Activity 1: Big Bird

As cool as it would be to meet the giant yellow bird who makes its home on Sesame St., the big birds that we met were slightly less sunny in coloration and made their home in an ostrich farm.  When we got to the farm, we were told briefly about the history of the ostrich in South Africa, what the meat and the feathers were used for and some other facts.  Then we got a tour of the farm.  In one pen, there was one bird that we were able to feed.  They are actually quite large and kind of scary up close.  Their beak/lips were leathery feeling and quite strong when you stuck your hand out with some pellets in the palm.  We saw some other pens that seemed too small for the number of birds it contained.  Then we came to a larger pen that had several ostriches it it.  This was where tourists could have the opportunity to ride an ostrich.  Because it was rainy when we were there, we could only sit on the birds.  I didn’t really like this part and I did not sit on one.  The handlers seemed to be very harsh to the birds and they stuck a bag over its head in order for the bird to be calm.  It was all just very strange.  The treatment, the conditions - it just wasn’t sitting well with me.  Our tour ended with lunch and then we moved on to the next activity.

I don’t have any pictures - so instead, here are some fun facts about ostriches.

Ostriches can run up to 40mph.

Fossils of ostriches have been found that date back to 120 million years.  Related to dinosaurs??  I think maybe.

One ostrich eggs equals 24 chicken eggs and takes around 2 hours to hard boil one.

An ostriches eye is bigger than its brain.