# Feeding time...



## HobbsFarm (Jan 24, 2007)

[SIZE=12pt]I just came in from feeding and when I read Corinne's post about giving away her cats and birds, it made me want to jump on the band wagon.




: My dogs have gotten to where the will chase the horses and donkeys a little "just for fun".  It's only when I go out to feed that they feel the need to get some exercise. I can't stand it and I have found that all the yelling in the world will NOT stop them, doesn't even slow them down and could possibly make them run even faster...lol My donkeys have just recently started to pin their ears back and face the dogs instead of run. :aktion033: I'm proud of them for it. I always think, "if the dogs got kicked one good time, they would stop this nonsense". Ugh! [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Shannon



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: :bgrin [/SIZE]


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## MeadowRidge Farm (Jan 24, 2007)

Shannon, glad to hear you would like to jump on the "giving them away" bandwagon :bgrin The cats are not mine, but I originally got a call from a woman to come and pick up 5 cats..all purebred persians, and there were 7, of course within 2-3 weeks , 3 had kittens..which left my family room over run with cats and kittens :no: . Anyone that knows me, knows I am more of a dog person



: , but the cats needed help-- :bgrin



: , and sure couldnt be put out in the barn with there long hair..OMG, can you imagine that long hair in a barn!! :no: called a few cat loving friends and told them if they came over to help me groom..and I do mean GROOM..some cats, they could each have one with the registrations...Ok, so I thought I might just lose a few friends ... :bgrin didnt happen, and everyone was in love with there cats..everyone except me, I still had the 2 pregnant ones both himalayans, Ok, before this turns into a novel..these are 2 of the kittens from a red persian, which another friend claimed, and now her daughter moved back home...DARN KIDS :bgrin



: and she is bringing the 2 cats back up to me :no: , my 2 yr old lab will be in heaven while she completely distroys the house playing "catch the cat" the cats will be in heaven while they play "catch the parots" . My 13 yr old lab will just pretend nothing is happening, until someone gets in his way. :no: Me, I think I will move out to the quiet of the barn. :bgrin



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: This is not going to be a good weekend! :no: :no: :no: Sounds like your donkeys instincts are starting to kick in. Just be careful they dont stomp your dogs. WELCOME To my world! :bgrin



: Ce


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## MiniforFaith (Jan 24, 2007)

It is feeding time at the zoo, here



: We just get threw everyday as we can..(That includes the kids and hubby :risa_suelos: :new_rofl:


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## PaintedPromiseRanch (Jan 24, 2007)

we actually don't do too bad around here... the biggest problem is the youngest donkeys because we just changed the arrangement in the minis' big pen... and they are still confused. but they are learning. the big horses all know which pen they go in and when they hear us filling buckets, in they go - they want dinner! actually the biggest problem around here at feeding time is the noise LOL


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## RNR (Jan 25, 2007)

Oh My Gosh you guys just made me feel better! I have a system with my mares and geldings of going to the feeding stalls at dinner time we have been doing this for about 5 months now and with out a dought one will decided not to come in the barn(never the same horse) so I have eveyone eles in there stalls beeting at the walls for dinner and I have goats and sheep underfoot because I can't put anyfeed till all the horses are up so after the big horse mare that is on stall rest bits me I stomp off to the house for ice when I come back the last horse is standing there like you want me in my stall "oh ok!" I get the goat feed out then feed the stalled horses then I grab my 3 full feed buckets and head off to the Stallion pen and the big horses. I go out to the stallion pen put out there feed and Fon-Z Is following me around making strang noises because he can't seem to find his feed pan that is right at his feet! Get them all straight and go to feed the 2 big horses and the COW this is where the finale fight comes in! I put the cows feed in her pan and go to put the horses feed in theres and the goofy big horse gose and chases the cow so I decided last night to feed the horses first it worked a little better! When I come in I feel like I have been out there for 2 hours and it is normally only 45mins After I feed the big horses it is off to sit on my bucket and wait for the stalled horses to get done eating and to keep the goats out of the barn! THis is normally the first time all day I actually get to sit and think and relax!

Talk to you later!

