On their own terms....

Will you play with me?

We gave the donkeys 2 hula hoops the first week we got them.   It was as if the toys weren't there.   There was no interest at all.   Nada.    We tried an old ball that my daughter had in the yard.   I tossed it out there, it rolled right by them, totally ignored.   Then a couple of weeks ago we had a soccer ball that Sassy (a dog cousin that came over for a visit) decided to deflate during a rambunctious play episode, we decided to toss that over into the pasture as well.   You guessed it, totally ignored.

Then I took the tractor down to the bottom of the pasture the other day and what did I come across?  The original hula hoop we gave the boys.   It has been flattened and had obviously been played with.   I picked it up and brought it up to the top of the pasture and now they play with it most every day.   As you can see above, Lefty enjoys holding it in his mouth and walks through it when he carries it.   I think he would try to use it as a Jump Rope if he could.

Then the other day, I found the first ball we put out there for them.  Totally shredded from what I can only assume was a very spirited game of tug o war.   Then I saw them sparring over the deflated soccer ball the next afternoon.

It appears that they do enjoy the toys, but only on their own terms.   That caused me to start thinking about the dreaded and feared 'Fly Spray' that we still haven't been able to introduce them to.    It would make their life so much better to not have to deal with the gnats and flies biting them all time, but for some reason they have deemed it totally 'off limits.'    What if we had a way to introduce it to them on their own terms?  

Next stop the Tractor Supply website and during a browsing session I saw it...   Even though it's designed for cows, it surely can't hurt to try it out.   Here is a link to the Cow Life Cattle Rub that I think might just do the trick.    I can put the Fly Spray liquid on this contraption and then Pancho and Lefty can apply the stuff to them the first time 'on their own terms.'    You reckon it might work?   It's sure worth 20 bucks to find out to me.

I'll give you this, life with these boys is never dull.   I hope you all have a great weekend, and Pancho says...

"Check out my profile... Aren't I handsome?"

Curisoity

 We are getting 2 Pygmy Goats.  That means a new fenced enclosure for them.   Well Thursday afternoon we measured and laid out the area for the new enclosure so I can go this morning to get the materials for the new fence.   Of course you can bet Pancho and Lefty were right there checking out every step in the process.   As you can see above, Panch is curiously watching me put the stake in the ground.   (Notice the 'SAFE' distance he keeps, because I did have something in my hand that could have been that God Forsaken Fly Spray that they hate so much)

After I laid out the stakes and as I was taking my measurements  Lefty decided to investigate the stakes I'd already put in the ground (Again, the safe distance from me and any potential Fly Spray attempt)

First he smelled them, then he tasted them to make sure they weren't some sort of treat, then finally it became a scratching post to sooth his neck.    He then proceeded to knock it over due to his scratch attack.

After all was said and done, we removed the stakes, because I did't want them potentially hurting themselves on the posts, but I can only imagine how they are going to 'help' me later today when I start putting in the new fence posts.    I'm sure that will provide some prime blogging material.   Stay tuned...

Let Sleeping Donkeys Lie...

So this morning I'm leaving to go  to work about 6am.   I cut an apple in half for the boys and as usual, if I don't see them up in the top part of the pasture, I'll just leave the apple halves on two fence posts for them later.

But wait, there is Pancho lying under their shed.  I call out to him, nothing.   I figure he's snoozing so I go to the gate and open it.   Not worrying about how much noise I make, hoping it will rouse him and Lefty.

Still nothing, I walk all the way up to him and he is clearly asleep with his eyes open, by this time Lefty (who is laying facing the opposite direction is turning around to look at me and is starting to get up.   I hold the apple half up to Pancho's nose and he stands up awake (or so I think)

He takes half the apple and puts it in his mouth.  Now I should tell you, normally, Panchy is the aggressive eater what with his big mouth.  Today, though he delicately takes the apple from my hand.

Almost as soon as he took the apple, it fell out of his mouth totally unscathed.   It's as if his mouth was still asleep.   The apple dropped and Lefty was 'Johnny on the Spot' and got the apple half and began munching on it right away.

Pancho by that time had woken up enough to take the other half of apple out of my hand and began eating it.

I got a good chuckle out of Pancho's mouth not waking up at the same time he did.

