Meet the farmer making £100,000-a-year showing off his pet quail online – posing them in customised miniature hats.
Bernard Henry, 30 regularly posts videos on TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube of his Mearns quail, Finn, sporting one of his 100 personalised bonnets.
With 1.6million followers on TikTok, Bernard earns £100,000 annually via the creator fund – where creators are paid depending on how many people interact with their content.
The flower farmer purchases tiny hats for Finn to wear from a woman on Etsy, who brings Bernard’s creative visions to life.
Finn also receives 10 to 20 hats a month from his fans and Bernard’s favourite is a full Sherlock Holmes outfit one follower handmade.
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Bernard loves spending time with the pets and dresses Finn up in cute hats – such as a jester hat and a flat cap.
Bernard, a flower farmer, from New Milford, Connecticut, US, said: “None of the other animals enjoy wearing hats but Belle – who is a California quail – likes to wear sunglasses.
“I wanted to make the farm open to the public for Easter because the tulips look amazing but sadly I’ve been too busy.
“I love all my birds and some of them I’ve had for 14 years.
“My grandparents had a farm and my parents always had birds in the house so it’s normal to me.”
Bernard – who lives with his husband, Michael Cefalu, 30 and 200 birds – is now gearing up for Easter.
He said: “I love it.
“I used to be glued to my desk for medical school and miserable.”
Bernard spends five hours a day with the birds and loves to try out different themed hats on Finn – such as a cap and beret.
He said: “He loves wearing the hats.
“I want to get him and my other bird, Daisy, a little tux and wedding gown after they mate.”
Bernard and Michael have been married for a year-and-a-half, but together for more than a decade.
“Michael’s more of a dog person, but I tell him it’s either the quail or the highway,” Bernard said.
“I don’t think anyone loves birds as much as me.
Bernard has captured his love for quails in a children’s book centred around Finn called ‘The Imaginary Adventures of Finn’ – which has sold 2,000 copies this year.
