Explore the Farm
Although we started with chickens, our little farm has quickly grown. The animals are one of the best parts of visiting La Finca Dulce Vida; these guys are better than cartoons!
The Chickens
Our farm started with thirty chickens that needed rehoming. The flock began quickly expanding after we found harmony with the island’s predators. We put any excess eggs into the incubator to either join the rest or give to friends to start their chicken army! Silkie chickens were added to our farm as they are naturally very broody and great mothers. They will sit on almost any egg, hatch it, and care for the chick like it is their own! The next chickens we expanded to are colorful egg layers. Have you ever seen a natural-colored green egg? What about red, blue, or pink? One of our dreams is to let our guests collect these colorful eggs every morning for breakfast.
The Geese
The first goose we added to the farm was Frank; although he does a fantastic job protecting the chickens from the endangered hawks… it’s a good idea to stay clear of him! He tends to bite! Three female goslings joined the farm to help protect the increasing amount of chickens and try to make Frank sweeter.
The Cats
Mama Mitchu was added to keep the mice population in the chicken coop down, with the uncertainty that she may be pregnant. One morning, when opening the coop to collect eggs, we were greeted with six kittens! One was rehomed to a family, and the other five stayed. Mitchu elected to retire and leave her legacy to the kittens; she mostly spends her time greeting guests and asking for chuletas.
The Goats
One goat is never enough! Goats are mischievous but affectionate creatures that will entertain you for hours. They love to jump from anything that’s slightly elevated and EAT! We use rotational grazing for our goats, making our lives easier. These goats can clear out hillsides that we could never get to in mere hours. Recently we had three kids born from our goats, Miley and Janice!
The Burros
Pepe was one of the first animals to join our farm! Although we were looking for a mean burro, we ended up with one of the sweetest donkeys ever. He loves greeting people and pets. It wasn’t easy finding him or hauling him across the island! Marcia, Pepe’s pregnant girlfriend, soon joined us. She is the cutest curly-haired donkey you will ever see.
The Dogs
After increasing scares with the wild dogs, we decided to get Maya and Odin, two Maremma livestock guardian dogs. Maya was a two-year-old trained livestock guard dog, and Odin was her puppy trainee. With their presence, our issues with the feral dogs quickly ended. Odin is no longer so little; he is easily over 100 pounds! Although they look cute and cuddly, remember never to enter the animal pens unless accompanied by staff- it is the dog’s job to protect the goats! During your time here, you might also spot a black dog named Dodo; he is a friendly neighborhood dog that loves to come to say hi and play with Maya and Odin.
Guest Appearances
There’s a good chance that you may see a few guest appearances when visiting. There is tons of wildlife in the mountains. From the coqui to lizards, even wild horses! There are also many wild pigs in the area!