Eastern Tennessee Thread

[amenfarm]

Would it not be easier in a small space to have a mini?

Not really. Donkey's are desert animals and are very prone to over eating, which can have serious effects on equine health. Half the year Jay-jay wears a grazing muzzle to control his John Deere habits. Seriously, you have keep them on a dry lot all the time--or muzzle them for half the day. You'll want that half day to be daylight so they can work for you at night. All guarding donkey's are suppose to be alone ( no other donkeys) if your using them for protection of other animals. They will stay with a herd mate and not bond to the other animals otherwise. Not all donkeys guard--it can be taught--ours already was guarding. Also, be careful with any animals smaller than a donkey- also,any new or newly born are in danger and should be removed away from the donkey until the it is older-bigger--or the donkey recognizes it as belonging to the herd. I've learned alot about feeding and training from Meredith Hodges at Lucky Three ranch. She has donkeys, mules and runs a rescue for both. One important question--how small is small space? Sorry I'm late replying--had a company contact us about a easement coming across the property and I've been a bit busy with that. We did get 4 more hens this weekend and spent all of saturday fixing the q pen. I have a amazing hubbie, who worked well past daylight to make sure my girls are safe. 2 delawares( -thanks to everyone who talked about white not being any more problem to hawks) and 2 barred rocks. these were not hand raisesd and one sure does not mind bitting the hand that feeds it!! No tent, he moved and raised a play house that was built of full sized lumber-- never thought he could get it moved around--I now have a better understanding of LEVERS, and a improved art of how to stand on one so my Dh can slide the house!! the netting did just fit over the house after we cut the zip ties off the chain link enclousure.

 

[FeyRaine]

Gurgle Gurgle, sinking fast here in Jefferson County.

I have to evacuate 4 pens tonight.
Working till 5:30 so can not do anything till after work.

I checked them last night there was NO water in the area,
This morning the water is 40 feet wide and at least a foot and a half deep in the middle.

Water has gotten into 4 of my pens,
I am worried that if it gets any deeper that I may loose some chickens.

I am going to relocate them into a make shift pen.

Just hope the roosters hate the water more than they do each other.

I knew the area was prone to standing water but
NEVER in January, usually just a couple of weeks in late March, early April.
I should have known better, but as everyone knows hind sight is 20/20.

Sorry to hear this! I hope your birds are ok.
It has rained every day here for over 14 days in a row now, I had an empty tote set outside (to dry!) at the start of this, the last sunny day,
it now has over 20 inches of water and it only collects what falls directly down into it, yikes!
The worst is it keeps switching to sleet/ice here- I have eggs in the bator, pls pls pls will the electric stay on...

 

[amenfarm]

We worked Saturday in the rain and had to pull our boots out of the mud each step! Boy did I get the stink eye from my husband! I kept getting stuck--you should hear the donkey pulling his hoofs out of the mud. Must remember to seal and treat his hooves again. I had to clean 2 culverts today before work-- full of branches in the pasture, after my husband cleaned out 5 hours before-and somebodies siding washed in to the ditch blocking the drain into the creek-cleaned it--but I thought it was going to get me as well when the water started flowing all at once! The pasture has water about half way up my calves ( I'm 5'9") right now where the culvert runs through. You can keep the ice and sleet!!

 

[TNBEARCHICK]

Well I believe I am gonna have to buy a boat and some hip wadders it is sooooo muddy here. I can't remember when we have had this wet of a winter. I truly think I would rather have snow.

Yeh I know what u mean, our 8 ft stream is 30 feet wide

 

[TNBarnQueen]

Not really. Donkey's are desert animals and are very prone to over eating, which can have serious effects on equine health. Half the year Jay-jay wears a grazing muzzle to control his John Deere habits. Seriously, you have keep them on a dry lot all the time--or muzzle them for half the day. You'll want that half day to be daylight so they can work for you at night. All guarding donkey's are suppose to be alone ( no other donkeys) if your using them for protection of other animals. They will stay with a herd mate and not bond to the other animals otherwise. Not all donkeys guard--it can be taught--ours already was guarding. Also, be careful with any animals smaller than a donkey- also,any new or newly born are in danger and should be removed away from the donkey until the it is older-bigger--or the donkey recognizes it as belonging to the herd. I've learned alot about feeding and training from Meredith Hodges at Lucky Three ranch. She has donkeys, mules and runs a rescue for both. One important question--how small is small space? Sorry I'm late replying--had a company contact us about a easement coming across the property and I've been a bit busy with that. We did get 4 more hens this weekend and spent all of saturday fixing the q pen. I have a amazing hubbie, who worked well past daylight to make sure my girls are safe. 2 delawares( -thanks to everyone who talked about white not being any more problem to hawks) and 2 barred rocks. these were not hand raisesd and one sure does not mind bitting the hand that feeds it!! No tent, he moved and raised a play house that was built of full sized lumber-- never thought he could get it moved around--I now have a better understanding of LEVERS, and a improved art of how to stand on one so my Dh can slide the house!! the netting did just fit over the house after we cut the zip ties off the chain link enclousure.

I consider 1/2 acre or less small area. I raise horses and some equines are just as likely to overeat as well as needing special diets.

 

[TNBarnQueen]

Friends here....please keep a friend of mine's family in prayers. He took his life this afternoon.

 

[itsthelaw37801]

I don't know if I can get in and out of the driveway now. Tommy can with his truck. But it is flooded. We live on top of a hill and our driveway is a downward spiral that has decided to become the pond I always wanted. It is getting a little rough here. I have water-proofed the rabbits. I let the guineas out everyday. (they don't seem to mind running around in the rain). But if this continues.....two of our coops are going to have to have emergency services. This is getting out of hand. I told Tommy when we got home yesterday that I forgot to check the water in two of the coops. He laughed and said he didn't think it was a problem.

On a different note, I went and saw Zero Dark Thirty yesterday. It was amazing.

 

[GableBabble]

According to the weather reports, it looks like we might finally be seeing the last of this mess. I want to thank whomever finally stopped doing the rain dance.

 

[jfaith51]

Friends here....please keep a friend of mine's family in prayers. He took his life this afternoon.

I am so sorry. They are in my prayers.

 

[amenfarm]

I consider 1/2 acre or less small area. I raise horses and some equines are just as likely to overeat as well as needing special diets.

I agree, but with donkeys they are not developed for green stuff on a ongoing basis, horses are, if I fed him like most horses I would have a problem.1/2 acre could be fine if you are feeding and removing manure on a ongoing basis, and making sure that the donkey is exercising- in the standard size, I would not try and keep a mammoth sized or a large standard-- Don't take my word for it. I have several books, a couple of donkey- mined web sites and people I talked to before we got Jay-jay, research, then you will be aware of the ins and outs of what you can handle in your small space, and you can evaluate the same information I read about keeping a Mini as protection- you could decide on a LSG instead. Before we bought Jay-jay, we had no experience with donkeys, only horses--my husband has raised and trained horses all his life, I had only rode and cared for horses as I could. Oh, and I have a intact Jack, if you get a jenny they bray less and jennies or gelded males are much more predictable.