Aliens are Here!

Posted on by Katie

If you are not a Florida Native you may have screamed this as you stepped outside and as your foot hits the ground flying objects whirl up into the sky in front of you, you duck covering your face with your hands you may even feel them hitting you. You open your eyes and there is the alien looking up.

You have just met the eastern Lubber Grasshopper.

I just took my dog Poppy out for a walk and there were so many of these grasshoppers flying up and away from me and some flying into me it was not a very relaxing walk! My sister’s two pekin ducks are so funny trying to run after them very seldom catching one! They have brutalized my flowers eating stalks and leaves. I put some pest dust on one and it just fluttered its wings and kept on eating! Guess I missed the only time to get control over them which is when they 1st hatch looking like small black grasshoppers with an orange strip.

See How to kill Eastern Lubber Grasshoppers By Kimberly Sharpe at Hunker.com

I am a Si-Fi movie fan strange for a 73-year-old and have often wondered where the writer/producer came up with the “look” of the alien then I discovered that just maybe they used insects.

Lost and Found: Where oh Where Have my Donkeys Gone?

Posted on by Katie

Have you ever lost something important and had no idea where it could be? I have, car keys phone, important papers however, when you walk out to the paddock and all the donkeys and a mustang are nowhere to be found. One or two have escaped but never ALL of them!

The phone rings and it is the County Animal people calling and asking if we were missing (at that time there were 6) donkeys and one white horse, they had us on their call list because they had helped round up some of our herd before. I said yes sounding both relieved and embarrassed, seems that they had received a call from a gentleman 3 miles from our place who reported that when he went out to get the paper there were 5 donkeys and a horse standing at his pasture gate looking like they wanted in so he let them in and they just started grazing like they belonged. I planned to pick them up later when I could find someone help me get them loaded in our trailer. Scary I thought about all the obstacles they had escaped during their journey, they had to cross 4 county roads with traffic and who knows what else and not one of them would tell us about their adventure!

Our vet microchipped each donkey as we added new members to the herd listing each one with the national database should someone find them; they could trace them back to us. Most animal owners with dogs and cats have them microchipped. Here in Florida with the hurricanes and other serious weather it is just important or maybe more so to have your horses and donkeys chipped

See Nancy Loving DVM posting on The State of Microchip use in Horses –
Thehorse.com/19431/the-state-of-the-microchip/

The Evening the Big White Monster came to DonkZ Acres

Posted on by Katie

It’s Fall and our daylight hours are starting to be shorter and shorter causing our evening feeding time to need light to assist in finding the right buckets.  For years we have had this “magical” light that comes on when its dark lighting up the paddock area, however, it has recently began to stay on then off so I called the electric company to see if they could send someone out to fix it and to my surprise they said there would be someone out in about an hour.

My sister and I waited to watch for the truck so we could tell them to use the big gate out on the highway. We gathered up all the herd to keep them from being in the way.  Down our narrow lane comes one of the electric company’s BIG WHITE trucks. We failed to catch him before he came down the lane, he gets out of the truck to ask where the pole with our magical light was located. We pointed to it and told him he would need to go through the pasture to reach it.  He noticed the donkeys and asked if there would be any problem. “No, we said, they will just stand with us and watch.

By now it was getting dark and the BIG White truck came through the gate with its lights on finding its way through bushes making lots of noise like a bulldozer its lights taking on the appearance of big spooky eyes, its big chrome grill seemed to be a mouth with teeth and the roar of the motor sounding like a big monster!  We stood back with the donkeys watching then I noticed Petunia was missing there she was standing directly in front of the Big White Monster with her ears up in the protective stance her feet braced firm she was not going to let this monster get her people!

At first, we thought that she was just being nosey, so I went to get her, and she snorted at me telling me to get behind her!  The repairman finished and brought the boom down he noticed the little donkey standing guard asking if it as okay to get down. He got into the big white truck to leave however little Petunia took exception and we had to go get her so he could leave, As the Big White Monster made its way to the gate Little Petunia followed him all the way to make sure he did not come back!

Check out Hobby Farm’s article about how Donkeys Make Good Guardians.

Nurse Kay Saves the Day

Posted on by Katie

(After Barz shows up with a sore foot) she has earned the nick name Drama Queen because she has learned if she plays like her foot hurts, she gets lots of attention)

As I approached the medical ward (round pen) I observed that the patient was up on all four legs with the injured foot in a “limping” stance. Upon noticing, me she put on her best “poor me” face and brayed with the pitiful sound “Huh, huh, huuuh! I asked her; “How is your Ouchy doing?” She limped ever so pitiful over to the fence.  

Her buddy Rosco was at the fence being very sympathetic and looked at me as to say, “Can I go in and keep her company?”  However, I had upon Clyde’s advice brought a special treat a bag of cookies that is good for donkeys with sore feet. Suddenly, she limped quickly over to the fence where Rosco was standing and put her cute little nose through to get a handful. 

I felt a whisker on my arm and low and behold there was Bugz and Petunia, they had come to pay a visit to poor sick Barz.

I made a note on the chart that there was plenty of shade and water for the patient then left the group to continue their visit, I looked behind me and there was Bugz, he wasn’t stupid he was following the COOKIES

Then I thought I heard Barz tell the others:

Donk Z Acres Choir

Posted on by Katie

As I drive down the road I look to the right and a familiar site comes into view a smile comes upon my face there are donkeys in the pasture next to me, I realize that not all people know the touch of a soft nose with whiskers, the sound of their voices all so different that you can identify each one as they sing the ”Good Morning” song.

