Some of the most popular residents at my Bedford, New York farm are the donkeys - Rufus, Clive, Billie, Jude “JJ” Junior, and Truman “TJ” Junior.
This quintet spends most of the day outdoors in a paddock just down the carriage road from my home. Like many animals, donkeys are happiest when outside where they can roam free, roll on the ground, play, and graze. When guests tour the gardens, they always make a stop to greet the donkeys and take a few snapshots.
Here are a few of our latest photos plus a video of the two youngest playing with their Jolly Ball, enjoy.
My donkeys always know who’s visiting the stable! Here’s Billie with her front up on a platform looking through the bars of her stall to see what’s going on in the stall next door. My donkeys reside in a large stable located on one side of the farm at the foot of my long Boxwood Allee.
Here’s Rufus next door. Right now, we keep the three males together in one stall and the two females in the other. Although donkeys are very conscious of safety in their surroundings, they are also quite curious. Here is Rufus trying to get up close to the camera. The donkey’s sense of smell is considered to be similar to the horse. Donkeys greet each other by smelling and blowing in each other’s nose. The smell of breath imparts important information to the donkey.
In the afternoon, Helen and Dolma walk the donkeys to their large paddock just outside the stable.
Ideally, the outdoor space should consist of donkey-safe grazing pasture, and at least half an acre of land per donkey – more if possible. Donkeys are happiest with plenty of space to roam around and graze, which they do for the majority of the day. The five are in their large paddock from afternoon and through the night. During the summer, this is when it is coolest. In the morning, they are brought back into the stable where they are fed and groomed.
Here’s Rufus coming to say hello. Donkeys are very social animals. Do you know… male donkeys are called jacks and females are called jennets or jennies? Billie, in the middle, is a jennie. “JJ” is also a jennie.
On the right are the original three Sicilian donkeys – Billie, Rufus, and Clive. On the left are the two youngsters, Truman “TJ” Junior and Jude “JJ” Junior. They joined my stable in May 2019 and are doing great. These two are very bonded and are never far apart.
And neither are the three amigos. Donkeys are herd animals, so they don’t like being separated from other members of their pack.
When the weather is wet or windy, donkeys need access to a warm and dry shelter. A run-in is essential for donkeys. Donkeys originated in a desert climate, but are very hardy, provided they are given adequate accommodations. This day was warm with an overcast, so the five felt comfortable outside.
Here is Clive – the tallest of the group, but very friendly. And look at his big ears. A donkey is capable of hearing another donkey from up to 60 miles away in the proper conditions. They have a great sense of hearing, in part because their ears are so large.
The donkeys love to graze, but they also like to run and play – they ran as soon as someone came near. Here’s “TJ” – running around the pen, perhaps hoping someone will chase him.
And of course, here comes “JJ” right behind him.
They all came running when Dolma arrived with a treat for each. The thing to remember, however, is that donkeys cannot be overfed. Eating too much protein and other nutrient-rich foods can make them sick. They also tend to gain weight very easily. I am very glad these donkeys are in excellent shape. Billie is wearing a fly mask, but she can still see very clearly. She is the only one of the herd who doesn’t mind wearing it – she’s smart.
Dolma gives one donkey cookie to each. Donkeys require a diet low in protein, sugar, and starch, but high in fiber. By this time, they have already eaten their lunch and grazed on the taller grass on one side of the paddock. Helen and Dolma watch their diets very carefully. A healthy fully mature donkey can weigh between 200 to 1000 pounds depending on type.
This is “TJ” from above. Donkeys usually have a dark stripe of fur down their backs and across their shoulders and can be born with a wide range of colors.
Donkeys are calm, intelligent, and have a natural inclination to like people. Donkeys show less obvious signs of fear than horses.
And the five are off once again… At the fastest, a fit donkey can run up to 15 miles per hour.
Donkeys have a reputation for stubbornness but this is because of their highly developed sense of self-preservation. It’s difficult to force or frighten a donkey into doing something that’s contrary to its own best interest or safety.
“JJ” and “TJ” stopped for a quick photo. The best photos are when the ears are facing forward. Donkeys communicate by using a wide range of body language and vocalizations. They carefully move and position their heads, necks, bodies, and tails in order to give clues as to their moods.
Donkeys also understand dozens of voice commands, come running when they are called, and are fiercely loyal to those they trust.
