Here at my Bedford, New York farm, no one ever passes the donkey paddock without saying hello to my five fun-loving 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, roll, and play. These donkeys also bray quite a bit - one can hear them from across the fields. In the afternoon, the five are brought back into the safe and warm stable, where they are groomed and fed.
Enjoy these photos.
One look at my donkeys in the morning puts a smile on anyone’s face. Here are three of my five donkeys, the boys – Clive, Rufus, and Truman “TJ” Junior.
Every day as soon as the sun is up, all the donkeys are let out into their paddock. Ideally, the outdoor space should consist of donkey-safe grazing pasture, and at least half an acre of land – more if possible.
Here are Rufus, Billie, and Jude “JJ” Junior in front of their run-in shelter. When the weather is wet or windy, donkeys need access to a warm and dry shelter.
Do you know… 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 of their large ears.
Donkeys are herd animals, so they don’t like being separated from other members of their pack. I am very glad all five get along very well. The donkey or ass is a domesticated member of the horse family, Equidae. The wild ancestor of the donkey is the African wild ass, E. africanus. The donkey has been used as a working animal for at least 5000 years.
Here comes Clive – always wanting to be where the action is.
Here are my two younger donkeys, Truman “TJ” Junior and Jude “JJ” Junior – affectionately named after my grandchildren. They joined my stable in May 2019 and are doing great. These two are very bonded and are never far apart.
Truman Junior is about eight years old now and a little taller than Jude Junior. Male donkeys are called jacks.
Jude Junior is about six years old. Female donkeys are called jennets or jennies. Jude Junior is the second jenny to join my herd – Billie is also a female donkey.
Here’s a photo of the girls – Jude Junior and Billie.
We repurpose natural elements here at the farm whenever possible. We put tree stumps in the paddock – the donkeys love to nibble at the bark and rub up against the wood and scratch.
On this day, Truman Junior, was being playful – hiding behind the manger of hay. During winter, when the grass is dead, or at other times of year when there’s not enough, we supplement with good quality meadow hay made right here at the farm.
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 good shape.
By late afternoon, the donkeys are ready to return to their stalls for supper. Here they are waiting to be walked to the stable – they know when it’s time. Donkeys require a diet low in protein, sugar, and starch, but high in fiber.
Donkeys are calm, intelligent, and have a natural inclination to like people. Donkeys show less obvious signs of fear than horses. Rufus and Truman Junior look over their gate eager for their grains.
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. I think Billie is sniffing for a treat.
Although donkeys are very conscious of safety in their surroundings, they are also quite curious.
The girls always want to know what “the boys” are doing. They have this step, so they can see into the stall next door.
The boys are also just as interested to know what their girl friends are up to.
All the donkeys have very different and fun personalities. 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, yet they continue to make us laugh with their comical and friendly demeanors.
Like many of you, my kitchen is the main "hub" of my home. It's where I eat meals, meet with staff, and do a lot of my paperwork. It's also where my four dogs spend most of their indoor time - at my feet keeping me company. But, with so many animals the marble floors must get washed and vacuumed frequently. And after time, the grout between the pavers loosens and chips away. Yesterday, I decided it was time to repair the grout and my old floors, so I got to work.
Enjoy these photos.
Early morning, after my hair was done and before I left for a busy work day in New York City, I had just enough time to grout my kitchen floors. It may sound funny, but I got the job done in about 35-minutes while also answering calls and planning calendar commitments with my executive assistant.
These floors are from a home I once owned in Long Island. They are its old garden pavers. Both the tops and bottoms were so nicely aged – stained from earth and grass, I loved them and had just enough of the timeworn stone slabs to cover my Winter House kitchen and servery floors.
Here’s my beautiful Chow Chow, Empress Qin. She and my other dogs are in my kitchen when not outdoors – relaxing on the cool marble and waiting, hoping for nibbles and treats from anyone.
Unfortunately, all the traffic and cleaning wear on the floor joints and every few years the grout loosens and chips.
I walked around my entire kitchen and servery and placed a sticky note next to every section of grout that needed refilling. Most were in front of the sink…
… by the doors…
… and near the counters. There were also some spots to fill near the cappuccino maker and in front of the refrigerator.
Before doing any grouting, my housekeeper, Elvira Rojas, vacuumed the cracks thoroughly.
Grouting repairs like this don’t require a lot of equipment. For this job, I mixed a little cement with some polymer modified un-sanded grout. These are available in hardware stores and tile shops.
I added some water and according to manufacturing instructions mixed the powders together in a disposable container until it formed a paste.
Here is the grout mixture in a natural cement color.
Using a soft, damp sponge, I wiped the area clean.
Next, using a plastic disposable spoon, I packed and smoothed the grout into the joint. One could use a tile float, but for small areas, these spoons do a great job – so flexible and light.
Lastly, I removed any excess grout using the sponge.
It is also important to use protective gloves, so none of the material comes in contact with skin, which could cause irritations.
