Mice Mice Go Away

I thought we were living together amicably.  Mice would skitter out of sight in the chicken coop and I didn't think much about it.  We have the philosophy live and let live.  I'm even trying to find a humane way to keep the flies at bay (without much luck), but those sneaky mice crossed the line.

We knew they were helping themselves to chicken feed, but we finally put our feet down and said enough!

Instead of setting the feeder on wood blocks as we normally have done, (to keep it out of the shavings), Rick hung it.  Thinking it would be too high for the mice to sneak into.

 
Since we took away one food supply, the mice turned to chewing their way through plastic containers in which we keep/kept the wild bird seed (treats for the girls) .  Sneaky little devils.

  

So we've switched to glass containers, but the feeder has to be repositioned... again.  they can still get into it.  I don't mind giving the mice a little handout, but not when I'm feeding the girls organic feed, plus some pricey higher protein feed.  No.

And I know you've all be waiting anxiously for another donkey video.
Here you'll find Luigi attesting to the fact Equine Senior is lip-smacking good.  This is after he snuck into the barn and confiscated some of Spice's portion.  The others congregated around absolutely gob-smacking certain I had treats hidden in my phone.

 

Yes, I Have a Favorite

Sweet Pea is my favorite chicken.  There I've said it.
Yea, yea I know you're not supposed to have a favorite child.  But I do.

Long time readers will know she's the only hen left of the original four from 2015.  My first foray into the world of clucks.  And longevity makes the heart grow fonder.

from 2015

Sweet Pea is on the right

what a little girl

Taken yesterday:

A sweet girl

And a good helper

And here we have a failed selfie

We were both quite disappointed

Facts about Sweet Pea you really need to know --

She knows her name and will come from the furthest corner of the pasture when I call

She has a distinctive voice -- I know immediately it's her without looking

She loves to help clean up donkey manure -- really

She let's me pick her up, but only because I want to -- it's not her favorite thing to do

I love her.

Peaceful Chonkey Mornings

Some mornings are just about perfect.  Mild temps, a slight wind, the donkeys cooperate, the chickens come when called.  The problem is not all the elements gel every morning; bits and pieces are perfection and then there is the rest.

Here you have those bits and pieces.

When I enter the donkey yard, the girls are always chatting up a storm.  I've come to the conclusion they have early morning team meetings knowing I won't be there.  And no, I have never received an email with the agenda.  Coincidence?

volume up!

Donkeys much contentedly.  No bickering, to each other or to me.  Ahhh...

 

And the final lazy summer morning moment.

Now to get all these peaceful moments in one package.  That would be heaven.

One Sneaky Donkey

Sometimes it's difficult to live with a sneaky donkey.  Named Luigi.

While Spice eats her special feed in the barn,  Luigi attempts to break in to share.  At least 90% of the time.  Every day.  E.v.e.r.y  d.a.y.

It takes some quick maneuvering to get Spice in the barn and close the gate before anyone else wises up.  I don't always succeed.  Which complicates the process greatly. 
And I have to make sure the chicken coop door is closed at the back of the barn so Spice doesn't saunter in when she's done. 
And I have to make sure Luigi doesn't try to get in the barn to share.  I don't latch the gate so I can continue to do chores while she eats.  Luigi is the only one who has figured out all you have to do is push on the gate and voila, you're in.  Sugar and Gabs haven't processed that yet.  So my eye is on Luigi.

Here he has spotted Spice eating something which must be very very special.
And then the games begin.

It takes a bit of muscle to stop a 300 pound trickster from opening the gate.

And then there's the backward approach. 
Donkeys have a behavior not shared with horses in which they slowly, step-by-step back up to the object in their focus. I swear they think they're invisible.  I'm not sure if this was his thinking in the photo above.

Sometimes if I hold the gate closed for a few minutes he'll lose interest and wander off to eat hay with the other girls and I can actually get some work done. 

But not always.