Our donkeys have their summer look now, a little fuller from grazing and beautiful, slick, short coats that are deep in color and shiny, like they have been freshly groomed (with the exception of a recent roll in the dust areas). We love to see them this way, especially compared to their long, shaggy look during the cooler months. With the high heat we have experienced all summer, the short coats are much better for them, too. Touching up their coats and manes with scissors, now and then, keeps them neat and tidy. That is an easy chore since they enjoy the personal attention and don't mind it at all.
Worming, like trimming hooves, can go very smoothly, or be quite a task. The interesting thing is we never know who exactly may decide they really prefer to be left alone and don't want anything to do with the worming medication. Bill gets to do the actual worming, while I am there to offer feed so they at least have something positive to associate with the experience. They are more than happy to run up to us when they hear me shaking the feed can, so we don't have to halter them for this.
I can't blame the ones who aren't especially fond of worming paste, if you are old enough, think back to elementary school and imagine a nice, big mouthful of something that is a cross between paste and glue. I am aging myself at this point, but when I was in elementary school, we had two essential items, Elmer's glue with the bright orange top, and the short jar of thick paste with the little applicator inside. In fact, our parents didn't have to spend a week's grocery money on back to school supplies. I don't remember even taking pens or pencils, we had it all at our desk, along with small, metal scissors, a ruler, some paper and our glue.
We were moving right along, wishing the donkeys would stay in one spot so we could be sure that everyone got their mouthful, when it was time to do the jacks. Crockett, fairly dependable in his attitude, stood still while Bill squirted the gooey stuff into the side of his mouth. Last, but not least, was Bamboo. Bamboo can behave quite gentlemanly, or he can let us know from the start that he does not intend to take part in this, thank you very much. He didn't run away, but refused to hold still or open his mouth. He was not unlike a child at the dentist, sitting in the chair with teeth tightly clenched. Now, Bill is a very determined man, who is often heard mumbling to himself, "it's the principle," as he wrestles with an animal who not only outweighs him, but in the case of our llamas, stand far taller. Bamboo was not going to get by with his refusal, and after several botched tries, we put a halter and lead on him and he took his meds.
All of our animals have now been wormed, a necessary part of preventative health care, so we have some time until we get to do it all over again. Thank goodness the llamas can be wormed without using the worming paste. When they decide that thick, gooey, Elmer's-like white stuff is not for them, believe me, all we can do is duck!
