UNION — Children recently enjoyed an afternoon with furry, feathered and scaly friends at Vauxhall Branch Library.
Farm Chicks Traveling Petting Zoo is an educational and recreational petting zoo that provides a fun, safe experience. Almost 100 patrons were at the library.
Owner Diana Warcholik and her assistant, Nancy White, offered the opportunity for children to see farm animals up close and to pet them.
“Pet gently,” Warcholik said. “They are friendly animals. They don’t bite.”
Pumpkin and Lasagna are two 8-year-old guinea pigs. They are siblings. Guinea pigs live between eight and 10 years.
“They are very friendly,” said Warcholik. “They are vegetarians. They eat a lot of plants, grass, clover… Lettuce is their favorite. They like cucumbers. Tomatoes. They love carrots. They like every fruit. They love apples and blueberries.”
Salt and Pepper are two miniature bantam chickens. They have very fluffy feathers and feathers on their legs, which means they are “booted.”
They are omnivores. They eat bugs, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, chicken, eggs and plants. “They are very good eaters,” said Warcholik.
Bantam chickens can lay one egg per day.
Warcholik explained that the male chickens are called roosters and they are the farm’s alarm clock, waking other chickens, farm animals and farmers, starting at 4 a.m. “Their job is also a bodyguard,” said Warcholik. “They watch out for danger, protecting hens.”
Oatmeal and Raisin are twin Dutch rabbits, just three months old. They always have a color on their head and ears matching the color on their back, with a band of white color in the middle, unlike rabbits in the wild, which have camouflage colors such as brown and gray – never white. Rabbits have great eyesight and move very quickly.
“Very friendly, easy to hold,” said Warcholik. “Low energy.”
Toast and Maple Syrup are baby white duck siblings. They have bills, they do not have a sharp beak as a chicken does. Chickens peck at their food. Ducks will scoop it up. They eat little fish, tadpoles and frogs. Warcholik said, “A duck would eat as many worms as they can catch. It’s their favorite thing.”
Ducks have three toes and webbed feet, enabling them to swim. “They paddle in water all day long,” said Warcholik. “They love to be in water.”
Martha is a red spotted tortoise from South America; a warmer climate.
“Not an easy pet to have,” said Warcholik. “During the summer, she can be outside. On evenings down to the 50s, in the house. Perfect weather is 80s and humid.”
Martha is 24 years old and can live to be 80.
Her shell is hard but sensitive. “If you find a turtle in a park, don’t bang on it,” said Warcholik.
To learn more about Farm Chicks Traveling Petting Zoo, visit: https://www.farmchicks123.com/.
Visit Vauxhall Branch Library at: https://uplnj.org/hours-and-locations/vauxhall-branch/.
Photos by Maryanne Christiano-Mistretta
