Category: Blog

What do donkeys do at 5:00 AM? Well, they hang around waiting to be fed and bide their time by grooming one another. Here, Zeus (right, foreground) and Herschel (right background) engage in mutual grooming while Kharma (rump towards camera) and Jules (Left background facing camera) look on. Donkeys just love grooming and it is a… Continue reading Donkeys in the Mist

One of our Barred Rock pullets “Glenda” is the runt of the flock. Poor little girl lost her right eye as a chick and she’s been kind of shy and skinny ever since. We try to give her more attention and she seems to relish it. Even after all the food has been distributed she… Continue reading Barred Rock Glenda Gets Snuggle Time

Jules The Feed Room Bandit    Jules, who is the leader of the John Donkey herd, just can’t seem to get enough food. He’s super spoiled. Here we are at the hangar barn and he’s just had breakfast including some Purina Enrich Plus and carrots for a treat. He and the other John Donkeys gobbled… Continue reading Jules The Feed Room Bandit

Donkeys Say: “Lettuce Eat Now!”   Well we are sure you’ve heard “coo coo for cocoa puffs…” Now the sanctuary John Donkeys are coo coo for lettuce chunks… Our dear friend Kathy donated some iceberg lettuce heads and we spread the wealth between the chickens, ducks, goats, and equine critters.    Here, Zeus, Kharma, Jules… Continue reading Donkeys Say: “Lettuce Eat Now!”

Cowgirl Gets Her Treat   Our sweet shepherdess mare “Cowgirl” just loves her routine. At meal time we call out to her and she runs into the barn. I tell her “get inside” and she glides into her stall and waits for me to close the gate. We feed her in the stall so the… Continue reading Cowgirl Gets Her Treat

Such a Good Girl Callie!   As most friends of the sanctuary know, the Jenny “Callie” has had trouble the past few years with bruises and abscesses in her front hooves. We don’t know how, but compared to the other donkeys, Callie always seems to pick up rocks in her hooves.   After using a… Continue reading Such a Good Girl Callie!

Paula the Purring Pullet   Immature hens (pullets) are such a joy to raise. Depending on the species, they can be downright cuddly and affectionate. Such is the case with the two-month-old Black Australorps here at the sanctuary. Who comes running to see us when we go in to the aviary? The little black pullets.… Continue reading Paula the Purring Pullet

Ducklings Commence Drilling Behavior   We got some hatchlings of the duck variety recently and they are growing very fast. The black one you see here in this video is a Cayuga and the brown ones are Khaki Campbell. Two weeks ago their wings were little stubs, but now they have grown out significantly. They’ve… Continue reading Ducklings Commence Drilling Behavior

Donkeys: Rain Rain Go Away   Donkeys don’t sing “Rain Rain Go Away,” but they sure act it out by staying dry. They tolerate rain, but if it pours, they will seek shelter after a while. Now that the John Mule Buddy is shepherding with mare Cowgirl, the John Donkeys have the run of two… Continue reading Donkeys: Rain Rain Go Away

Cowgirl and Buddy United   We are happy to report that Buddy, the sorrel mule who debuted at the ranch in February of 2021 is now sharing a pasture and barn with our mare Cowgirl. We wanted to wait for a few months to get Buddy used to his surroundings before putting him the in… Continue reading Cowgirl and Buddy United