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.
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!
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.
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."
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).
Read also: Kaasmakerij 't Dischhof · Keiem, a polder village with character 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.
Contact
't Kakelend Kippenmuseum (Hendrik David)
Wittepoortstraat 25, 8600 Diksmuide-Keiem, Belgium
Phone +32 474 29 50 86
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: kakelendkippenmuseum.be
Follow farm life on Facebook and Instagram.
Sources: VRT NWS (25 March 2026), kakelendkippenmuseum.be and Toerisme Diksmuide.