I read up on Donkey sleeping habits today.  If they lay down to sleep it means they feel at ease and comfortable in their surroundings.   If they are in the wild, they always sleep standing up in order to be able to fend off any danger straight away.   It makes me feel glad that the donkeys feel comfortable in their pasture to sleep laying down.

I'll just let them sleep next time...

Do Dah Day....

So a friend suggested that we should take Pancho and Lefty to Do Dah Day.   I love going to Do Dah Day, but trying to take Pancho and Lefty there?  Not so much....

Let's look at the facts:

1. When we first brought them home it took 1 1/2 hours to get them on the trailer before we could leave their old home.   Definitely don't want to do that again.

2.  They boys aren't lead trained at all.   They don't even like to get brushed for God's sakes, you think they would follow us on a lead?

3.  They tend to be a little shy around folks until you get to know them.   Heck, even some days (like yesterday afternoon) they treat me like a stranger.   I suspect that will get better with time.

Now, as some of you might know if you follow our Facebook feeds, we are getting some new additions to our little blossoming farm in early June.  Not in time for this year's Do Dah Day, but maybe next year.   Bonnie and Clyde (Yes they already have names) are two infant Pygmy Goats that we are getting.   Now, they might be the right size to take to Do Dah Day, and we have a year to get them lead trained.

Lead training is one thing, but potty training?  That's totally out of the question, so we have decided that if we do take them to Do Dah Day, we will need help, so we are trying to enlist Lori's daughter and her best friend to act as the 'Bonnie and Clyde Environmental Impact Team'  We'll even get them shirts to wear as they walk behind us and pick up any 'accidents'

Meanwhile, Pancho and Lefty will stay at home and in their pasture where they can do their own thing, on their own time...   And that sometimes involves giving us a 'Razzberry' as you can see from Lefty's picture below.    If you are in Birmingham on Saturday May 18th, head out to Southside and partake in all the fun that is Do Dah Day...  It's a great day for animals in Birmingham and they have great music too.  

Here is a link to their website...

Do Dah Day

Sunday Afternoon Dilemma...

Well there you have it, the classic Mexican Standoff.   The Sweet Feed (oh the glorious sweet feed) is so close, yet just out of the frame is Lori standing with the bottle of Fly Spray we bought and have been trying to spray on the boys.

We thought today that I would bring the sweet feed into the paddock and Lori would play the bad cop and spray them with the fly spray when the started eating. Well how do you think that went?

The Donkeys won this round, but we will keep trying.    Just like they still don't like getting brushed, it will only take one time for them to realize just how good it makes them feel.  

Life with Pancho and Lefty is never boring.  In fact, it's often the biggest chuckle we get all day.

In the absence of Peppermint, Vanilla Wafers will apparently do quite well...

OK, so it should come as no surprise to anyone that our donkeys are spoiled.   Totally and indisputably spoiled.

I came home from getting gas for the lawn mower this evening to witness the aftermath of the video you see above.   We ran out of peppermints and I (trying to be the good donkey owner) have been giving the boys 1/2 an apple in the morning before I leave to go to work.

Lori (being the 'enabler' donkey owner) has been giving them Vanilla Wafers as a treat.   As you can see from the video, they apparently like them a lot.

And if you look at the picture below, it appears that there must be some sort of 'Donkey Narcotic' in them, as Pancho looks a little glassy eyed in the photo.

Anyone know a Donkey Interventionist?  We might need their services soon...

Rainy Sunday morning, boredom ensues...

So it's a rainy Sunday morning.  When you are are donkey that really hates to get wet, that means boredom under the shelter.   I looked out from the deck and saw Pancho standing under the shelter I built them.  It makes me happy that they use it to protect themselves from the elements, but today, the look on Panch's face looked just like a kid at the window on a rainy day longing to go out and play.

Lefty?  He might be under the shelter on the other side of his buddy, but he doesn't mind the rain as much.  He will get wet and love it, in fact, I've seen him rolling in the mud on occasion.

I guess I will be looking out the window today as well.  There are a ton of projects to do outside, but the rain will keep me from doing them.    I might go to the workshop and finish the Herb planter I'm building for Lori, that's a nice 'inside' chore I can do.

Enjoy your Sunday, whether it be rainy or sunny...