Category: Blog

Our Black Australorp rooster just loves to sunbathe in the dirt. He shares a chicken house and aviary with 18 hens and five ducks. While the hens are feeding he patiently waits for them to finish their breakfast as he contemplates rooster things… He’s thinking: First, I will position myself in a way that I can… Continue reading Rooster Relaxation

Wow do these goats at the sanctuary love carrot nibs as a treat! We usually spread them around on the ground so they can forage but sometimes we are surrounded and of course the big blonde “Rufus” horns in to take more than his fair share. Rufus is a Boer / Nubian mix wether that’s about… Continue reading Goat Treats for Rufus and Friends

You’re about to see our shepherdess Cowgirl display a behavior called “cribbing” which is the scraping of the upper incisors on metal. Horses will also perform cribbing behavior on other hard surfaces such as wooden slats on a stall or fence. Now, before anyone jumps in to tell us her teeth are going to be ruined… Continue reading Mare Cowgirl Rakes Teeth At Breakfast Time

As kids we used to play “Musical Chairs” and when the music stopped we’d scramble for a seat and one person was always stuck without a place to sit down. Progressively, a chair would be removed until only one person was seated. Brutal if you were a sensitive child… Donkeys, on the other hand, would not… Continue reading Donkeys Play Musical Feed Buckets

First, yes we know how dirty this mare is. She rolled in the mud and then the temperature plummeted to about 9 degrees. Usually, we will brush off most of the mud and then wash it out. But it’s just too cold for that. So she’ll have to wait until it warms up a bit… Continue reading Blankie for Cowgirl

Boy do those John Donkeys love to roll in the mud after a big rain! Here they are down at the old hangar barn jostling for hay and showing off their dirty hides. Once it clears up, the mud will flake off and they’ll groom chunks dirt clods out of each others’ manes. Even “Buddy” the… Continue reading Muddy Donkey Hay Time

We are surprised to see just how brazen these field mice are down at the hangar barn. Despite the fact that chickens are omnivores, they have failed to dispatch these mice. Typically, mice will brave entry into a chicken coop to pilfer food while the birds are sleeping. But to do it in “broad daylight”… Continue reading Mouse Ball in Chicken Coop

This past weekend encountered a hognose snake during a hayride here in Bosque County. These strange-looking snakes are active during the day so you will see them out and about quite often here. When they get alarmed by something or threatened, they will stretch out and flatten their necks like a cobra does. Some people… Continue reading Hognose Snake Encounter

No matter how old they are, goats have a tendency to stick close to mamma when resting. Here, our sweet little doe “Sheba” is bookended by her two sons Sydney (foreground) and Saul (background). Sheba is a Nigerian Dwarf. Sydney is mostly Nigerian Dwarf as well. Saul; however is half Nigerian and Half La Mancha.… Continue reading Goat Day Afternoon

The ducks at LGRS (Lucky Glider Rescue and Sanctuary) are so fun to watch. When we built the aviary, we were sure to add stock tanks for them to paddle about in. We also routinely flood one part of their enclosure with water. Why? Well, not only do ducks enjoy water, but they doubly enjoy… Continue reading Ducks Paddle and Drill Mud

Our Black Australorp rooster who lives in the aviary at the new barn is such a gentleman! Here in the video you will see him strut about as the ducks and the hens have their fill of the morning meal. He pecks the ground just a bit but for the most part he yields to… Continue reading Ricky The Gentleman Rooster

Rufus is our Nubian/Boer mixed whether. He’s the boss in these here parts – well of the other goats that is. Here he is laying smack dab in the middle of the hay pile put out for the goats. He is not content to eat the hay and chase off the others when they approach.… Continue reading Rufus Is King Of The Hay Pile

Our trusty Cub Cadet UTV is coming in handy this week for hauling 5-gallon water buckets to the animals’ stock tanks. One of the pump houses operated by our local water cooperative failed Tuesday night. A bad pump needs to be replaced. That leaves a small pump at a separate well house that is still… Continue reading Cub Cadet UTV is coming in handy

Our sweet sorrel mare “Cowgirl” is so kind to the sheep at LGRS. In addition to being their protector and shepherdess, she also takes part of her meal with them. There are really two courses to the meals in the morning. Course one is pellets and carrots. This consists of medicated sheep pellets (no copper)… Continue reading Gentle Cowgirl Shares Pile of Hay

So far there is no evidence that these sweet feral kitties have a clue about mousing. Still plenty of mice scattering around the hangar barn pilfering the roosters’ food. Nonetheless the cats have become a fixture in the daily routine at LGRS. When not lolling about in the feed room area, the cats visit with the… Continue reading Breakfast With Barn Cats

Gypsy, the 2-month-old Boer Goat kid — is learning all kinds of new things. For example, she is starting to munch on strands of hay and will take soaked hay cubes by hand. Although she is still on the bottle, she has also discovered the water bucket. Here in this video, you can see how she… Continue reading Gypsy Discovers Water Bucket

