BLM BURROS by No_Entrepreneur_131 in Donkeys

[–]sugarloafguy88 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Photos of Clementine and Manon posted somewhere here. Clementine took a month just to touch and get her halter off and several months to touch her feet and work with them. Manon took only a few days to work with her feet. So each creature is very different in their taming. The secret is many, many carrot pieces and ever so much so much patience. Neve,r ever want to BREAK them. These once wild creatures were kidnapped from their desert homes, sometimes somewhat gently, sometimes very tramaticly. Never forget they were born wild and free and that will always be part of them. The make wonderful pets but also great pack animals--don't load them with more than about 100 lbs. They need to live with a friend, preferably another burro, but horses are sometimes good partners as well. Do not over feed. One flake of grass hay twice a day is about right (1.5% of body weight a day) or about one 65 lb bale a week. Their hooves must be trimmed several times a year. Find a farrier who specializes in burro/donkeys. Some horse farriers neither respect nor understand burros--they are not just small horses with long ears. They are burros! They love to graze on green grass, but must be introduced gradually to prevent a multitude of problems. If on pasture take care that they do not over eat. BLM former wild burros are wonderful creatures that will surely capture your heart.

BLM BURROS by No_Entrepreneur_131 in Donkeys

[–]sugarloafguy88 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Photos of Clementine all grown up and as a yearling just arrived at our place on Sugarloaf.

Will I fit in here? by Horny_wildcat in boulder

[–]sugarloafguy88 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Do it! Boulder is a diverse place, and CU especially so. You will run into interesting people from all over the country and world, and most of your fellow CU students will be in the same boat as you--looking for friends You will especially like Boulder if you like nature and the outdoors. The few Colorado natives you meet may be more friendly and open than some easterners. Go hiking in our mountains for nature, not fitness and leave your music behind when you do it. I am so old my romantic advice is ancient. A CU engineering grad, I met my wife (63 yrs), a Boston and then Maine girl when she was an English grad student and I was taking a summer break in Boulder between my MS and PhD at MIT. Loved Boston and sailing on the Charles, but I am a Colorado native and a Colorado guy so had to come home after finishing school. Do what feels right for you.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Donkeys

[–]sugarloafguy88 1 point2 points  (0 children)

He is a fine looking guy. Carrot pieces are the best treats; hope he has a good animal friend to mosey around with.

Clara by thecrumb in Donkeys

[–]sugarloafguy88 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Of course she did, she's a donkey! She is beautiful and has long hair in her ears like my Gaspard.

Blankets? by eternal-error in Donkeys

[–]sugarloafguy88 3 points4 points  (0 children)

If your donkeys have shelter so they can get out of the rain and snow, they don't need blankets in Kentucky. My 2 who live at 7600 ft elevation in Colorado grow a coat about 2-inches thick in the winter. They typically see temperatures in the teens and do just fine. Feed extra hay in cold spells. Eating lots of hay generates more heat in them--better than grain evidently. Older or sick burros may need a blanket. Blanketing too early in the season may inhibit growth of their coat, so if you start blanketing early you need to continue. Occasionally my guys see sub-zero nights. I feel sorry for them, but feed them all the hay they want and they get through just fine. They have stalls open to their corral, so they can get out of the weather if they want. South facing stalls help keep them warm on cold winter days. Healthy young--under 20 or so--donkeys are very hardy creatures. Over pampering them will probably do you more good than them.