09 Jan Every jenny needs a jack …
What does a lonely Jenny look like?… if you dont know, well you’re not alone… we didn’t either! But out of an abundance of caution and because who can say no to a face like that… we have added a “Little Jack” to the heard!
What does a lonely donkey look like? We didn’t know either!!! But not all went as we had hoped… Jenny just wasn’t having any of it!
But in true Piney Wood Ranch fashion, we didn’t know what we didn’t know. As most of you probably have figured out, we have been in “collection” mode. Each animal that we add to the ranch has a purpose… some more of a stretch than others, but a purpose none the less. In this case, the intention was twofold. One was to give Jenny a companion. While she is a super good (sometimes too good) protector of the cows and sheep, she seemed alone amongst the animals. While this could totally be us projecting that on her (and probably is), that was enough of a crack to keep looking for a boyfriend. The other reason for the addition was the hope that next spring we could welcome a baby donkey to the ranch… because… BABY DONKEY!
So off we went one Saturday morning under the guise of a run to the dump and a stop at the local donut shop. A few hours later, little jack (his birth family gave him that name) joined the ranch ranks.
But… it wasn’t all sunshine and roses. Jack had been separated from his mom when we picked him up, and when we got to the ranch, he wanted to be close to Jenny, and she wasn’t having any of it! There was biting, kicking, and a lot of braying (if you haven’t heard an angry donkey bray…. it’s something else). There was concern on the part of the more empathetic ranch crew (Hailey and Margaret) and many worried animals around the pasture. Jack would get close; Jenny would run away, bite at him or feign a kick here and there, much to Jack’s bewilderment.
Fast forward about a week, and thankfully… emphasis on thankfully… prayers were answered, and they have become the pair we hoped they would.
We learned a few lessons here. First, yelling across a field “no contention” has no effect on animals. Second, every animal has its own personality, experiences, and, just like us, temperament. Just because you want it to work out doesn’t mean it will, at least not in the short run.
While all is quiet on the pasture front, we cant wait to see if their friendship blossoms, and we can announce a donkey wedding soon! LOL.
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