Donkeys Update – 20 December 2011

Posted on December 20, 2011 by El_Burro

The donkeys are all fit and well.
We took them out for a walk in the woods.
The sheep came too.

The grass and wild flowers are beginning to grow and the animals grazed through the undergrowth beneath the cork oak trees.

Here are a few photographs.

: Domingo

: Chico

: Chico

: Chico

: Lily Lamb

: Crazy Motion Blur – Chico

: Dolly & Lily

: Lily Lamb – Sheep

It costs us £25 per month to look after Domingo.
Adopt Domingo for a month … only £25.

We’ll e-mail you a special set of photos taken of him during that month.

It costs us £25 per month to look after Chico.
Adopt Chico for a month … only £25.

We’ll e-mail you a special set of photos taken of him during that month.

So far in 2011 Domingo was adopted once. Thank you.
Chico has never been adopted.

Donkey Update – 05 November 2011

Posted on November 5, 2011 by El_Burro

Lots of thunderstorms and heavy rain this week has seen us weather-watching to buy straw and get some to the donkeys without getting completely soaked.

The donkeys are all well.
The rain has washed and fluffed up their winter-coats which are coming through. They all look to be in fantastic condition.

The dark stormy conditions weren’t ideal for photography. I’ll take some next time the sun decides to shine in Andalucía.

Donkeys Update – 11th Oct 2011

Posted on October 11, 2011 by El_Burro

Domingo and Chico are doing well.
Eating lots of straw and enjoying a very warm early autumn in Andalucía.
We had a little rain at the beginning of September and that was the first since late April.
The ground is bone dry and everything the donkeys could eat has been eaten long ago.

We’ll soon see sweet chestnuts and acorns falling. They do eat some of these.
We need regular rainfall to start soon so that they can eat some succulent green shoots.

Gifts received towards their upkeep were £0 / $0 / €0 in September.
Disappointing but it was the site’s first month.

We are going to launch a major appeal for £500 / $750 / €600 this month.
We need our two males castrating so Rosie our female can join them running free. She’s currently in a small paddock behind our house owned by our kind neighbours. She can’t stay there much longer, it isn’t ideal. However it is better than her getting pregnant.

The males must be castrated before the flies reappear in spring.
January/ early February is ideal.

If you can help us, this would really improve their lives.

Thanks

I’ve just designed a small website and can start the fund off with £50 / $75 / €60

Donkey Castration – Urgent Appeal

: Chico eating carobs

: Chico & Lily Lamb

: Domingo eating Carobs

Adopt a Donkey – Domingo

Posted on September 29, 2011 by El_Burro

Domingo was born in May 2004.
Domingo is a very large and striking donkey. The best looking donkey in the world!
He was wild when we first got him, but lots of patience and TLC has transformed him into a gentle giant.

He has fathered one son, Chico with our female donkey Rosie.

: Beautiful Eyes

: He’s a stunning looking donkey

It costs us £25 per month to look after Domingo.
Adopt Domingo for a month … only £25.

We’ll e-mail you a special set of photos taken of him during that month.

Your gift would really help Domingo and allow us to buy items which the animals urgently need.

Sheep Update – 24th Sept 2011

Posted on September 24, 2011 by El_Burro

Here are some photographs of the sheep, taken this week.

Lily Lamb and our friend’s sheep Dolly, live together on a mountainside with the donkeys.

The sheep were sheared recently. It must have been such a relief for them to lose their fleeces during the hot summer.
I do have photos of our friend Antonio shearing them the old-fashioned way, using a pair of very sharp scissors. I’ll do a sheep shearing article soon.

Can you help us?

Adopt Lily Lamb for a month … only £10 – $15 – €12.

We will e-mail you a special set of photos taken of her during that month.

Your gift would help Lily and free money for us to spend on items which the animals urgently need.

: Just Help Yourselves …

: Caught with her nose in the sack

: Tasty

Donkeys Update – 23 Sept 2011

Posted on September 23, 2011 by El_Burro

Another week of beautiful sunny weather here in Andalucía.
Temperatures have fallen to the point where you can actually spend time outside without your skin frying.

We went out picking Carobs.
Carobs are found on an amazing drought tolerant tree. A member of the pea family it produces long leathery pods.
They are edible, tough with a sweet taste. They are used to make a fake chocolate.
If you were starving they’d be wonderful as they store well. Otherwise it’s hard work eating one of them.

