Hello Friends and Family,

Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Ranch, Part 2

Link to this year's index by clicking here.

Another ostrich came up and seemed to be saying, "Hey buddy, you got any food?" I did and I shared.


Not everybody is into a dinner party. This ostrich seems to be seeking solitude.


Others waited by the fence, expecting more to eat.


And they seemed to think "if the stranger with the camera is not going to feed us, we'll find some suckers nearby who will."


It looks like a sandbox. My guess is that it is an ostrich hatchery — that the females lay those huge eggs in the sand to keep them warm. When they hatch, there is some soft turf to prevent the young ones from being crushed.


Another avian species is hungry — this time we see chickens — specifically, Silver Laced Wyandottes. (No I've never heard of them either.) They are an American breed developed in the 1870s.


Wow! Tortoises! I did not see an informational sign but searching online, I would guess them to be Mojave Desert Tortoises.


The cute thing was that each tortoise had a name painted on its shell above its head.


The next hungry animals were ducks, specifically Pekin Ducks. I thought the identification was a joke but it turns out that Pekin or White Pekin is an American breed of domestic duck, raised primarily for meat. It derives from birds brought to the United States from China in the nineteenth century and they are now bred in many parts of the world. Thank you, Wikipedia.


Of course, there is nothing cuter than a bunny rabbit. I don't know the breed but I did note that they have sharp teeth — take care when feeding by hand — it may hurt.


Last for today, we see a herd of Nigerian Dwarf Goats from West Africa. The sign said they are very gentle, lovable, playful, and easily trained. They also tend to have blue eyes. They were pretty gentle taking the food from my hand — unlike the sneaky rabbits.


To be continued...

Life is good.

Aloha,
B. David

P. S., All photos and text © B. David Cathell Photography, Inc. — www.bdavidcathell.com