me

[liz9910]

 

[LIChickens]

I've had a few nice talks with the volunteer coordinator - who for some reason is the barn manager even though she doesn't know anything about the animals. She says the prior 2 woman who used to"run the barn" told her how to care for them, but refused to tell her anything about where they came from or when. She said they acted like it was their personal back yard, then emphatically told someone that the 4-H animals (which the park council wants to use these facilities) will just have to share quarters with the animals there now because "They are MINE!". So she disparages them, but follows their advice and is as bad as them. She said she took the 3 rabbits to a vet, who said they had snuffles, and did I know how to give them antibiotics... it was all I could do to not say "That's what I TOLD you". At least he told her to stop feeding them chicken food and let them have all the timothy hay they want. When I told her that, she said "That's what they've been eating for years and they're not dead"."
But the sadist is the lonely donkey -- I didn't know until I did some research that they should have other equines with them; this poor guy hardly even gets any human interaction. They are like so many other people - have an animal with no thought about what the animal needs.

There is surprising similarity in the needs of Donkeys and Chickens. Donkeys are herd animals and in the wild (and in normal farms) spend most of their time grazing. But even though they do not spend much time directly interacting with each other, they NEED companionship.