A six-week-old Boer Goat kid has joined the LGRS family. She came to us a week ago as a “bottle baby” from a local couple here in Bosque county. She’s still on the bottle but growing stronger each day. “Gypsy” cannot be integrated with the other goats or sheep at present because she is not… Continue reading Bottle Baby Gypsy Joins Family

What a wonderful surprise awaited us this morning! While I was sitting with Anthony the rooster, we observed a very welcome sight. Here Buddy the Mule (on left) was sharing a pile of coastal hay with two of the John donkeys: Herschel (background, right), and Zeus (foreground, right). This is not at all normal behavior… Continue reading Mule Surprisingly Shares With Donkeys

Anthony loves to coo and cluck in addition to some very loud and proud crowing. He’s one of two game fowl that joined the sanctuary courtesy of Animal Investigation & Response – a Texas-based non-profit. We cannot keep them together as they were bred to fight, but they often get into a rousing “call and… Continue reading Rooster Anthony Cooing and Clucking

Buddy the mule has been with us for over a year now, and he is slowly integrating with the John donkeys. For a time, we tried to put him with the love of his life Cowgirl the shepherdess mare, but that did not work out. He was displaying too much aggressive behavior towards the sheep,… Continue reading Close Encounters of the Mule Kind

In our last post I mentioned that wild Turkey hens brood in April and their clutch hatches in May. At that point we were in anticipation of “Tessie” having poults in tow real soon and we asked you to stay tuned… Well guess what? Tessie has about six poults parading behind her now. In this video… Continue reading Turkey Poult Parade

“Tessie” the wild turkey hen is back to visit. She seems attracted to the donkeys and goats down by the hangar barn. Wild turkeys are known to forage along with other critters, so maybe she’s looking for cross-species companionship. Some people say turkeys will forage amongst squirrels and deer as a hedge against predation. Regardless,… Continue reading Wild Turkey Hen Hanging Out

We just love the family of toads that lives under our driveway. Yes, these little ones use the expansion gap in the driveway as a means to crawl into their underground lair each morning. Toads venture out mostly during the darker hours so they can scavenge for bugs.  They’re pretty quick too! If they see a… Continue reading Sleepy Time For Mister Toad

Here’s an alternative to those wonderful videos of waves crashing or bubbling brooks to help you sleep. Yep, it’s the happy swishing of donkey tails! Just put this video in a loop and you’ll be hypnotized and sleeping in just a few minutes… People often ask us about the disposition of a donkey based on their… Continue reading Donkey Tail Hypnosis

Our little Pygmy Goat wether Brady just loves to inspect his domain from atop his perch – that is an overturned stock tank. We often observe him watching over the sheep as if he is their self-appointed king. Of course Brady is a real ham for the camera and loves to strike a pose and grab… Continue reading Pygmy Wether Brady Is King Of The Hill

Our sorrel mare “Cowgirl” knows when it’s time to eat. Notice how she comes bolting over the barn the minute she sees me.  Meanwhile the sheep and their buddy “Brady” the pygmy goat wether just saunter about taking their time coming over.  But when they see Cowgirl making a beeline for dinner, they fall in line… Continue reading Cowgirl Says Follow The Leader

Our sweet John Donkey “Herschel” just loves to chow down on coastal hay. He’s at the bottom of the pecking order in the herd, so despite me spreading out their grain feed in separate troughs, they often nudge him away. He’ll then poke about for something else to eat so he gets first shot and… Continue reading Happy Herschel Munches Hay

Mister Big Shot is a  Black Australorp Rooster. We hadn’t planned on him. That is to say when we got him and a bunch of other chickens as day-olds… he was supposed to be a hen. Imagine our surprise when one of the pullets started crowing at three months old. We thought “she” was just… Continue reading Cradling Our Black Australorp Rooster

Oh how these geese treasure their bath time! If they aren’t watchdogging or chasing each other – they are in one of two stock tanks taking a dip and grooming. Note the routine of this Chinese Gander as he takes his bath. First, there is a lot of head dunking and bobbing followed by feather grooming.… Continue reading Gander Bath Time for Hawkeye

It warms our hearts to see how the jenny “Mocha” (dark one in the background) has taken up the role of surrogate mom to lil orphan Nestle. As those of you who are friends of the sanctuary know, Nestle lost his mom BonBon a while back and we decided to keep him in the dry… Continue reading Nestle Mothered By Mocha

The intelligence (and competition) of these John Donkeys is always a source of amusement and wonder. Here they are at the hangar barn chewing some coastal hay. Note how Zeus, Jules, and Kharma, all in the foreground – are scrounging for scraps whilst Mr. Piggy in the background (that is Jules) has managed to stuff… Continue reading Donkey Logic – Be A Chipmunk

