Goodbye to Bee Sting

We said goodbye to Bee Sting on Sunday. She was a faithful friend to Huck and a sweet little donkey, but it was time for her to return to Half Ass Acres. Bee Sting has quite the personality and could handle any donkey or llama who attempted be her boss. We had grown very fond of her and tried our best to talk Dayle and Joe into saving us the trip back by selling her, but they are also very fond of her, so home she went. Bee Sting gave us a lot of entertainment, along with caring for Huck every day of his short life. She led the llamas one evening on a big run, beginning with one, then weaving in and around the others until all four llamas were running after this little donkey! When she stopped, they stopped, when she ran, they ran. She is definitely going to be a great mother and at the top of the donkey pecking order! We will miss that funny bray and cute little donkey.

Sad Ending

Sadly, we lost our little Huck last night. While we tried to prepare ourselves that it might happen, it doesn't make any difference and we both have heavy hearts. It was over quickly, his little lungs just became too weak. Huck was a very special little donkey who has left a sense of loss on our farm.

Going through this with Huck has taught us many things, some that only experience can teach. It also brings to mind that if you don't want an animal that you will fall in love with, then don't chose miniature donkeys. They have a way of finding a place in your heart, a sweet addition most of the time, a sad reality when one is lost.

Thank you to all of you who have worried and cared about him, as we have. And, also to those of you who even prayed for him. "Then God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind. And it was so.....And God saw that it was good." Genesis 1:24-25. We agree.

Barn Building

Since the tornado removed part of our small barn, we decided it was time we build a 'real' barn. Within the last two months, we have needed more stalls, which our new barn will provide. The barn materials arrived on a flatbed truck this week, stirring up quite an interest with our animals. Since the driver had to drive across three pastures, everyone was well aware of the strange truck passing through. With the materials here, the next step will be the set-up crew, then the inside construction will begin (our job!). It will be an ongoing job, but one we look forward to. Hopefully, the February tornado was the last one that will take a path across our property!

Huck is still holding his own, after the incident of the milk in his lungs. His breathing is still labored, but we feel the antibiotics will kick in and soon he will be feeling better. His job right now is to eat and fatten up. As the picture above shows, he was not too ill to make sure everything was right with the truck tires, along with the llamas checking out the load!

A Close Call

Miniature donkeys are sturdy, healthy animals with a long lifespan. But, at times, they can encounter health problems that must be attended to right away. Bottle feeding has specific challenges, and no matter how we try, we can't take the place of God's design for a jennet feeding a foal. Huck accidentally became choked while drinking, resulting in milk in his lungs. Since they are not very efficient at coughing to clear their lungs, pneumonia could possibly develop quickly. After calling our vet, we began him on a round of antibiotic injections. His breathing is still irregular after 24 hours, but we are optimistic that he will fully recover. This little donkey is likely to be a tough and sturdy adult, once we get him past these early months. We sure hope he lives up to his title of, "the little donkey who wouldn't quit."

A Beautiful Day

It was the perfect spring day, sunny and warm, a deep blue sky and birds singing. The new green leaves are filling out and the drought of last year is just a memory, at least for now. The foals ran around in little bursts of energy, then found a nice shady spot and napped. Our good friends visited from out of state and we entertained them in what we think is the best way to enjoy the day, outside watching our animals and holding donkey babies. The day ended with the smell of a freshly mowed pasture, the sounds of an owl and a whippoorwill, topped off by a full moon. What a perfect day!

Sweet Isadora, "Izzy"

How nice to see our new foal, Izzy, running little circles around mom, kicking her heels and frisky! She is all fluffed out with a pretty sheen in the sunlight this afternoon. They enjoyed some pasture time on this beautiful day, while all of our other donkeys watched from nearby pastures, curious over the new addition to the farm.

A Sweet Surprise!

Sweet Pea gave us a beautiful baby girl! She is dark like her sire and has the nice, shorter head from both parents. She is still wet and new in these pics, Mom and baby doing fine. We have named her Sweet Isadora, Greek for "a gift." Every new foal is truly a gift and we are thankful for each one!

Not Long Now....

Sweet Pea is almost ready! She is our smallest jennet, 29 1/2" tall, and she has all the signs of foaling within the next day or two. We have learned to watch the jennets for the obvious signs, full milk sacs and withdrawing from the others. But, Sweet Pea is one of our biggest eaters, devouring every bit of food she can find. Today, she actually left some food and walked away. We are now on real alert and will be checking her often. She has foaled before without any problems, so we are not anticipating any this time, yet, we always feel relieved once the foal is on the ground and Mom and baby are doing well.

Huck Gets A Friend

Orphaned or rejected foals have the need for companionship, so they will grow up and behave as their counterparts with moms at their sides. To do this, we needed a young donkey to spend time with Huck. All of our donkeys were adults at the time Huck was born. Thanks to the most generous offer from Joe and Dayle Haworth of Half Ass Miniature Donkeys in Tn, Huck got a new friend, Bee Sting. They could not stand the thought of this little donkey alone, without a friend. So, off we went to visit Half Ass and pick up Bee Sting! Of course, it was very cold that morning, so we decided he should ride in our truck to stay warm, rather than the trailer. Thankfully, he behaved like a gentleman and there were no messes en route. Bee Sting has become a loyal companion, offering Huck advice on where to walk and when to move, even if he doesn't ask for it! She stays near him at all times, brays and becomes agitated if we remove him from the pasture or take him out of her sight. Thanks to Bee Sting, we feel like Huck will grow into a normal, well adjusted donkey without the behavior problems he could develop if he depended primarily on humans for his companionship. They now spend part of the day with several of our other jennets and everyone is getting along just fine. Thank you again, Joe and Dayle, for loaning us your sweet little Bee Sting!