RNR


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## HobbsFarm (Jan 25, 2007)

[SIZE=12pt]Well, I can't wait to hear more feeding stories because I am feeling better too. Aside from the dogs chasing everybody, it's still a circus trying to get everyone fed. I don't have a barn in the pasture, just a run-in. So everyone just gets fed sort of spaced out in seperate feed pans. But I've got one bully who wants to follow me around as I pour up each one. Then there are a few that like to "pair up" and share a bowl...some days. I never know which days that's going to be. I guess this is self induced shaos considering that the donkeys don't need as much grain as the mini horses and the QH colt needs twice as much as the mini horses and yet I have them all in the same place...



: I guess I just like a good challenge...lol[/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]I also feel like feeding time takes about a couple of hours by the time I get finished when it really takes about 30 minutes.



: [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Keep the stories coming... :aktion033: I'm feeling better by the minute...LOL



: [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Shannon



[/SIZE]


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## iluvwalkers (Jan 25, 2007)

[SIZE=14pt]we are lucky here, never much excitment when it's feeding time (fine with me :bgrin ) once in awhile a young shetland colt we have gets confused and goes in the wrong stall but luckily none of the others get ruffled. they just look at him like he's a ding bat



: . Nikki[/SIZE]


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## RNR (Jan 25, 2007)

I am just glad I am not the only one with crazy feeding times what makes it really worst is when we have not been home much during the day and my sister and I are feeding at the same time (she feeds the dogs) The min they see her go to the barn that start Barking and don't stop till they get fed and tis also means I am down to 2 buckets and it takes me 3 ! I like to messure it all out into buckets and feed pans before I start the routine! I actually like days like today becasue I will actually get to feed while it is light out this afternoon THe morning feeding is not so carzy for some reson I guess it is beacuse only the mare on stall rest, the stallions, and 2 of my mares get grain everyone eles just gets hay and oats or corn pourn out in the feed troughts that is just to make them feel like they are getting fed!

RNR


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## JumpinJackFarm (Jan 25, 2007)

IT IS A JOKE AROUND HERE TOO. IT'S FUNNY MY GOAT HEAD BUTTS THE DONKS TO MOVE THEM OUT OF THE WAY AS WE ARE WALKING INTO THE BARN...BECAUSE HE KNOWS HE IS PUT IN HIS STALL FIRST AND FED FIRST....IT IS FUNNY :risa8: THE LITTLE STINKER IS DOMINATE OVER THE DONKEYS TOO


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## MeadowRidge Farm (Jan 25, 2007)

Gosh--try feeding 24 mares in a outdoor dry lot..of course they have to be fed in seperate pans or I will have holy he*l break lose out there. I have 2 long feeders but do you honestly think I can feed in those--of course not--I have a few mares who are very pushy when it comes to grain, and they will stand the long way and pin there ears if anyone even thinks of coming near there feeder..so that usually counts for 2 horses only being fed at a big feeder, one on each side! And the rest of them..they follow me with the big pail, and as soon as grain is in one pan..there all fighting at that one....I have finally settled it (thank god I only feed outside in the summer-- in winter they all come into the barn to get fed) now--they get fed in the evening, all the stallions go into the barn and I use the 3 stallion runs ---put 6 mares in each run, and 3 feed pans (they will double up when eating) and everyone is a happy camper..except me, it takes me so much longer. I dont know why they cant be like the cows and just line up nicely at the feeders and eat! Noooo..that would be to easy for me! :no: Corinne


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## PaintedPromiseRanch (Jan 25, 2007)

ok i'll play, here's the details of our current regimen, which is subject to minor and major changes at any time!

MORNING: me alone!!

