Wednesday, September 11, 2019

ANOTHER BRILLIANT IDEA.........!!!

Well maybe brilliant is a little much.  We've had the gate into Burroland open for a couple of weeks, and some of the range cattle have actually gone in and came as far as the big wash.  That wash is actually on the 10 acres where the house and donkeys pens are.  We left the gate between Burroland and this side open just for fun.  

A couple of days ago our neighbor came thru the driveway gate and said there was cows out by the gate when she came in.  John decided to leave the big gate open to see if they would come in.  So far they haven't but I have started making sure the gate into the courtyard is closed just in case.  

John went out at bedtime to tell the donkeys good night last night.  He use to let them out, but since they aren't getting out of their pens because of the beans, he doesn't want them to miss out on getting their treats.  Casper the mini mule usually comes over to the gate, but was standing in the back of his pen.  John actually heard the rattlesnake that was in the front of the pen, for a change.  He hasn't heard a rattlesnake in years, but guess he was pretty close to this one. He backed off, the snake headed for Turbo and Link's pen, and Casper came trotting over to the gate to get his treat.

A few nights ago 3 of the 4 house cats were lined up at the patio door to the courtyard.  I turned on the light and sure enough there was a rattlesnake, coiled up like he was set for the night.  We shined a flashlight on him a couple of times and then he was gone.  John was getting ready to go out for bedtime check of the donkeys, so it was really important to know where the snake went.  Since the way to the pens is thru the courtyard,  John decided to wait a few minutes to give the snake a chance to get somewhere else.

Sure enough the cats went to the back porch as a group, and I heard the rattling, at least we assume it was the same snake.  John didn't see any when he went out later.

We've had 5 donkeys bitten by rattlesnakes over the years and everyone of them was bitten in September.  It's when the snakes are getting ready to hibernate and I guess they spend more time out hunting and get caught away from their usual den or resting spot.

Minda and her friend Stacey got out to see the donkeys as planned a couple of days ago.  Mindy always enjoys the donkeys when she's here and I think Stacey might be a new recruit to donkeys too.  



Stacey visiting with her favorite, Mariah..... Tula watching in the background.
 


Mindy with the mini girls, Lynn and Cheyenne




Stacey with the girls
  


BlackJack getting some ear rubs from Staey

 

Stacey thought Nigel was pretty cool too.  Nigel has never met a stranger

 THANKS FOR THE PICTURES MINDY, SEE YOU AT SUPERIOR
 

 Our neighbor Jorja is taking care of another neighbor's chickens for 10 days while they go on vacation.  They only have a few chickens and big feeders and waterers, so she only goes over every 3rd day.  She comes over here to pick up poo every morning, John takes her over in the golf cart so she doesn't have to walk. 

 John and Suzanne went down to reconnoiter the feeding routine right after the neighbors left.  John is a city boy and although we had chickens years ago and even roosters, he's not really aware of rooster behavior.  He is now, but he wasn't a few days ago.  LOL

These 2 strangers had the audacity to open the gate and walk into the chicken pen without the rooster's permission.  He flogged John with his spurs and drew blood on John's legs before John knew what was going on.  Suzanne called Jorja, and when Jorja called me, she was laughing so hard she couldn't hardly talk.  Of course I was laughing too, the picture of a man getting beaten to death by a rooster, struck me as hilarious. 

Suzanne brought John home I doctored his wounds and a plan of attack was planned to the next day when Jorja would be part of the team. 

From the story they told it's too bad someone wasn't there with a camera.  Jorja went in ready for battle, John said she had a big heavy stick and when the rooster came at her she whacked him pretty good.  He backed off and came at her again and John said she swung her "bat" took his legs right from under him and he went bouncing to the other side of the pen.  I asked John if the rooster was OK, and he said he was walking around just fine when they left, although on the other side of the pen. 

This morning was feeding time again, so off John and Jorja went.  They came back laughing like hyenas.  They came in the gate, the rooster gathered his girls in the far corner of the pen and got in the middle of them, hiding I guess.  Just stood there and watched John and Jorja, actually I'm sure he was watching Jorja more than John because he knew he could take John...........LOL 





2 comments:

ellie k said...

That is funny, sorry for laughing John. A friend gave me a rooster when I was young and he turned mean and tried to flog every one near him. He would not stay in the chicken house so we never knew when he might show up. My mom had enough of him and he did make some really good chicken and noodles.

Tish said...

Guess you needed Jorja to "educate" your rooster.........LOL When I was a kid I had chickens and ducks and a little rooster. I always wore jeans and he always nailed me about high thigh, but never got thru the jeans. I came home one day from school and asked grandma what was for supper. She said chicken and dumplings. I didn't eat that night. I missed my little rooster, he just had a different way of communicating.