The material dries quickly, but each area only took a few minutes to clean, fill, and wipe. I worked in one direction, so I could make sure I caught every joint that needed repair.
Here is another joint after it is filled with the grout.
Any excess is easily wiped away. I also removed any grout that accidentally got on the marble.
Here is a closer look at one of the joints I grouted. The color will darken over time.
One by one, I filled the cracks. I actually find it quite pleasing to do these projects.
At the door to my courtyard is a bigger repair area. Here, I used the margin trowel to fill the void with the grout mixture.
I made small batches of filler as I worked, so nothing would be wasted in the end. And don’t worry, the dogs were outside. They desperately wanted to come back in, but I didn’t want them to get any of the grout on their feet.
And in just about a half hour, I was done. All before a full day of work. I hope this inspires you to get some of those small DIY projects around your home finished and checked off the everlasting “to-do” list.
It’s always so exciting when we have babies at my farm - this time, cute, fluffy, little chicks.
Last month, I attended the 2024 Northeastern Poultry Congress - a poultry show held every year in Springfield, Massachusetts. The event features more than 2500 birds, including large fowl, waterfowl, turkeys, pigeons, Guineas, and of course, a variety of wonderful breed chickens. I brought eggs home with me to hatch - and so far, we have 15 healthy Silkie peeps that are nothing short of adorable.
Enjoy these photos.
We set up our incubating and hatching equipment down in my Stable feed room. It is all from GQF Manufacturing, Inc. in Savannah, Georgia – a company that specializes in game bird and poultry supplies. There are several crucial conditions needed for proper embryo development in all birds. These factors include: proper temperature, controlled humidity, and sufficient air circulation.
When the eggs arrive, they are placed into the incubator where they are safe from other birds and closely monitored until they hatch. Chicken eggs take 21-days. While the eggs incubate, they are automatically turned once a day, 45-degrees each way, back and forth during this period.
From days 17 to 21, they’re placed into this hatching cabinet, where it is still very warm. Eggs are placed in divided sections, where they are safe and cannot roll during the hatching process. Here is the first peep to hatch. The chicks remain here until they can walk and their down is dry.
Once stable, the chicks are moved into this cage in the same room where they are checked often. Towels are placed on the floor of the cage for good footing.
This is a hat lamp, which keeps the chicks warm – it is very important.
Over the weekend, the cage was full of adorable chirping chicks. The heat lamp, which has a red bulb is on. The red color of this bulb helps deter chicks from picking at one another and also makes it easier for them to sleep.
We always keep a record of when they hatch and are moved into the cage.
Within a couple of days, they are all alert and very curious. All the chicks are walking around and exploring their new surroundings.
Fresh, clean water is always provided. In fact, every chick is personally shown where their food and water sources are, so they know where to find them.
The chicks are fed organic chick starter for the first six to eight weeks.
Baby chicks need constant monitoring until they are at least a month old. Chicks require an air temperature of 95 degrees during the first week, 90 degrees the second week, and so on – going down by around five degrees per week until they’re ready to transition to a coop.
Wherever one goes, the others follow. There are eight Silkie color varieties accepted by the American Poultry Association. They include black, blue, buff, gray, partridge, splash, and white.
Because they are raised here at the farm, they quickly become used to everyone on the crew and all the noises.
Silkies were originally bred in China. They are best known for their characteristically fluffy plumage said to feel silk- or satin-like to the touch. Underneath all that feathering, they also have black skin and bones and five toes instead of the typical four on each foot.
This breed grows a bit slower than other chicken breeds. Both male and female chickens have combs. Baby chicks hatch with tiny combs that get larger as they mature.
Silkies are also adaptable and playful. And, they are naturally more calm than most other breeds.
Because the Silkie’s feathers lack functioning barbicels, similar to down on other birds, they are unable to fly, but they can stretch and flap their wings.
At this stage, it is difficult to know which are the males and which are the females, but some signs will start to show around three months old. The female Silkies will keep their bodies more horizontally positioned, while males will stand more upright, keeping their chests forward and their necks elongated. Males will also hold their tail more upright, where females will keep it horizontal or slightly dipped toward the ground.
There are still more eggs waiting to hatch, but our 15 babies are all doing very well.
In general, chickens are quite vocal. When full grown, they make around 30 different calls to communicate with each other, expressing everything from “I am hungry” to “there’s a predator nearby.” While these birds are a bit quieter than others, they still peep and communicate within their flock.
It is believed that the Silkie was first mentioned by Marco Polo around 1290 to 1300 during his journey across Europe and the Far East. Although he did not see the bird, it was reported to him by a fellow traveler, and he wrote about it in his journal, describing it as “a furry chicken.” The Silkie chicken made its way westward either by the Silk Road or by the maritime routes, most likely both. Experts accepted the Silkie into the British Poultry Standard of Perfection in 1865 and the American Poultry Association standard in 1874. These little feathery puffs will certainly enjoy their time here at Cantitoe Corners. Keep following to see them grow and thrive.
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