get on coat and hat and gloves, it is still dark and while not as cold as most of you, for us the 30s and low 40s is still pretty cold! gloves are half for cold and half to keep the hay from sticking in my hands, seems like i always find the stickers! walk from the house on the front of 5 acres to the hay barn about halfway back... with 8 dogs under my feet. feed the dogs, load the golf cart trailer with 4 flakes of bermuda and pretty much a whole bale of rye mix... separating out the big horses' hay on the left and the minis on the right. sit in the golf cart and wait for it to warm up, turn on the lights, then drive over to the "stud" pens... which right now have extra animals in them since we gave them their girls when the temp dropped below 100 (which was REALLY late this year :new_shocked: ) and constantly watching to make sure i don't run over any dogs... who SHOULD be eating but are following me! - off the golf cart, walk through the gate and into the stud pen (the folks before us had a garden separately fenced, we don't garden so we have modified it to contain three smaller separate pens inside the other fence as insurance against escapees... modified half a dozen times or more since we moved there 5 years ago but i think we are done now, there are three separated pens, no common fences to them, so the studs can't fight, and the northernmost one has multi-railed panels to keep babies in and we use it for the foaling pen - no one can get in or out of it, and pregnant mamas don't tempt the studs anyway) - feed rye mix to Dillon and Betty Lou...Wiley...Bella Noche and Eve... return to golf cart and repeat with bermuda. climb back on the golf cart and drive about 20 feet to the new pen we put up for Trooper (a little distance between him and the other boys is necessary because he is so much bigger than they are...) all the while telling the squeaking donkeys that i am coming!! feed rye mix to Trooper, Jasmine and Impatiens... repeat with bermuda. climb back on the golf cart and drive about 50 yards (ok i am guessing, i am SO BAD at distance!) further toward the back of the property, the big horses are in the arena (the back acre of the property), drive along the fence stopping 3-4 times to throw their 9 flakes so they are spread out, yes climbing on and off the golf cart each time... Paint Mare and her filly Luna always get the first flake, Thorn and Destiny and Skeye the second, Katie and Annie the third, and Ruby the fourth, then they will move on down the line as they feel like it, switching partners and flakes until all the food is gone... towards the end of the fence the "big" mini pen is on the right, or in front of the arena... so they are mad i am feeding the big horses and not them. pawing and banging on the feeders, even chewing them... ok you have to understand the mini pen, it is actually 5 pens together, there are two smaller separate ones on the east end, then three big long ones with connecting gates... that made it easier to put up the shades and gives me the option to divide them if/when we need to... and there are barrel feeders attached to the fence at intervals all the way around the outside, if i am counting right 17 in all... plus one in each of the small pens on the east side. so i feed Austin who is in the southern small pen on the east side, then drive west putting hay in feeders, Lily and Foxy claim the first ones, usually Holly third then the donkeys who are Betty Jean, Taffy Jo, Susie Q, Becky Lynn, Peggy Sue and Mary Ellen... then go around the west end and a quick detour to feed the last big horse, the new one "CC" (for now, if we keep her i WILL change her name...) and then swing back by the north side of the mini pens and fill those feeders, yes climbing on and off the golf cart half a dozen times... then to Maggie's pen on the north side of the east end, remove my right glove, climb through the fence, catch her with 1/3 of a cookie, pet her and walk 3 cirles around her pen, stop and pick up her left front foot, 1/3 more cookie, then stand at her shoulder and scratch her withers, then move back to the front of her and pet her face again then the last 1/3 of the cookie... then let her go and climb back through the fence, put my glove back on and put her hay in the feeder. then drive back to the hay barn, grab the plastic trash can i keep there for scraps, use the (clean) poop rake i keep there to rake the scraps out of the trailer and ptu them in the can, clean up any off the floor and put in the can, turn off the golf cart lights and go inside to shower and get ready for work. and believe it or not i can do all this in 30 minutes! but if it has been cold enough you can add an extra 10 minutes to break the ice off of 10 water buckets/troughs.

EVENINGS: if the girls are home, they do it. when they are at visitation, i have to do it myself.

to the hay barn, load 10 large buckets and 7 small empty buckets into the empty golf cart trailer. drive 20 feet to the west to the pellet dispenser and the big garbage can we drop the pellets into... with coffee can scoop appropriate pellets into appropriate buckets... i am thankful to God that they make plastic buckets in so many different colors



