Caring for the animals

Young Chang

The chickens at the Great American Petting Zoo have names.

Loretta is the silky black Japanese hen. She’s a serene, easygoing

little character.

Ethel is the black and white chicken from Plymouth, Mass. She’s got

more energy and is lively.

Their neighbors within the same stretch of fencing include Ariel, the

adult European fallow deer-- like Ariel from “The Little Mermaid” -- and

a large llama who goes by Dakota.

Suddenly, it becomes more personal to know, after witnessing Sherry

Gavlik rattle off her animals’ names, that the inhabitants of the

different zoos and farms at the Orange County Fair get the love and care

they need.

Gavlik starts her day two hours before the fair opens -- so at 8 a.m.

when the fair opens at 10 a.m., and at 10 a.m. if the festivities start

at noon.

She feeds each of her chickens, goats, fawns, baby goats, ducks,

sheep, lambs and donkeys. She then cleans out their pens and grazing

areas, and ensures each has fresh water to drink.

The goats all free feed on hay that’s scattered on the ground. But

there are choices: alfalfa hay, oat hay and grass hay.

Over at Centennial Farm, the pigs get hog rations called pellets. They

contain enough essential nutrients to fill them up all day.

Teresa Mason, a staff member at the farm, said care-takingcrews arrive

at 6:30 a.m. every day to feed and clean the animals, just as Gavlik does

for hers at the Petting Zoo.

The sheep are sheared annually, usually around fair time so kids can

watch demonstrations. The goats get brushed on the weekends.

The horses are bathed every day and combed to look nice too.

Cows are milked -- during the day, also for milking demonstrations --

and the jersey cows especially look forward to fair time because they

love when kids pet them.

“People come in first thing in the morning to feed and clean the

pens,” Mason said. “Have it nice and fresh for the children because some

go in to have hands-on experience with the goats.”

Jim Bailey, manager of Centennial Farm, spends most of his time

nowadays overseeing all of his crews. But he’s personally taken care of

his animals for so many years that he makes sure it’s done right.

“I think all animals should be cared for properly,” he said.

Mason agrees, especially because they bring a taste of the rural to

city-grazing Newport-Mesans.

“We get thank-you notes,” she said. “Kids will go back to class and

write stories and thank-you notes, drawing pictures of their favorite

animals. It’s amazing. You have to see the looks on the faces.”