Hotlips the Chinese Goose is always very excited to see me in the morning. Even when feed is being distributed she will ignore it for a chance to stick her neck through the fence to be petted. Here, she is flanked by Gilligan (white) and Hawkeye. The other two like attention as well, but none of… Continue reading Honk If You Love Me

Oh that Nestle is such a spoiled baby! He knows when it’s time for me to feed the mule and he’s hot on my trail the whole way! Here he is jamming his head into Buddy the Mule’s bucket on my way down the hill in the paddock.  Nestle, one of five John Donkeys here, is… Continue reading John Donkey Bucket Bandit

Cooper’s Hawks are primarily woodland birds but so long as you have clumps of trees they can find a habitat. Here in Bosque County Texas, we are in the Edwards Plateau, which is characterized by mostly savanna scattered with trees. Hawks are abundant here. The county is named for the Bosque River, which runs north… Continue reading Cooper’s Hawk Foiled by Aviary

There are two observations you can take away from this video pretty quickly: 1) donkeys love lettuce; and 2) donkeys have long ears. Let’s explore both of these… Here we see Callie, the skewbald Jenny on the left, Nestle, the brown John donkey to the right, and Mocha, the dark Jenny on the far right. All… Continue reading Donkeys: Lettuce Have Some!

Here at Lucky Glider Rescue & Sanctuary we just love the goats and sheep. Especially the goats. Here, the Hangar Barn herd is just hanging out and following me around looking for some treats. The video begins with wether Saul (left foreground) opposite his dad (right foreground) just lolling about. You’ll notice that Saul has… Continue reading Goatspotting at the Sanctuary

Our sweet sorrel mare “Cowgirl” loves her dinner routine. She usually lounges within earshot outside the barn over by the stock tank. When she hears her name being called, she runs into the barn and directly into her stall. It’s truly amazing how gingerly she steps between the sheep so as not to hurt them. … Continue reading Dinner Bell for Shepherdess Cowgirl

Donkeys have no trouble getting their point across. You just have to learn what they are saying. Here, at the beginning of the video, John Donkey “Nestle” (on left) lets out short, bass grunts as his way of showing he is excited to get feed. Notice also how their ears are pointed slightly forward, which… Continue reading The Donkey Way of Talking

What a pleasant surprise to see some of our John Donkeys chowing down together on some coastal hay this morning over at the hangar barn. It is rare for four donkeys to peacefully chomp on food in such close proximity to one another. In most cases, the leader will rear up and kick at the… Continue reading A Rare Sight Donkeys Sharing

What a wonderful pause to watch the beauty of this raptor in flight. On a day with a stiff breeze, this magnificent creature can waft effortlessly for a seeming eternity. Identifying give-aways on this raptor include the pale undertail and underwing coverts and its white belly. The Swainson’s Hawk is but one homage to British… Continue reading Swainson’s Hawk Glides Gracefully

Oh these goats are so hilarious. When it’s feeding time, I usually go down the line of feed buckets to first distribute carrot nibs and then follow-up with goat feed. They subsist mostly on live grass and hay; however, the feed and carrots are just like a treat for them.   Notice how they run… Continue reading Goats Chase The Next Feed Bucket

What do donkeys do at 5:00 AM? Well, they hang around waiting to be fed and bide their time by grooming one another. Here, Zeus (right, foreground) and Herschel (right background) engage in mutual grooming while Kharma (rump towards camera) and Jules (Left background facing camera) look on. Donkeys just love grooming and it is a… Continue reading Donkeys in the Mist

One of our Barred Rock pullets “Glenda” is the runt of the flock. Poor little girl lost her right eye as a chick and she’s been kind of shy and skinny ever since. We try to give her more attention and she seems to relish it. Even after all the food has been distributed she… Continue reading Barred Rock Glenda Gets Snuggle Time

Jules The Feed Room Bandit    Jules, who is the leader of the John Donkey herd, just can’t seem to get enough food. He’s super spoiled. Here we are at the hangar barn and he’s just had breakfast including some Purina Enrich Plus and carrots for a treat. He and the other John Donkeys gobbled… Continue reading Jules The Feed Room Bandit

Donkeys Say: “Lettuce Eat Now!”   Well we are sure you’ve heard “coo coo for cocoa puffs…” Now the sanctuary John Donkeys are coo coo for lettuce chunks… Our dear friend Kathy donated some iceberg lettuce heads and we spread the wealth between the chickens, ducks, goats, and equine critters.    Here, Zeus, Kharma, Jules… Continue reading Donkeys Say: “Lettuce Eat Now!”

