Highgate Ostrich Ranch

Ride 'em cowboy! Josh got a good ride around the ostrich yard. He said it was prickly under there on his legs, and he got nervous when his ostrich went near other ostriches, but was glad to know they can't kick from the back.

Even I got brave enough to sit on but not to ride around.

Evangel enjoyed the ride the best, but said it's hard to hold on to the wings and was worried about breaking them.

Timmy goes for the jugalar vein.

Paul finds it! Who would have thought an ostrich could hold him? Evangel wants a baby one.

Josh isn't quite so gentle. Maybe they'll hatch under his feet. He has pretty hot feet.

One more look at Paul. We learned a lot at this ranch. We saw a chariot designed for ostriches. They'd put 2 females in front, and 2 males behind, and they'd run, if it was mating season. However ostriches aren't real bright, nor do they work well together so the chariot was retired.

I also learned that male heads and feet turn red when they are in breeding season. They get 16 eggs in the nest, laying one every other day, before they start sitting on them. If there are more then 16, they boot out the extra.