I am so pleased all five donkeys get along very well. Here they are walking in a line around their paddock – this time, Billie is their leader. See you later my sweet donkeys.
Some donkeys love to play with balls. The donkeys have several Jolly balls in their enclosures. Sometimes they will bite, throw and run with these balls - it's a fun way to expend energy and provide good mental stimulation. Here, my stable manager, Helen Peparo, catches Truman "TJ" Junior trying to get Jude "JJ" Junior to play ball with him.
It's always nice to see my pigeons outside their dovecote enjoying the warm summer breezes.
Here at my Bedford, New York farm, I keep a small group of pigeons - Homers, Tipplers, Tumblers, as well as one of the oldest breeds, the Syrian Damascene. They live in a pen adjacent to my geese and peafowl yards and across from my stable. Pigeons have been domesticated for thousands of years and have been kept by people worldwide for their companionship, their sport, and their loyal service. Caring for these birds is a nice way to pay tribute to these fascinating and intelligent creatures.
Enjoy these photos.
I currently have 40 pigeons housed behind one side of my Linden Allee and right next to my peafowl and geese. The dovecote is the perfect size for these fancy homing birds and the enclosure gives them lots of room to fly.
My Bedford flock started with 10-pairs of birds, which included breeds such as Dunn Tipplers, Egyptian Swifts, Damascenes, and Isabella Tipplers. The dark Egyptian Swift is known for its long tail, long wings, and short beak.
Fancy pigeons are domesticated varieties of the wild rock dove, bred by pigeon fanciers for size, shape, color, and behavior.
They love to perch atop the branches waiting for visitors. We “planted” this tree inside their enclosure. Pigeons also have excellent hearing. They can detect sounds at far lower frequencies than humans, and can hear distant storms and volcanoes.
We also made this ladder – I always provide all my birds with multiple places to roost. The pigeons love to sit on the rungs and watch the neighboring peafowl and geese.
The entire coop is well protected from aerial predators. Here is a group of pigeons enjoying the views from the roof. Notice the protective fencing above them. An adult pigeon is about 13 inches in length and can weigh up to 20 ounces. The one in the front is an Isabella Tippler.
Pigeons are thought to navigate by sensing the earth’s magnetic field and using the sun for direction. Other theories include the use of roads and even low-frequency seismic waves to find their way. This pigeon is a Dunn Tippler, known to be very adept at staying in flight for hours without stopping.
Inside is a wall of nesting spaces. Pigeons mate for life and both female and male pigeons share the responsibility of caring for and raising their young. They take turns incubating the eggs and both feed the chicks ‘pigeon milk’ – a special secretion from the lining of the crop which both sexes can produce.
On the other side, we made another suitable ladder out of felled branches found right here at the farm. The pigeons love to perch on it and on nearby ledges during the day. Pigeons also breed all year round with peak breeding periods in spring and summer.
This white bird is a Homer – among the most famous pigeon breeds. Homers come in a variety of colors and have a remarkable ability to find their way home from very long distances. Although they love to roost, pigeons can fly at altitudes of 6000-feet or more. Pigeons can also fly at average speeds of up to 77-miles per hour.
Pigeons are very docile, gentle and sweet-natured birds – everyone at the farm loves visiting them.
Here is a mating pair perched on the roof – able to see everything around them from this vantage point. These are Old German Owl pigeons – a breed of fancy pigeon, and the originator of the short faced German Shield Owls. The head is round, broad, with a well arched forehead and a small full shell crest, which is made of feathers that grow up toward the head rather than down along the body.
I love the wide range of colors and markings on these birds. Do you know… a group of pigeons is called a flight or a flock. And a baby pigeon is called a squab.
Pigeons are very observant and one of the most intelligent of all the bird species.
And like humans, pigeons can see in color, but they can also see ultraviolet light, a part of the spectrum that humans cannot see. As a result, pigeons are often used in search and rescue missions at sea.
Pigeons have side-mounted eyes. Because pigeons have monocular vision rather than binocular vision, they bob their heads when they move so they have depth perception.
Pigeons are very social animals. They will often be seen in flocks of 20 to 30 birds.
The pigeon is a granivorous bird – they like to eat seeds and cereal grains, sunflower, wheat, barley, millet and peas.
A pigeon’s diet contains about 50-percent grain crops, and 10-percent oilseed, rich in vitamins B and E. An average adult-sized pigeon can eat about 30-grams of food each day. Pigeons, and all the columbidae family, drink by sucking water and using their beaks like straws. Like all our birds, we make sure the pigeons always have fresh food and water.
