Introducing....the donkeys of Critter Farm

"What?", you say. "But we already know all about the donkeys!"
Yes, I think pretty much everyone knows that Danni has donkeys at this point. However, you really only know them as a group. I have been remiss in presenting them to you as the incredible individuals that they are.

As previously mentioned, on Sunday, May 25th, six rescue donkeys from Peaceful Valley Donkey Rescue completed their 2-day journey from Tehachapi, California to arrive at our little farm in Oregon.

My job now is to act as donkey foster mama for these six, continuing with the "gentling" activities they have learned (being haltered, walking on a lead, lifting feet for picking and trimming, being brushed, etc.), and announcing to all NW Oregonians and SW Washingtonians (and anyone else willing to listen) that I have *the* perfect donkey pet for them!

And so....here are their stories:

In Stall #1 we have:

The "Burro Boys". These three were located on public land in Oatman, Arizona. Every year, a certain number of burros are removed from an ever-growing herd to maintain population control. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) contacts Peaceful Valley regularly to schedule a PVDR burro pickup. These boys have been with Peaceful Valley for a little over six months and have been gentled as pets.

Name: Pistol, gelding

Age: 6 years old
Temperament: Is the self-proclaimed leader of the herd. He feels like an "old soul" to me, one who, in his relatively short life, has seen a lot. He can seem like a bit of a loner but he is always watching what's going on and what others are doing. He loves the ladies and adores having his hiney (rear-end) scratched. Seriously. He falls into almost a trance when you do this for him. He's absolutely gorgeous. Silky, almost-black coat with a white belly and incredible muscle tone, he is a beautiful boy.

Name: Velvet's Baby, gelding

Age: 3 years old
Temperament: Energetic and enthusiastic, he thinks maybe he should be the leader instead of Pistol, but he hasn't convinced anyone else yet. He doesn't much care for coffee breath (mine) in the morning and much prefers it if I have a peppermint before I speak to him. He is, however, always happy to see me. He loves having his sides brushed. He and Brownie tend to hang together when they're out in the pasture.

Name: Brownie, gelding

Age: 3 years old
Temperament: Sweet and friendly, Brownie will go out of his way to get some love. He really likes having his cheeks and ears scratched and sometimes enjoys just having you stand still so he can lean on you a bit. He's a very peaceful boy.

In stall #2 we have: (from left to right) Sarah, Holly and Ian:

Arriving at Peaceful Vally as "surrenders", Holly and Sarah were given up to the Rescue because their original owners, an elderly couple, had suffered some property losses due to a huge fire in the San Diego area and could no longer care for these girls. Holly and Sarah have bonded to tightly to each other and PVDR has made it a requirement for the two of them to be adopted out together:
 Holly and Sarah

Name: Holly, jennet

Age: 3 years old
Temperament: Soft-hearted, mild-mannered, yet knows what she wants, she is tightly bonded to Holly. She loves rolling on the ground and also having her muzzle kissed. She has the most gorgeous thick, curly, reddish brown coat.

Name: Sarah, jennet

Age: 7 years old
Temperament: Timid at anything new, but feisty and energetic when she's in her element. This is the sweet girl that had the recent encounter with our electric fence. She is the most exotic looking of all the donkeys, with incredible features, beautiful, thick, stand-up mane, interesting leg markings and gorgeous eyes.

Also in Stall #2:
Ian. My skinny, bony, sweet boy. Ian is three years old and was born at the PVDR Ranch. This little guy has had a good life so far. He desperately wants to join Sarah and Holly's exclusive "club", but tends to get pushed out of the way a lot.

Name: Ian, gelding

Age: 3 years old
Temperament: Ian has a mellow, calm temperament. He loves to be loved on, and will stand absolutely still when being patted, brushed or scratched. This guy *loves* to be brushed. Ian is able to adapt easily to either group, the surrenders or the burros. Sometimes it feels like this little guy is still trying to figure out where he really belongs.

I feel much better now, having given each of these wonderful donkeys their own personal introduction. I wonder what they'd say about me if they had the chance. :-)