: and scoop out Bella's mare/foal food from the chest freezer where we store the bags of "special food"... drive back east to the water faucet across from the stud pen gate, wet all pellets. all the while telling the squeaking donkeys that i am coming!! get the small purple and light blue buckets on my left arm and the small red one in my hand, and Bella's can of special food... through the gate and into the stud pen, divide the red bucket between Dillon and Betty Lou, give the blue one to Wiley and the purple one and the can to Bella and Eve. (oh yeah, first Bella and Eve have to be put back in their pen because we let them out so Eve can stretch her legs while someone is nearby to supervise). put empty buckets back in trailer and take the small yellow bucket to divide between Trooper, Jasmine and Impatiens. back to the golf cart, drive back to the chest freezer and add the senior to Paint Mare, Thorn and Ruby's buckets, and add the sweet feed and m/f to Luna's bucket (i don't put it in until after the pellets soak up the water because they don't like it when the small stuff gets what we call "sloggy", a term my oldest coined when she was small and her cereal sat too long in the milk LOL), and fill the small can with m/f again for the pg donks... back on the golf cart, drive over to the big horse pens which are west of the mini pen. climb through the fence (i hate to open gates if i don't have to) and get everyone into their own pens (stalls?) and shut all the pen gates... feed the 5 on the north side, small dark blue bucket to Skeye, large purple to Thorn, large light blue to Destiny, large flag bucket to Luna, large Tax bucket to CC, then drive to the south side and feed those 4, large dark blue bucket to Paint Mare, large pink bucket to Ruby, large camoflage bucket to Katie, large home depot bucket to Annie... empty buckets back to the golf cart, then take the small black bucket for Austin and the large red one for the mares who need a little extra, go feed Austin, climb through the fence and feed Foxy and Lily and shut the gate, hopefully by the time the 5 "young'uns" are in the middle, usually not though and you have to coax the stragglers through the other gate while keeping the two pg donks from coming through... shut that gate, donkeys whining and complaining the whole time, get the large white and orange buckets and feed the young'uns, which are Holly, Susie Q, Becky Lynn, Peggy Sue and Mary Ellen, then feed the pg donks Betty Jean and Taffy Jo, and get the can of m/f and divide between the pg donks. then drive to Maggie's pen, climb through the fence, catch her with 1/3 of a cookie, pet her and walk 3 cirles around her pen, stop and pick up her left front foot, 1/3 more cookie, then stand at her shoulder and scratch her withers, then move back to the front of her and pet her face again then the last 1/3 of the cookie... then let her go and climb back through the fence, dump her green bucket and back in the golf cart to take the empty buckets and cans and put them away. oh yeah and at some point run back to Wiley with the daily wormer he is on right now because invariably i forget to take it with his feed bucket!!! amazingly enough i can also do this in about 30 minutes, or less if Randy is home to help shoo everybody where they belong and shut gates and help dump buckets once they are wet and the pellet dust is not a threat to his horrible allergies. of course i prefer it when the girls are home, then the only part of the evening feeding i HAVE to do is the Maggie part (this stems from a reading by Bonnie, we are trying to work through Maggie's SEVERE trust issues). although i usually do try to go out and at least visit everybody, everybody gets a scratch and kiss at least!! after all that's what i need after a day at the office!!



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probably sounds complicated but hey it works really well for us, and we are used to it. the hard part is when there is change, then i have to THINK about what i am doing... like soon when Taffy Jo needs the foaling pen and Bella and Eve will go back to the main pen.

the funniest part is i think it took me longer to tell how we do this than it does to actually do it :new_shocked:


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## Denali (Jan 31, 2007)

Wow, I read the first couple of posts and then must have been busy for a few days and missed all the last posts!! I loved reading everyone's routine!!

Here is ours. I do mornings M-F, my daughter is supposed to do evenings and weekends, BUT she is so often gone with sports, friends, etc that I usually do her chores at least half the time.

Mornings: Turn cartoons on for the youngest one to keep her busy while I do chores. In the spring, summer and fall, she goes out with me and "helps", but right now it is too cold and takes too long to bundle her up. I then fill water jugs (used milk jugs, well rinsed and thrown out when they get yucky), usually 3 unless I need to dump and clean the goats water. Bundle up and carry my jugs out. Stop at the garage, feed the cats, water if needed (they have a heated dish), the off to the front barn. First comes the rabbits, the 6 Havana's & 2 Himi's all get hay cubes, the 4 New Zealands get scrap hay (they don't seem to like the cubes) and top off their pellets, then everyone gets fresh water. When it is this cold, that means carrying bowls 2 at a time outside, flipping them over and stomping on them to pop out the ice. I use the rubber 2 qt bowls to make it easy. Then I feed the 3 goats, splitting 1 flake into two hay racks because they fight over it. I check their water, minerals, etc. Then I get the Donkey boys bowls out (more rubber 2 qt bowls) and measure their grain, just 1 cup each for a treat. I gather their flakes and tie a piece of twine around it to make it easier to carry. Then I trudge out to the back pasture, climbing through the fence because the gate was so muddy for so long, it was just easier. Now it is habit. I give each boy a pan, spread out so they don't fight. This took a while to teach them, as Brady and Zeke tried to eat together and would push each other around. Usually Brady gets his bowl first, then Zeke and then Levi, who knows better than to get too close. While the boys are eating their grain, I take the hay into their barn, seperate into 3 hay racks so no fighting ( I know, probably worrying to much) and then go back and wait for them to finish their grain, if they are not already done. This usually includes me giving each some individual attention, scratches, smooches, etc. Also check their water. Pick up the bowls, head back to front barn. Clean up, turn off lights and carry in water jugs.

