The New Girl..

Patchwork Farm welcomes our newest girl, Ginger

Ginger is a miniature donkey jenny. I love her chocolate w/cross color.  I wasn’t really interested in a mini, but decided I would consider one if I liked her enough. Ginger is a large mini, measuring around 34″ and I like her enough

Ginger is the tenth donkey I’ve owned and the seventh that Dave and I have had together. We had two jennies born here with the sheep in that time. During the severe southeast drought, we sold them. And have missed them ever since.

Lili and Dave

Alex and Strider

Earlier this year we bought a super friendly (people friendly, that is) standard jenny named Daisy. Daisy was a delight to handle and be around. She just didn’t like sheep – at all – not one little bit. Of the previous eight donkeys all lived either with goats or sheep, so Daisy was a bit of a shock to me. Daisy went to a wonderful home where her people skills will be much appreciated.

I got my first two donkeys when I was 13. They were offspring of a pair of donkeys that served as guardians for a flock of Suffolk in Sarasota. It was my first contact with sheep. I was not impressed and never would have thought I’d be raising sheep one day.

I learned a lesson – if you want a donkey to live with sheep, buy one that has lived with sheep or goats.  We began our search again.

Ginger was living with goats when we first saw her. I was impressed with her gentle nature and the care she had been given. It’s not unusual when looking at donkeys to see animals that are grossly overweight and/or have seriously neglected hooves. We bought her on the spot and made arrangements to pick her up after the holidays. Dave still had to build us a trailer! Things went well and we made the trip January 6.

Kayleigh is wondering what sort of beast this is!

Donkeys love a good scratching post ..

and a good romp (no sheep were involved in this playful moment – just a donkey having some fun)

More new girls (and boys) are in the works. Lambing will be a little later this year, but the ewes are already plumping up.

Badger is due early March. (Yes, she has an undocked tail. She keeps it very clean and neat)

Holly is due late March

Vesta is busily growing lambs due the first of April

I don’t know when Lacey is due, but I think she’s bred

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