To the uninitiated, the 100-mile stretch of I-10 between Tucson and Phoenix seems barren. Locals, however, know about the array of attractions to be found along (or close to) this route, including Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, Picacho Peak State Park, and the subject of this post, the Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Ranch.
I first became aware of it in the fall of 2005, when as a freshman at the University of Arizona in Tucson, I made the trip to Phoenix with several teammates. Our mission: go to IKEA and In-N-Out Burger (this was before the burger joint opened its Tucson restaurants). At 18 years old, we didn’t have the attention span to stop at the oddity at the base of Picacho Peak, 40 miles north of Tucson.
Nor did I stop on any of the numerous other Phoenix expeditions I’ve made over the years. That big blue sign saying “FEED THE OSTRICH” did always pique my interest though. And so, on a cloudy but warm November Sunday, I found myself, finally, at Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Ranch.
Not knowing what to expect, I paid my fare and received a large plastic cup full of green pellets, a wooden stick with bird seed on it, and a tiny cup (the kind you put ketchup in at fast-food restaurants) containing what I assume was essentially sugar water.
Donkeys and deer
My first stop: the donkey pen. Though about 30 donkeys vied for my green pellets, one stood out and received the bulk of my bounty for its efforts. I’ve featured this determined individual in the brief photo series below:
Donkey.
DONKEY!
DONKEY!
Interestingly, the deer showed nothing but disdain for my green pellet offering:
The deer weren’t hungry.
The main attraction: ostriches
This was by far the most ostriches I’ve seen at one time. This makes sense; it is an ostrich ranch after all. Still, a unique experience, to say the least. One thing about ostriches: if they see you have food, they all watch your every move. It’s a strange thing, seeing all those spindly necks swivel in unison.
All eyes on me (and my green pellets).
Ostriches can be aggressive. For this reason, rather than feed them directly as for the donkeys and deer, you’re supposed to put the green pellets into various ostrich-feeding receptacles. You can see a video of one below. Note the difficulty in even getting the food into the receptacles.
Feeling brave, I decided to feed them by hand anyway. Though the speed with which the ostrich beaks careened toward my hand was a bit unnerving, the bites left no lasting damage. Note: that DOES NOT mean I suggest you let your children try it!
Right before it took a swipe at my pellet cup.
Additional feathered friends: parakeets and lorikeets
Still wondering what the seedy stick and sugary water are for? Well, the ostriches aren’t the only birds around, and apparently the others aren’t satisfied with green pellets.
“Parakeet Perch” holds a few dozen parakeets, all quickly drawn to the side of the cage when they see you have a stick. They squabbled over my stick for a bit before one landed on the stick itself, a position from which it successfully defended the seeds on the end from all challengers.
Parakeet Perch.
Parakeets everywhere.
Similarly, the lorikeets swarmed to my hands before I even opened the sugar water cup. Rather than give in, I sat back and enjoyed their company until I was ready to leave. Only then did I give them the sweet elixir.
Selfie with a lorikeet.
More four-legged furballs: goats, sheep, and rabbits
Though I didn’t spend as much time with them, it’s worth noting some of the other main attractions at the ostrich ranch. They have goats, sheep, and rabbits, to name a few.
The Rooster Cogburn goats occupy several … interesting … feeding spots. I’ll write more about this in a future post. Here’s a teaser though:
This needs further discussion.
Another thing about goats: they have strangely-shaped eyeballs. I had never noticed this before. Here’s what I mean:
I told you it was weird.
To finish up, I spent a little time with the sheep and checked out the rabbits at Bunnyville USA.
The sheep were very attentive.
Bunnyville was hoppin!
Summing up my visit to Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Ranch
Before visiting, I hadn’t realized how many animals reside at Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Ranch. In addition to all those I’ve chronicled above, there are tortoises, ducks, stingrays, and more, making for quite the eclectic collection.
Overall, I had a good time hanging out with the animals but, nerd that I am, I would have liked more opportunities to learn a thing or two about them. The biggest reason for less-than-excellent marks, however, is my discomfort with the goat shtick. Just let the poor goats be on the ground!
My Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Ranch rating: ★★★☆☆
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