This is Pinky the Pig. Iain wanted a piglet for his 7th birthday, and grandma obliged…and we entered the pig business! We had a squeal of a time corralling him when we got him home. Pinky has grown considerably since arriving, and loves, loves, loves a good back-scratch. Just make sure he’s well-fed first, or he may mistake your fingers for a tasty treat!
This is our growing flock of Muscovy ducks. Our friends Chris and Elizabeth Coats started us on our Muscovy journey with five ducks – two girls and three drakes. Since then, we’ve added a few here and there. And this summer (August 2016), the first two “native born” (well, hatched) ducks arrived – a beautiful lavender (center, sitting near the post) and a salt-and-pepper (far left, sitting). We supplement with non-GMO feed, sprouted grains, and spent brewing grains now and then, but the ducks are generally free range. They forage around the property, earning their keep by helping to keep the grasshopper population in check. If they’re hungry enough, they’ll eat out of your hand.
This is Piggy the Duck…because that’s what the kids named him. He’s the patriarch of our Muscovy duck flock. He protects the girls and keeps the other drakes in check.
This is our Chocolate Lab that the kids named Charlie Brown. A few months after we lost Adah, Melissa’s Chow Shepherd Mix, a friend saw Charlie wandering her neighborhood and brought him by. Charlie lived with us for several years in the city, and he absolutely loves LivinThe10 out here in the country. Oh, and he’s an expert in teaching you how to scratch your back in the dirt….
As I got near the driveway tonight on my way home, I noticed Melissa’s truck cockeyed in the neighbor’s driveway. It looked like somebody had run her off the road. So, heart pounding, I pulled into our driveway…and there were the kids all standing there as if nothing was really the matter. Then I noticed that Melissa was nowhere near the truck. So I asked the kids, “Where’s mommy?” “At the neighbor’s house” came the nonchalant reply. “So why is her truck parked that way?” I asked. “Because the donkeys are over there, and that’s going to help us get them home.”
If any of that makes any sense to you, you’re way ahead of me.
Peering down the neighbor’s driveway, I noticed Melissa ushering along Vanilla, Chocolate and Turtle. Turns out “somebody” left the gates (yes, that’s plural) open, and the “herd” went for a stroll along the road. A helpful neighbor saw them running down the highway and was able to run them off the road before somebody came barreling over the hill and inadvertently mounted a donkey head to their hood.
Getting them home was a bit of a challenge. Although our driveways are right next to each other, it’s a bit of a distance up to the street. And it turns out that they were just skittish enough from their unexpected adventure to stampede right when they needed to be calm. So after driving them up the neighbors driveway two or three times (and them escaping via stampede a couple of times), they were finally calm enough to make it “’round the bend” (the bend being formed by the awkwardly parked truck) and back home onto our property.
Always an adventure, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
This is Vanilla, our female donkey. She’s friendly, but she’s wary around new folks. Don’t be surprised if it takes her several days to come around. But if you have an apple or some Hackberry leaves, that might help to speed up the process.
This is Max, the Border Collie. He has more energy than he knows what to do with, so he often pesters the donkeys and goat. He’s also quite nimble, and so far has avoided being kicked by Chocolate or head-butted by Turtle. Max has been known to be excitable around new people, so don’t be afraid to tell him to calm down.
This is Chocolate, our Jerusalem donkey. He’s a sweet guy and likes to nuzzle right up next to you. Sometimes gets really excited when he sees you coming and starts “he-haw”-ing. Apples are his favorite, but he’ll also eat carrots, and even enjoys the occasional bunch of Hackberry leaves.
This is our goat, Turtle. He loves bite-sized bits of apples and carrots, and will fight the donkeys over the peanut meal we feed to the chickens and ducks.