Cowgirl Gets Her Treat   Our sweet shepherdess mare “Cowgirl” just loves her routine. At meal time we call out to her and she runs into the barn. I tell her “get inside” and she glides into her stall and waits for me to close the gate. We feed her in the stall so the… Continue reading Cowgirl Gets Her Treat

Such a Good Girl Callie!   As most friends of the sanctuary know, the Jenny “Callie” has had trouble the past few years with bruises and abscesses in her front hooves. We don’t know how, but compared to the other donkeys, Callie always seems to pick up rocks in her hooves.   After using a… Continue reading Such a Good Girl Callie!

Paula the Purring Pullet   Immature hens (pullets) are such a joy to raise. Depending on the species, they can be downright cuddly and affectionate. Such is the case with the two-month-old Black Australorps here at the sanctuary. Who comes running to see us when we go in to the aviary? The little black pullets.… Continue reading Paula the Purring Pullet

Ducklings Commence Drilling Behavior   We got some hatchlings of the duck variety recently and they are growing very fast. The black one you see here in this video is a Cayuga and the brown ones are Khaki Campbell. Two weeks ago their wings were little stubs, but now they have grown out significantly. They’ve… Continue reading Ducklings Commence Drilling Behavior

Donkeys: Rain Rain Go Away   Donkeys don’t sing “Rain Rain Go Away,” but they sure act it out by staying dry. They tolerate rain, but if it pours, they will seek shelter after a while. Now that the John Mule Buddy is shepherding with mare Cowgirl, the John Donkeys have the run of two… Continue reading Donkeys: Rain Rain Go Away

Cowgirl and Buddy United   We are happy to report that Buddy, the sorrel mule who debuted at the ranch in February of 2021 is now sharing a pasture and barn with our mare Cowgirl. We wanted to wait for a few months to get Buddy used to his surroundings before putting him the in… Continue reading Cowgirl and Buddy United

Here’s a shout out to Monica and her colleagues at Animal Investigation & Response – a Texas-based non-profit. They are an animal protection organization that assists law enforcement, animal control agencies and communities with animal abuse related issues. See: https://www.animalinvestigationandresponse.org/   Animal Protection Organizations often work with Lucky Glider Rescue & Sanctuary to place animals who… Continue reading Rescued Roosters Debut at LGRS

A friend of the rescue – Gautreau Family Estate Wines – recently sponsored our sweet little doe Sheba. We are very grateful for such sponsorship because these donations help us to buy feed, provide shelter and veterinary care. (Our hearty thanks to the winery!). Sheba is a classic Nigerian Dwarf. Her nickname is “little snickers… Continue reading Goat Day Afternoon Featuring Sheba

Don’t worry this cute little one has been returned to its momma but the poor thing was scared and crying out for her a lot. This heifer calf squeezed its way through the barbed wire fence along the Northern perimeter of the donkey pasture over the weekend. Its mom was on the other side kicking… Continue reading Visit from Wandering Heifer Calf

So far this growing season, we are raisng four Easter Eggers, four Anconas, and four Blue Stars. We are still waiting on some Barred Rock and Black Asutrolorps from the hatchery. We’re also waiting on a few Khaki Campbell and Cayuga ducks.   As the name implies, Easter Eggers carry a gene that causes them… Continue reading Easter Eggers, Anconas, Blue Stars Coming Along

We are fortunate to have friends of the sanctuary on call for some of the more strenuous activities around the ranch. For example, the annual sheep shearing and hoof trims of the sheep and goats. We try to do this in early May before it gets too hot. That coat of winter wool gets so… Continue reading Sheep Whisperer

We just love it when we are visited by wild turkeys here at Lucky Glider Rescue & Sanctuary. It was particularly rainy this week, and for some reason, this seems to bring the turkeys out in the open. Gail was able to capture this fine hen on camera while she lolled about preening in the… Continue reading Wild Turkey Hen Preens

Oh look at these mopey John Donkeys mugging for the camera like they have not eaten in a year! Big fakers! Yeah, they just gobbled down a bunch of coastal hay, grains and carrots and they’re hanging on the fence line like we starve them or something! These big boys sure love to eat, but… Continue reading Donkeys Mugging For More Food

A warning to anyone aspiring to be a goat herder: Please use proper fencing. Cattle panels are dangerous for goats and sheep, especially the young ones. That is to say, do NOT use panels that are 6×6 inches. They can get caught easily owing to their horns and this can lead to deep lacerations and… Continue reading Goat Kid Caught In Fence

That pretty pair of Canada Geese is back again to visit this Spring. We are pretty sure they are attracted to our domestic Chinese Geese because.. well our geese are are so loud. This lovely pair was following the goat herd as they were being fed. You can see them eyeing the goats as they… Continue reading Canada Geese Eye Goat Herd

Our geese not only sound the alarm when they see or hear something they don’t like, but they also demand attention at feeding time. In fact, they will delay gobbling down their grains and veggies to spend time with us when we come down to their area.   Here in this video you will see… Continue reading Gaggle Gets Goat’s Attention