The donkeys love them.
We collected a sackful and will use them as treats over the winter.
We’ll try to get more but it’s hard and hot work knocking them out of the trees.

Here are some photos of carobs, picking them and then the donkeys eating them.
Sorry the pics are smaller than usual, the uploader was playing up.

: Carob Pods

: Picking Carobs

: Picking Carobs

: Picking Carobs

: Picking Carobs

: Chico & Domingo

: Chico Likes Carobs

: Chico Likes Carobs

: Chico Likes Carobs

: Chico Likes Carobs

: Chico Likes Carobs

: Smiley Face

: Domingo Eats a Carob

: Down the Hill for some Seeds

: Chico & Domingo

: Domingo Eating His Seeds

: Chico

Worming A Donkey

Posted on September 22, 2011 by El_Burro

Chico lives with his father Domingo on a mountainside in Andalucia.
They both get the same amount of straw and seed supplement.
They are also fed separately so we know they get their fair share.
Domingo is fit and strong.
Chico is bony and doesn’t seem to put weight on.

We were so worried about Chico we’ve managed to save up to buy him a worming treatment.

Here are some photographs …

How to worm a donkey.

: Donkey Wormer Syringe

: Slide the syringe into the donkeys cheek.

: Press the syringe plunger down

: Smile

Baby Lizard Rescued

Posted on September 21, 2011 by El_Burro

We drove to see the donkeys and sheep yesterday to top up their water.
Just before I topped it up I noticed a baby lizard was frantically swimming around in circles.

I scooped it out with the lid of the water container.

It sat catching its breath before sitting on my hand.

After it had dried out and warmed through, I put it on the ground and it scurried off and quickly disappeared. No vet’s bills or re-homing necessary.

It was very beautifully marked as you’ll see in the photos.

: Baby lizard rescued from drowning

: Baby lizard

: Baby lizard

: Baby lizard

: Baby lizard

Tiggy – Update 21st Sept

Posted on September 21, 2011 by El_Burro

Tiggy is doing well.

There are no signs of infections and she has a very healthy appetite.

Occasionally she holds her paw in the air but she can walk on it.
I examined her leg and paw and she’s not in any pain, but the bones in the wrist area don’t feel right. This is possibly an old injury. We’ll get the vet to look at it when we save up enough money for her inoculations.

Tiggy will cost us £175 in veterinary bills over the next six months.
£75 for two sets of inoculations including anti-rabies serum. Plus a mandatory micro-chip.
Then in around six months a further £100 for neutering.

I’ve added an Adopt Tiggy option in our “Gift Shop” @ £25.
If we can find seven people willing to adopt her for a month this will pay for her veterinary bills.

We’ll send a special set of photos to you taken during the month you adopt Tiggy.

Sorry to have to ask for your help but the bills for caring for the animals are very high and our reserves are currently zero.

: Tiggy – Help us to help her, Adopt a Kitten

: Tiggy – Adopt a Kitten

: Tiggy – Adopt a Kitten

: Tiggy – Adopt a Kitten

Tiggy – Adopt A Kitten

Posted on September 18, 2011 by El_Burro

Jane found Tiggy lying stunned in the road near Gaucín, Andalucia, Spain on Wednesday night.
We think she was “clipped” by a car as she has a small cut on her face and a swollen paw.

She’s about six weeks old, skin and bone, typical of a kitten from a feral litter.

She doesn’t have any visible infections which is good news for Tiggy in her condition.

She has a very healthy appetite. Jane bought some pouches of specially formulated kitten food with added vitamins and minerals. Tiggy loves them!

She’s stopped hissing and spitting at us, and now doesn’t run and hide when we come in the room. She’s making herself at home and purrs very loudly. It doesn’t take long to tame feral kittens, patience, food and gentle strokes.

Chances of finding her a home are about zero. Not many Spanish people like animals in the house especially cats.

We are happy to give Tiggy a home. We already have six rescued cats, including two amputees, victims of traps.

I’ve added an Adopt Tiggy option in our “Gift Shop” @ £25.
If we can find seven people willing to adopt her for a month this will pay for her veterinary bills.

We’ll send a special set of photos to you taken during the month you adopt Tiggy.

Sorry to have to ask for your help but the bills for caring for the animals are very high and our reserves are currently zero.

On a brighter note I managed to take some photos of Tiggy just as she woke up.
She wouldn’t pose yesterday.

We’ll take more photos and update the site on her progress.