Well there goes “Lucy Goosey” AKA Barz chiming in at the age of three she still has not found her grown up voice. Petunia AKA Rooty-Tooty, a round little body, hairy ears, starts with a high note like a train turning the bend then winds down with short little snorts as if she has come unwound. Then overpowering them all BIG MAMA has put out the call – the loudest of them all. But wait, what kind of bray is that? Ahern-a-anug! It’s Atlas my mustang trying to blend in, but with his short ears it’s obvious he is not the same poor thing he just doesn’t have a clue!

They all take their places, Atlas at the big gate, Barz just down from him. Petunia stands quietly reaching with her little nose trying to appear as big as the rest.

Big Mama stands by the little gate that leads into her stall looking regal and dignified after all she is the biggest of all! Finally, the sound of grain rattling in the can prompts them to make the final turn around. While Atlas stays at the big gate, Barz moves to the little gate where her Aunt Clyde is waiting for her to do her only trick “Open the gate Barz!”, Barz moves Petunia and Big Mama out of her way this is her time to shine! “This gate is mine!”

She bumps the gate with her head swinging it wide so proud of her performance she takes her place walking next to Aunt Clyde. “Get Go!” Aunt Clyde yells and Petunia hurries ahead to her stall her head in her empty bucket letting her know that she should have been first after all she is the fastest of them all. As Barz and Petunia begin to dine Atlas is walking next to me talking all the way -I think he is trying to tell me he cannot bray! “It’s OK to be different.” I said, patting him on his head. Quietly hanging back Big Mama waits patiently knowing if she allows scratching down her back, she gets rewarded with a handful of Atlas’ food that Aunt Kay has held back. Then she looks back to see if Petunia and Barz have been fed she finally heads to her stall – you always save the best till the last after all.

I continued by the pasture where the donkeys had caught my eye wishing that others could hear our morning choir singing it’s such a great way to have your day’s beginning!

How to Catch a Runaway Donkey

Posted on by Kay Sanders

It’s late afternoon at Donkz Acres and the yard crews have been here cutting grass. We have a temporary fence that we setup in the front area of the house where when the grass in the pasture is not at its best it is setup so we can put the donkeys on grass off and on through the summer. You know, it has plastic poles and you put around it. My sister Clyde and I decided it would be a good time to put the donkeys in the temporary fence and we could sit and watch them and relax.

Oh my gosh! at the first sign of their halters EVERYONE is at the gate. “Me! Me! take me first!” We have kind of an order that we take them out. First it’s Petunia, our little Poitou jenny. She is the smallest in statue but the biggest in attitude and yes, you will take her first or she will squeeze in between the bigger donkeys and out she goes all by herself and proud of herself. “I can do it myself!” and there she goes with her little butt swishing and strutting like the little self-centered ass that she is, and she does go over to the temporary fence.

Always Halter your Donkey

Meanwhile, the others cannot be trusted to go where they need to and must wait for their halters to be put on. First is Barz, my sister’s 7-year-old Mammoth/grey mix jenny, then Rosco another 7-year-old mammoth, then Bugz my 15-year-old Poitou. Atlas, my mustang, must wait until later and go solo because he has a tenancy to “herd” the donkeys and then total mayhem happens.

Never Trust a Donkey Outside of the Fence

Well, little Miss Petunia has decided that she did not need to go into the fenced area because she is just “special” and way above the others in status and my sister said, “Oh, she’s OK she will stay right there. I believe I could trust her and put her out by herself anytime.”

“Okey-dokey”, I said. “But it is not fair to the others.” We sat and watched as they all grazed with Miss Petunia just strutting in front of the others. “Ha Ha, look at me I am free-you’re not Nanna Nanna Woo Woo!” My sister got up to get some water and I watched Petunia watch her leave.

Hmm, I thought I bet she is about to take a walk. Sure enough, she walked right in front of me and the others, with that little snotty attitude she has, and just kept on walking, picking up the pace quickly.

Beware Herd Mentality

“CLYDE, PETUNIA IS LEAVING!” I yelled. I could not go after her because Barz and Rosco were wanting to step over the temp fence and go with her.

Find Someone to Help Your Chase Your Run Away Donkey

“Wait for us Petunia!” Being the little sister, I could not help but crack up laughing at the sight of my sister trying to catch up with Petunia, yelling for her to stop! Which she would do until sister got closer then she’d kick up those back feet and take off again. She was having a good time!

I lost sight of them then here comes, my sister sweat dripping down her face staggering, but no Petunia!

“Where is your donkey?” I asked, hardly able to stand up I was laughing so hard.

Entice Your Donkey Home with Treats

“She is in the neighbor’s pasture and will not let me catch her! It’s gonna be a long time before I trust her cute little ass again!” she said. OH NO MY SIDE HURT from laughing then she got mad at me for laughing.

“Yep, you can trust her out by herself any time!” I had to rub it in one more time as she grabbed “cookies” to convince Petunia to come home. I put the others back inside their area and went to help her with the run away. I swear little Petunia had a smirk on her face feeling really pleased with herself. What fun it is having donkeys.

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