Now before you think those beautiful John donkeys go hungry — they just ate. But they are real pigs and always want more. So here is Jules, Herschel, Kharma, and Zeus all begging from Buddy the John mule. Buddy ain’t havin’ it though. He’s staked his claim on that food bucket and guarding it very… Continue reading Donkeys Beg from Mule

Our new-to-the-sanctuary mule “Buddy” has been here for a week now and is settling in to a predictable routine. That routine centers on his obsession over the mare / shepherdess “Cowgirl.” Buddy the john mule is separated from Cowgirl by a fence that runs the perimeter of a large pasture in which ten sheep, a… Continue reading Buddy Bolts from the Mist

This beautiful older mule “Buddy” has joined the equine ranks today at LGRS. He was delivered by Lawrence over at Glue Factory Renegades earlier this morning (Feb 20, 2021). The team at GFR housed and quarantined Buddy for a few weeks after his health check and Coggins test. He is one of hundreds of animals… Continue reading Sorrel John Mule “Buddy” Arrives at LGRS

This beautiful western meadowlark has been poking around the chicken house down at the hangar barn lately. The chickens sloppily kick up feed behind them when they scratch the ground — kind of like a dog will spray dirt behind itself when digging. This sends seed out of their house onto the floor of the… Continue reading Meadowlark Pilfers Chicken Feed

Our farrier, Chad Holt and his wife and partner Barbara spent a number of hours over at Lucky Glider ranch tending to hoof trims for eight donkeys and also Cowgirl the mare. We are very grateful for the deft handling of the beloved critters by Chad and Barbara. Cowgirl, as always, was very well behaved… Continue reading Barefoot Trim for Cowgirl

Cowgirl’s not the only beast at the ranch who rolls in mud after it rains. Four of our John Donkeys greeted me at breakfast time with mud caked all over them. They rubbed up against me jostling for the food bucket and again – mud all over.   Notice how Jules, the dark one, escorts… Continue reading John Donkey Muddy Breakfast

Our sweet shepherdess Cowgirl the mare is very well behaved when it’s time for her morning and afternoon feeding. All we have to do is yell “Cowgirl!” and she comes running into the barn and straight into her stall where we have her feed bucket hung.   We sequester her in her stall at feeding… Continue reading Cowgirl Gets a Carrot

Like most horses, LGRS mare “Cowgirl” most often siphons water by touching her lips to the surface of the water and sucking in huge gulps. This is similar to the way cows drink. So-called common knowledge dictates that horses do NOT lap up their water like a dog — but we know that’s “horse feathers”… Continue reading Cowgirl Says Drinking Water is Fun!

Ducks Samantha (white feathers) and Oakley just love the daily routine of dumping out their little pool to clean it and refill it. Why? So they can stick their bills in mud! Yes, it appears they prefer a “Mud Latte” to clean water. Notice in this video how one of the chickens is enjoying new,… Continue reading Ducks Prefer Mud Lattes Over Clean Water

Four of the John Donkeys at LGRS now have a new loafing shed to huddle in during cold and rainy winter nights. The building is thanks to our neighbor Kevin and his brother Philip (and crew) who also helped with the foundation for the new barn. The males were displaced from the proper run-in part… Continue reading Donkeys in their Loafing Shed

Our precious “Hotlips” the Chinese Goose just loves attention. When it comes time to feed the critters at the hangar/barn, she is front and center — sticking her head through the fence and honking for attention. Here she is parading back and forth waiting for me to put my hand through to pet her on… Continue reading Hotlips Honks for Hugs

After feeding time, the John Donkeys will often use their feed tubs as a tug-of-war play toy. Here, Herschel (on left) and Zeus are both holding on to one of the tubs. They were doing this for about five minutes until I disturbed them. As soon as they saw me approaching, they dropped the tub…… Continue reading Herschel and Zeus Tug-of-War

A local family friend dropped off two ducks a few weeks back that were being picked on by dogs. The dogs were nipping at the ducks and pulling out feathers. Of course this was stressful for the ducks so our friends decided to bring them to the sanctuary.   We decided to put them in… Continue reading Twin Ducks Debut at Sanctuary

We are happy to report to all friends of Lucky Glider Rescue & Sanctuary great progress on the rebuilding of shelter outbuildings here after a tornado touched down in early July. As some of you are aware, a horrendous storm wrecked several outbuildings on the sanctuary property. One shed was turned up-side down and it… Continue reading Reconstruction of Outbuildings at Sanctuary

The Jennets down at the East barn and pasture are really attached to one another. That’s Callie the skewbald one and Mocha, the dark brown one. These two are inseparable and will do whatever it takes to be in one another’s line of sight.   It is their habit to congregate around the stock tank… Continue reading Jennies at the Water Cooler

