Practical **Admission** €8 per person. Children under 1.10 m free. Pay in cash or with Payconiq. **Dogs** Your four-legged friend is welcome, on a lead. **Opening hours** Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday and public holidays: 1.30 – 6.30 pm School holidays: every afternoon from 1.30 to 6.30 pm November, January and February: Saturday and Sunday afternoons only Annual closure: closed from 20 December to 10 January Practical updates (for example in bad weather) appear on their [Facebook page](https://facebook.com/kakelendkippenmuseum). ### Contact **'t Kakelend Kippenmuseum** (Hendrik David) [Wittepoortstraat 25, 8600 Diksmuide-Keiem, Belgium](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Wittepoortstraat+25,+8600+Keiem&ref=keiem.be) Phone [+32 474 29 50 86](tel:+32474295086) E-mail: [info@kakelendkippenmuseum.be](mailto:info@kakelendkippenmuseum.be) Website: [kakelendkippenmuseum.be](https://www.kakelendkippenmuseum.be/?ref=keiem.be) Follow farm life on [Facebook](https://facebook.com/kakelendkippenmuseum) and [Instagram](https://instagram.com/kakelendkippenmuseum/?ref=keiem.be). *Sources:* [*VRT NWS (25 March 2026)*](https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2026/03/25/keiem-kakelende-kippenmuseum-dierentuin-kinderboerderij-west-vla/?ref=keiem.be)*,* [*kakelendkippenmuseum.be*](https://www.kakelendkippenmuseum.be/?ref=keiem.be) *and* [*Toerisme Diksmuide*](https://tourism.diksmuide.be/aanbod/detail/404/t-kakelend-kippenmuseum?ref=keiem.be)*.*