Now that BonBon is in dry lot and on a special diet, I have to feed her separately from the other donkeys. Mocha and Callie, the other two jennies, are down at the hangar barn pasture, and BonBon has been relocated to the corral at the new barn because it’s easier to segregate her at feeding time.
Both for breakfast and dinner, the Jacks will dutifully line up at the corral gate adjacent to the North pasture. They know that once BonBon is penned and fed — it’s time for them to come in to the barn to eat.
Always at the ready, it is Jules (the dark one), who’s at the front of the line. In this video you will see how he hangs very close to the gate and pushes it open after I remove the chain.
As you can see, Jules is at the head of the herd. Nestle, who will stay with his mother BonBon after feeding, is at the back of the line. Notice also how Nestle gets a gentle kick from Jules because he approaches the leaders food trough a little too close. Yes that Jules really asserts his authority!
After these guys are done eating they will lounge in the corral area for a few minutes, take a drink and then saunter back down the hill to the North Pasture. During that respite, I’m feeding down a the hangar barn. On my return the jacks get turned out and the gate is closed once again until dinner.
Most always, Nestle will stay in the corral so he can spend time with his mom after she is done with her special meal (controlled feeding). He may “lick her bowl clean” if she left anything (grass cube slurry and Purina Enrich Plus dietary grains). Nestle, who’s about nine years old now, is a real momma’s boy. He nursed for several years and gets very emotional when he cannot be with his mom. This makes BonBon’s trips to the vet very stressful for him. Meanwhile, he is now hanging close to her as her very own bodyguard and loyal boy.