We are happy to report that Rufus the wether is back to his old self again after fighting off a bout of acidosis a few weeks back. This is the same goat who demands attention at feeding time and blocks our path when we go out to pitch hay. Here he is snuggling up and… Continue reading Kisses From Rufus

No matter where the John Donkeys are on the sanctuary property, they are always looking for a handout. They love to be fed even if it’s a very small amount. Here comes Herschel, Jules, Nestle, Kharma and Zeus – sauntering up to the small pen behind the chicken house. Nestle is AWOL from looking after… Continue reading Herschel and Friends: Donkey Snack Time

It’s been a year since we switched-up the feed grain regimen for the jennies Callie and Mocha. They were getting a common “all stock” type of feed along with some oats before that. But that old diet contributed to them being overweight. Over the winter they lost plenty of weight and started to look good,… Continue reading Callie & Mocha Share Late Afternoon Meal

Five of the eight donkeys at the LGRS sanctuary are geldings. Four of the five live in a wrap-around pasture with access to the new barn on one side, and a covered loafing area on the far side. When the John Donkeys congregate at the gate for breakfast or dinner, it’s usually in this order… Continue reading Rowdy Jules and the John Donkey Line-Up

Whilst in Coryell County TX on a weekend jaunt, we were fortunate enough to see a live hummingbird’s nest. We visited friends but social distancing was the order of the day so we sat on strategically placed lawn chairs, facial masks affixed — all of us sitting under a scrub oak. Although it was hot,… Continue reading Hummingbird Nest In Scrub Oak

Priscilla the Dorper ewe is uncommonly friendly for her kind. Many years ago she had an accident while being loaded into a livestock trailer. She smacked her front right hoof on a metal part of the trailer and lost most of her right toe. It took about six months of wrapping, salves and therapy for… Continue reading Ewe Priscilla uses Mare as Scratching Post

Our gentle jenny BonBon has been through a lot this past year. She has twice been to the emergency room for “choke” and had to be treated for an abscess a few months ago. She has also had trouble walking about lately due to chronic laminitis. A trip to the equine clinic bore terrible news… Continue reading BonBon’s New Routine

Here at Lucky Glider Rescue & Sanctuary, we are very grateful for our volunteers. When it comes time to do hoof trims, inoculations, and de-worming — it’s almost impossible to do it alone. Fortunately for us, friends of the sanctuary Jennifer and her son Wesley were at the ready early this Saturday morning. In this video… Continue reading Goat Herd Hoof Trims

The pair of Canadian Geese we saw earlier in the week came back this morning and were feeding in the goat’s pasture. They were probably attracted to the steady honking of the Chinese Geese here at the ranch. It took a while to spook them upon a slow and steady approach, but finally they flew… Continue reading Canadian Geese Spooked

The morning meal is special for the donkeys because they get some carrot nibs mixed with their grain.   First, I’ll pull back the metal feed bins, drop in some carrots and then add grain before tipping them towards the donkeys so they can eat. Well, Jules just can’t wait. He’ll work his hoof on… Continue reading Jules the Rascal!

During the muddy season in late Winter and early Fall, the donkeys will often get small rocks packed into the bottom of their hooves. If I see them limping, I’ll use a hoof knife to clear that out, but sometimes bruising from a rock will cause an infection to happen. Such was the case with… Continue reading BonBon’s Abscess Recovery

Jules and Hershel – both geldings – were playing in the corral by the new barn a few days ago and I was lucky enough to catch them on a short video. Donkeys are known for their playtime antics which includes nudging each other, sneak attacks, and grabbing the scruffs of each other’s necks. Here… Continue reading Jacks Playing

Little Tweetie the orphaned sparrow is looking for a mate and feathering his nest which is inside of a chandelier at the ranch house.   Beware if you’re reading a paper or have anything that catches his eye – he’ll steal it in a flash and fly off with it.

Pretty doe “Mandy” takes a long, cool drink. She’s a Nubian mix – one of four offspring of doe “Maria.” Mandy is the sergeant in arms of Mr. Bossy himself – Rufus. They like to push the smaller goats around some. The goats (and sheep) will take turns at the stock tank after eating. Unlike donkeys,… Continue reading Pretty doe “Mandy” takes a long, cool drink

Sorry Mr. Raptor, no chicken treats for you today! All the chickies are put away….. There was a hawk peering into the chicken house down at the hangar barn this morning. A beautiful specimen. I startled it when walking in so it flew up into the rafters and sat for a while. Luckily, it stood still long enough… Continue reading Hawks: Why we house the chickens

Rufus is our wonderful and affectionate Nubian/Boer mix wether. He’s the biggest, most dominant goat in the herd and definitely the leader of them all.   Our feeding routine includes pushing up the goats’ feed buckets to the fence line so it’s easier to distribute their grain in the morning. But Rufus acts as toll-taker… Continue reading Rufus the Attention Toll-Taker