Oftentimes, pigeons of the same breed will stay close together.
These pigeons are watching all the farm activity, perhaps waiting for dinner. Here at my Bedford, New York farm, I always enjoy teaching visitors about the many birds I keep – the peafowl, the Guinea fowl, the geese, the chickens, and of course, these pigeons. I am so pleased my pigeons continue to thrive here at Cantitoe Corners.
This week, my outdoor grounds crew foreman, Chhiring Sherpa, harvested our first batch of potatoes. The potato is a starchy tuber of the perennial nightshade plant Solanum tuberosum. As the world's fourth-largest food crop, following maize, wheat, and rice, potatoes are grown from “seed potatoes”, which are certified disease-free and specially grown in nurseries for planting purposes. Many of this season’s “seed potatoes” came from Irish Eyes Garden Seeds, a small family-owned business in Ellensburg, Washington. Every year, we pick many healthy potatoes in a variety of shapes, colors, and tastes. I always look forward to sharing the bounty with family and friends.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
Here are two of the three long beds of potatoes we planted last spring. This is definitely a less attractive sight in the garden, but it is a well-anticipated one because it means the potatoes are ready.
The best time to dig up potatoes is on a dry day once all the vines have died back – when the tubers are done growing, and the potato plants have begun to turn yellow and withered.
To harvest potatoes, Chhiring uses a rounded gardening fork. It has four tines that can pierce the ground more easily than would a shovel or a spade.
Chhiring drives the fork into the soil at the outside edges of the plant and then carefully lifts the plant.
Once lifted, it reveals the potatoes below. The skins of mature potatoes are thick and firmly attached to the flesh. If the skins appear thin and rub off easily, the potatoes are still too ‘new’ and should be left in the ground for a few more days.
Always be careful not to scrape, bruise or cut the tubers. Damaged tubers will rot during storage. As they are pulled, the potatoes will be slightly cool to the touch.
It’s easy to see how the potatoes are connected to the plant at the root area. They’re very easy to pull off, and often come loose by themselves. Leave any green potatoes alone. When potatoes are exposed to light, they turn green, a sign the toxic substance called solanine is developing, which may cause illness if eaten in large quantities.
As the potatoes are picked, they’re placed into shallow trays, separated by variety and color.
It’s fun to dig and find multiple potatoes waiting to be picked. They are not too deep – any potatoes will only be within the first five-inches of soil.
An entire potato plant grows from just one potato eye, although when planting, always plant a piece of potato with at least two eyes to ensure germination.
Because potatoes grow underground, it is always a surprise to see how prolific the plants have been.
Chhiring picked every potato he could find, even the tiniest of them. If not, they may grow into new plants, where they aren’t wanted.
These ‘Montana’ potatoes have yellow skin and flesh, and are oval in shape with shallow eyes. They are
good early to mid season potatoes that store well.
‘Dark Red Norland’ potatoes have red skin with shallow eyes and white flesh. It makes excellent potato salad and also stores well.
Here’s Chhiring with a tray of ‘Sunrise Gold’ potatoes. These have yellow skin and moist yellow flesh. These large round to oval tubers have very shallow eyes. They make great breakfast potatoes.
These are ‘Russet Norkota’ potatoes – tubers with smooth, red-brown skin, shallow eyes and white flesh. It is excellent for baking, frying or boiling and keeps well.
Chhiring goes through all the potatoes, separating any that were not in good condition. Another tip – never wash potatoes until right before using – washing them shortens the potato’s storage life.
And don’t leave harvested potatoes in the sun as excessive heat could cause them to cook. Just brush off as much soil as possible and let them dry in a cool place.
Look at our first harvest! Chhiring harvested two-and-a-half rows of potatoes. The last row will be harvested later as needed.
All the crates of potatoes are ready to go up to my flower room, where they will be stored until ready to cook. Ideally, potatoes should be kept in an environment around 45-50 degrees Fahrenheit. They can be stored in bins, boxes, or even paper bags – just nothing airtight to prevent rotting. And, don’t store with apples – the ethylene gas will cause the potatoes to spoil. In addition, they should never be stored in the refrigerator. We have so many potatoes with even more still in the ground – I can’t wait to try them all. Thanks, Chhiring!
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