Today I cleaned out the barn & the chicken coop and spent a long time picking up manure in the pasture...then moved a pile of hay that was getting moldy, wormed the donkeys and sprinkled the latest batch of fly predators around. The donkeys are getting much easier to worm (all I have to do is measure out the wormer paste, put it in some bread and hope they eat it- and both of them did on the first try today). Why do you have to worm donkeys (and horses, for that matter), you ask? Because they can get all kinds of parasites, including:Threadworms - Mainly in foals especially when suckling. Infection comes from the dam causing debilitating diarrhoea. Roundworms - Especially in foals. Tends not to damage the gut but competes for food leading to poor development. Severe infestation can cause dangerous colic. Eggs are viable in soil for a very long time. Keep pastures clean. Strongyles (Encysted Small Redworm Larvae & Migrating Large Redworm) - Large Intestine wall damage - bleeding - poor condition - anaemia.Bots - Stomach damage. Eggs are visible during summer stuck to hair typically on lower legs. They appear as white/cream tiny grains. Wiping off helps, with a wet sponge/cloth before they get licked off and ingested. Treated by single dose of IVERMECTIN in December or two weeks after the first frost (irrespective of annual drug rotation). Lungworm - Migrates through the body to the lungs doing damage and causing permanent respiratory problems. May be controlled by routine worming.Tapeworm - Infests the Ileum and small Intestine.
If that wasn't enough to gross you out, the fly predators were really crawling around in their bag when I went to release them today (I introduced the fly predators before on the blog- they arrive in the mail and they're small bugs that eat fly eggs, hence helping cut down on the fly population in and around the pasture) some of them crawled on me- UGH. All part of the job here at The Lazy Vegan!
Randy and Paco relax by the terrace.
Getting a rub-down and a kiss from Papa Randy.
Paco helps me spread out the fly predators. He also helped me clean the pasture today- while Luigi once again went off and did his own thing!
Weegie nibbles on the pine tree.
Taking Luigi for a walk.
Trying to maintain control of both donkeys. It is harder than it looks!!
I love my little Luigi.
The girls in one of their favorite hang-out spots.
Toby rests after a long day of ball chasing.
Navigating between the cars.
A bit of training during the walk.
Bella early in the morning.
Paco sticks out his tongue.
Bravo thinks of his next move.
The cleaned out chicken coop!
The boys watch Randy plant.