Charmaine the duck hen is integrating well now with the geese. In this video compilation, you can see her playing in the mud, jockeying for food and just plain having out with the bigger waterfowl. By every indication, the geese have completely accepted her.   We think they look at the duck as a “little… Continue reading Charmaine Mud Play and Dinner Time with Geese

Our lovely BonBon is an enthusiastic eater and chow time.   Here, you can see her savoring every little scrap of her feed. Notice how towards the end of the video she pushes away Mocha (the dark Jenny on the right of the screen, and her son Nestle (gelding on the left part of the… Continue reading Bossy BonBon at Chow Time

After several days to allow Charmaine the duck hen to get used to her surroundings, we decided to try her with the geese.   At first, we had her sequestered in the new barn chicken nursery with a few bottom-of-the-pecking order chickens.   Luckily, Charmaine’s encounter with the geese was without incident. As you can… Continue reading Charmaine the Duck Hen Encounters Geese

Friend of the sanctuary Brenda has been coming by for about a year now with her wether “Logan” who looks to be a Nigerian mix.   He’s a sweet little boy but he’s a bit overweight these past few months.   When Brenda acquired the goat, he was walking on its knees because its hooves… Continue reading Logan the Wether Visits for Hoof Trims

A friend of the sanctuary delivered this pretty black duck hen because some aggressive roosters were picking on her and pulling out her feathers.   We have geese, chickens and a guinea here at LGRS but this is our first duck. Since she’s waterfowl, we contemplated placing her with the geese but that will need… Continue reading Duck Hen Joins LGRS

It’s been five long months since Callie the Jenny was diagnosed with an abscess in her left front hoof. It took a few sets of x-rays for our vets to find the problem. At first they thought it might have been laminitis but luckily there was no rotation of her pedal bone. Callie has had a… Continue reading Callie’s Road to Recovery

You are welcome to visit Lucky Glider Ranch   Many of you have been asking about what kind of volunteer work you can do here at Lucky Glider Ranch. In addition, there have been many ranch tours over the past decade that have gone far to establish community outreach and lots of fun. Some highlights:… Continue reading Volunteer Opportunities & Ranch Tours

SPONSOR MARIA Maria was born in October of 2009 so she is getting up there in age for a goat. She is a beautiful Nubian with great coloring and disposition. She came to Lucky Glider Rescue & Sanctuary along with two eight-month-old offspring (Rufus and Mandy) in October of 2011.   Maria and her brood… Continue reading Maria the Doe

SPONSOR SHEBA Sheba is a very special goat here at Lucky Glider Ranch. She was born in January of 2010. She is three-quarters Nigerian Dwarf and one-quarter Nubian. Her two offspring are Saul (La Mancha father), and Sydney (Nigerian father). Her boys rarely leave her side and when it’s time to sleep they all curl… Continue reading Sheba the Doe

SPONSOR PRISCILLA Priscilla is one of our friendly sheep. She came to us less than a year old in 2010 but had some trouble in loading into her trailer and broke one of her front hooves. She required a lot of special care in dressing and antibiotic salves on that hoof for about six months.… Continue reading Priscilla the Ewe

Pauline is one of our Dorper mix ewes. She was born in July of 2012 in the Texoma area and participated in the grand relocation of the sanctuary to Bosque county.   Pauline has no offspring as all of the Rams were whether shortly after her arrival. Her mother Patsy is no longer with us,… Continue reading Pauline the Ewe

SPONSOR MOCHA Mocha is one of our beautiful Jennys here at Lucky Glider Ranch. Along with Jules, her brother, this donkey was abandoned on a farm in the Texoma area close to the Oklahoma border in late 2013. She and her sibling were yearlings at the time so she’s about six years old as of… Continue reading Mocha the Jenny

SPONSOR JULES Jules is one of our gregarious donkeys here at Lucky Glider Ranch. Jules was abandoned on a farm in Northern Texas along with his sister Mocha who is also here at the sanctuary. He and his sister were yearlings when some neighbors rescued them in late 2013, so he’s about six years old… Continue reading Jules the Gelding

SPONSOR COWGIRL CowGirl is one of our beautiful sanctuary animals here at Lucky Glider Ranch. She was brought here by one of our veterinary assistants after buying a piece of property that had horses on it. This horse is one of the most gentle and easy to handle animals on the ranch. CowGirl is about… Continue reading CowGirl the Mare

SPONSOR ZEUS Zeus is one of larger male donkeys here at Lucky Glider Ranch. Zeus is one of our “American Mammoth” sized donkeys and he is the most rambunctious of the lot. He is father to Kharma and we think also Herschel and he loves to hang out with Kharma out of all the other… Continue reading Zeus the Gelding

