It has to be a gender thing :)

I don't care what anybody says, but it has to be a gender thing ...that unruly behaviour of physical fighting over the smallest things or just for fun. I have five cats, only the two boys physically fight and rough house with each other, the girls might give each other a quick snarl of discontempt but that's it, not so the boys. Well in the donkey world it isn't much different. Both sides, the boys and the girls got a new salt lick today, that must have been some joyous occasion in itself, not that they have never seen one before, but I guess it was something new in the new barn. I walked up the barn shortly after they received it, while the girls all patiently lined up beside and behind each other to each get a turn at the lick, the scene was very different over in the boys corner, there was major mayhem going on, kicking, biting, grunting, braying and it was just a pretty scary scene actually as you could  hear the kicks, they inflicted on each other, hitting their bodies. Ouch, made me cringe every single time.

After a while peace and quite had finally returned and the mood in the new barn was very mellow and calm. It sure looks like very happy donkeys in their new house. Some of them enjoyed the fact that they could come and go again as they pleased  and were observed just making it a game of walking in and out of the new barn, over and over again, like Miss Abbey here.

Some took advantage of the nice bedding by having a little siesta in the straw, like Indiana Jones, while others thought it was a standing buffet and munched away on the fresh bedding.

All in all they all seemed very happy. Of course the happiest is our Donny, unfortunately the peace and quite on the rowdy boys' side was short lived as he tried to establish that he is the stud (of course he is not) and the only one allowed close to the girls, he was guarding the divider in the barn with tenacity, and if anybody just came near him, he was ready to kick and chase you down. Hopefully he will calm down over time and get used to his new barn mates. Here is my favourite donkey girl in her new house.

Of course I didn't spent all day up at the new barn, but worked hard on chores in the lower barn and mingled with the donkeys there. I had a little game of chase me around the East Side with Solo, and well while it might have been all fun to him, it sure wasn't for me...if a donkey stalks you with his ears pinned back, it sure doesn't seem like a fun game to me. With most of the other donkeys I would have had the nerve to set my boundaries, but there are a few at the DSC where your safest bet is to get out of their way, Solo being one of them. But all ended well in a nose to nose greeting. Nello was being amorous with the donkeys again, he has made the moves on Pansy in the past ( see picture)

today he tried to make the moves on little Monte. I think he is a little bit confused. Now then our donkey loving goat Katie was in full donkey love mode again as she snuggled with, of all creature, grumpy Solo. 

The barnyard side is so full of donkeys right now, but eventual the minis will move into the new barn on the girls' side. Some of the sick donkeys hopefully will get well enough to also join their friends in the new barn.

My favourite picture of today.....our two big boys grooming each other....