Amber from Spoiled Rotten Ranch grew up on a hobby farm. “We had ducks, chickens, sheep, goats, horses and quail,” she recalls. “Most of my best childhood memories are with the animals, hanging in the dirt.”
Discovering a grounded feeling from being around animals all day, Amber decided that she wanted to carry on that tradition in later life. So she started Spoiled Rotten Ranch. This southern California-based farm that began with the introduction of three goats.
We spoke to Amber about the Spoiled Rotten Ranch’s resident barnyard clown and how befriending crows can be beneficial to your poultry. We also got into the #tongueouttuesday social media trend.
Send in the Clown
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When it comes to the personalities of the animals living at the Spoiled Rotten Ranch, Amber describes their rescue donkey Pico as the barnyard’s in-house joker.
“Pico is always up to something,” she explains. “He loves to bite on everything like a puppy. And he rears up on his hind legs to eat the low branches and loves to be the center of attention.
“He will try to bite my hammer when I’m doing repair work. He’s opened gates and he also wedged himself into a corner and couldn’t get out until I came to help. The list goes on!”
Read more: Miniature Mediterranean donkeys make great companions!
Tongue out Tuesday
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The Spoiled Rotten Ranch’s Instagram account regularly takes part in the popular #tongueouttuesday (or #tot) hashtag challenge. “I love the candid tongue out photos,” says Amber. “They make me smile. And I started to see that other people find humor in them too. So now it’s just our thing that I like to keep going.”
Amber adds that one of her goals is to “put a smile on as many faces as possible” and that tongue out Tuesdays have become “a great day to share our goofy sides.”
The Role of Crows on the Farm
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Crows are one of the more curious additions to the Spoiled Rotten Ranch. Amber describes them as “incredible birds” that are “extremely intelligent and misunderstood by a lot of people.”
At Spoiled Rotten Ranch, the visiting crows have become flock protectors. “They drive off hawks and falcons on a daily basis and have alerted us multiple times of coyotes on our property,” says Amber. “They hover above the coyotes and caw loudly enough that we have been able to run outside in time to save our flock.”
“Crows never forget a face,” she adds. “If you’re lucky enough to gain the trust of a crow, you’ve gained an amazing friend. We have a murder of crows that visit us daily and keep watch over our coop.”
Read more: Protect your poultry from these common predators!
Spreading Unconditional Love
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Just like when growing up on a hobby farm as a child, Amber finds that being surrounded by animals all day at the Spoiled Rotten Ranch brings her an immense sense of wellbeing.
“Animals give us unconditional love,” she explains. “We have rescued broken-down, abused animals, and the best feeling is being able to give them a home.
“Our barn is therapy. If I ever have a bad day, I head out to the animals and brush a goat, hold a chicken, lead a horse or just sit in their company. They have a way of healing your heart and leaving you with a smile.”
Summing up the spirit of Spoiled Rotten Ranch, Amber adds, “Giving love and being loved is definitely the most rewarding part about having our little farm.”
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