Afternoon: Similar but rabbits all get pellets instead of hay/cubes and fresh water again. Donkeys only get hay, no grain.

Usually morning chores take the longest, because I enjoy the time, petting, kissing, etc. My daughter tends to run through everything because she is always in a hurry for something. I usually spend 20-30 minutes, unless I have to fill water tanks.

In the summer, I use our golf cart, right now we have too much snow and it doesn't run well in the cold. The kids love buzzing around on it. It has a box on the back, perfect for hay, grain, etc.

I dread going out in this cold, but once I am out there, I enjoy spending time with my guys!

Vicki


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## PaintedPromiseRanch (Jan 31, 2007)

thank goodness Vicki, i thought maybe my huge post put everyone into shock since no one replied after it...

boy did i have fun this morning after tons of rain all night, got the golf cart stuck in the mud :new_shocked: and everybody whining for their breakfast! i keep reminding myself of all the ice pictures posted on the forum recently and telling myself not to complain, it could be SO MUCH WORSE!


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## RNR (Feb 1, 2007)

Well my routien is a mess right now If I fall with my arms full of hay one more time i am going to scream! We got 3 in of snow last night and on top of htat I was gone over the weekend and my dad Forgot to get squre bales and only got Rounds for the big horses so I now have to peel hay offthe rounds to feed the minis what a mess!

Ok I am over the vent now!

RNR


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## HobbsFarm (Feb 2, 2007)

[SIZE=12pt]Susan, I tried to post about your daily chores the otehr day and my puter was acting up. I don't see how you have time to do anything else! They keep you busy, but that's our job taking care of our babies, right?



: [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Shannon



[/SIZE]


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## PaintedPromiseRanch (Feb 2, 2007)

mini_lover said:


> [SIZE=12pt]Susan, I tried to post about your daily chores the otehr day and my puter was acting up. I don't see how you have time to do anything else! They keep you busy, but that's our job taking care of our babies, right?
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Shannon don't have a heart attack BUT i work full time 40 hours a week, plus the drive of over an hour back and forth and lunch so over 50 hours gone from home just for work... and my husband works further away so his is worse! but the animals are what makes it worthwhile to me to work, and i couldn't have them if i didn't... and i would still have to work even if i didn't have them, i would just actually have money in the bank instead of in my "pasture" LOL! everybody gets at least a few words and a pat every day, and my weekends are spent trying to make more time for all of them... they are my sanity. luckily i have my girls to help and my husband is very good at figuring out how to make things cost-effective and time-saving! i actually spend less time feeding all 28 of them (AND the 8 dogs) in the morning than i do driving to work, or on days when the girls are gone to visitation and i feed morning AND night, less time to feed than to drive back and forth to work... that is, if you just count the feeding, and not the before and after when i have time to play with them



however if you figure how much time the "average" (non-horse-owning) American spends just watching TV, well, we don't watch TV so we really have "lots" of "spare" time :bgrin


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## HobbsFarm (Feb 3, 2007)

PaintedPromiseRanch said:


> mini_lover said:
> 
> 
> > [SIZE=12pt]Susan, I tried to post about your daily chores the otehr day and my puter was acting up. I don't see how you have time to do anything else! They keep you busy, but that's our job taking care of our babies, right?
> ...


*[SIZE=12pt]Looks like you have it down to a science! Sounds like you really enjoy it and that makes all the difference in the world. ttyl![/SIZE]*


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## PaintedPromiseRanch (Feb 3, 2007)

Shannon they are, after my husband and children, my life! i seriously do not think i could live without them. wel, i probably could handle it if i had a few less... but i HAVE to have some! and donkeys are definitely a MUST!


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