SPONSOR KHARMA Kharma is our “big baby” donkey here at Lucky Glider Ranch. He’s one of our “American Mammoth” sized donkeys and he’s very very attached to his father Zeus. He plays with his dad all the time and does mutual grooming with him a lot. When it comes time to round up the donkeys,… Continue reading Kharma the Gelding

Herman is our second-youngest donkey at Lucky Glider Ranch. He’s about 11 years old now, so he’s a bit senior to BonBon’s Nestle. This sweet donkey was originally part of a BLM (Bureau of Land Management) round-up so he was a wild animal in his early years.   Herman is a little guy, so he… Continue reading Herman the Gelding

LEARN MORE OR DONATE NOW October 2nd is World Farm Animals Day, a day to both celebrate these adorable animals and to raise awareness about their proper care.   LGRS cares mostly for equines (horses, donkeys) and ruminants (goats, sheep), many of which come to us from farms or ranches. Some of these animals have… Continue reading World Farm Animals Day

SPONSOR CUTIEPIE CutiePie is one of our friendly sheep. She came to us when she was approximately a year old in 2011. At that time, she was pregnant with her daughter Mitzy, who is also a member of the sanctuary.   CutiePie is a Dorper mix and the largest of the ewes here at the… Continue reading CutiePie the Ewe

SPONSOR HENRY Henry is one of our friendly Painted Desert Sheep. He came to us as a young ram and was wethered soon after his arrival. You can see by his photo that he has a trophy-class set of horns that twist all the way around his head and skirt closely to his eyes at… Continue reading Henry the Wether

SPONSOR MANNY Manny is one of our friendly Painted Desert Sheep mixes. He was born in February of 2013 to Mitzy. Manny is a favorite of visitors to the sanctuary because he is very curious and friendly, unlike most sheep. In 2015, Manny suffered a broken fibula leg bone. This was probably a result of… Continue reading Manny the Wether

SPONSOR BONBON This is one of our lovely Jennys named “BonBon.” She is a gentle donkey and has an understated, soulful cry when she wants attention or is begging for a treat. She was originally from a farm in the Texoma area and was part of a group of donkeys that were a bit crowded… Continue reading BonBon The Jenny Donkey

SPONSOR CALLIE Callie is one of our gentle Jennys at Lucky Glider Ranch. Callie was part of a wild donkey round-up by the BLM (Bureau of Land Management) about ten years ago. She was born in August of 2000. Callie was transferred to LGRS in 2010 from another 501(c)3 rescue called Peaceful Valley Donkey Rescue.… Continue reading Callie the Jenny Donkey

SPONSOR NESTLE Nestle is our youngest donkey at Lucky Glider Ranch. This beautiful little boy was born on September 17th, 2001. His mother is BonBon, who came to the sanctuary three months into her pregnancy — but she was not showing at the time. BonBon was always front-and-center in the mornings for her daily treat… Continue reading Nestle the Gelding Donkey

  This is a huge milestone for LGRS and we are so excited to share with you!   We are very pleased to have been verified by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries (GFAS)! After over a decade of operating an animal sanctuary, this verification process was a big milestone for Lucky Glider Rescue &… Continue reading Lucky Glider Gets Verified by Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries

Thinking about keeping chickens? Hello friends! Many of you have asked about the do’s and don’t of keeping chickens here at Lucky Glider Ranch. Chickens are easy to keep and care for and make great pets. Of course, we use their eggs for glider feed and of course personal consumption as well. Here are some… Continue reading Chicken Keeping Tips

Tips on keeping goats… Hello friends and happy new year! Many volunteers and visitors at Lucky Glider Ranch  have expressed an interest in goats and their care. Here are some things we’ve learned over the years if you are contemplating getting goats as pets.   Fun Facts: Goats are gregarious and friendly if they are… Continue reading Goat Care at Lucky Glider Ranch

This is the time of year we prepare for harsh winters here at Lucky Glider Ranch. Over the past decade or so, we have gleaned plenty of tips and best practices on dealing with freezing temperatures. Some highlights:   Consider No-Freeze water hydrants as part of your water distribution strategy. These fixtures use a weep… Continue reading Lucky Glider Ranch Winterizing Tips

Most folks find it interesting how we deal with predators at Lucky Glider Ranch. It’s an ongoing battle that’s time-consuming and often expensive. Here’s the highlights: * Hawks, Eagles and Owls (Oh My). Raptors were decimating our Guinea Fowl and Chicken population until a few months ago when we begrudgingly began to coop the fowl.… Continue reading Dealing with Predators at Lucky Glider Ranch

Call them donkeys, burros, or jackasses – they all mean the same thing: Love-able equines who have lots of emotion, energy and appetite.   At Lucky Glider Rescue & Sanctuary, we care for donkeys in addition to horses.   Here are a few fun facts about these wonderful beasts: * Donkeys are affectionate and care… Continue reading Donkey Facts