Walking Miss Rosie

A great kick around home day. Dove into some good reading – required some intense researching – and lots of thinking time. That is where donkey chores and Guinea time comes in handy.

I’m coming to realize there is a LOT different about ‘bird brains’ and ‘donkey brains’. Go figure! you may be thinking. I’m very new to this ‘hen game’. Our four keets are in no way ‘tame’ or thinking of becoming ‘tame’… yet. They did realize this morning that the white millet that I put in front of them is very tasty. Now to associate that treat with my arrival. I’m thinking this is a long term goal – and we have months yet of inside time to work on it. In the meantime we do have fun watching them on the ‘coop cam’!

The jennies and I are having another discussion about eating etiquette. Using two round bales like I do – one in the front paddock – one in the back – the girls tend to develop a favourite. This month’s flavour seems to be the front paddock bale. Which leads to picky eating when in the barns in the back. The hay is in hay bags all around. The jennies do get some free bale eating when I do my packing of bags. I guess being picky is a sign that they are not starving!

Rosie and I went for a walk. I needed to deliver a part for the Bully to our neighbour. Rosie needed some one-on-one time. She is such a great donkey to walk with. We mosey along at a pretty good pace. She knows I’ll stop every now and again to let her taste some of the grass. She doesn’t even react to cars or trucks going by. I guess having one paddock near the roadside has helped to desensitize her to that kind of noise. When she and I leave the ‘terrible twosome’ (aka Darby and Bella) kick up an incredible ruckus. They were running to beat the wind – up the hill – down the hill – all around each paddock. I swear Rosie looked at me with glee! Every now and again they would let out loud brays that we could hear down the road. When we got home Rosie was not all that keen to go back into the paddock with the others … Then I realized … she wanted to ‘pick up the treats’ from the garage before we finished. She was brave enough to stand just inside the door to let me pop the bin lid and scoop up some tasties. She was feeling pretty good delivering one to each of the others. And … perhaps hoping they wouldn’t be so angry they’d give her a hard time about heading out alone with me. Seemed to work! Once again – wise one, that Rosie!