I've raised several donkeys and never had a problem with any of them except one of the ginnies. She was definitely the "barnyard boss". To stop her kicking and biting at the other donks during feeding time, I built a series of feeding chutes. They were too small for more than one donk at a time to enter,and the boards down each side prevented kicks and bites. They could only enter the chute from one direction.There were 4 chutes ( 2 on each side ) with a center aisle.I could walk down the aisle and put their feed in their buckets and flakes of hay in the hanging feeders.Donkeys are not stubborn or hard-headed as most people believe,but they are cautious to the extreme. Unlike a horse,a donkey will never place itself in a situation where it thinks it's going to get hurt.Getting down to their level is a good idea and it does teach them to trust you,but I don't think I'd want to have my brains at the level of a kicking donk ! It's possible she may have been in heat,but you said they're over 4 yrs.old and you've had them quite some time.It's also possible that the more dominant one has come to view you as a member of "her herd" and is subjecting you to the same treatment as the other donk. Either way,it's totally unacceptable behavior.As for hitting them with buckets,shovels,etc.I would strongly disagree with that advice. Reason being,donkeys do NOT forget ! I can smack the heck out of one of my horses if they act like an idiot and 5 min.later,they're begging for treats :>) Donkeys will find some way to get even with you.You will lose any trust you have built up with them because they are going to remember that you're the one who hurt them and not only that,if you decide to bang on your donks with a shovel,then you will probably deserve to get knocked on your butt ! Sorry,but that's the way I feel.I don't treat my horses like my children,but I don't abuse them either,and way-laying any creature with a shovel just smacks of abuse. When you're working with your donks,stay close to them,basically crowding them.It gives them less room to draw those legs back and let you have it.Has something about you changed that maybe your donks sense ? Did you get a new dog ? Donks are wonderful "guarddogs" and will stomp coyotes and dogs to death if given a chance.Could they possibly be smelling a strange dog's scent on you ? I would halter them one at a time and work with them separately for about 30 minutes a day. If the bossy one goes to kick,turn her in circles until she gets those legs back under her and keeps them there.Lucky for me,my son's a big guy and whenever I have a problem with any of the colts I'm breaking,I call him in.If one goes to kick or rear up and paw at us,he can usually put the younger ones on the ground.It dosen't take but a time or two before they realize that if they go to kick or rear,they're going to get spun around and dropped to the ground.As for the braying.. this is what the donks do and do very well :>) I'm kind of wondering if they aren't calling for you.Silly as this may sound,like horses,they are herd animals and if they've come to recognize you as part of their herd, then maybe some of the braying is just their way of trying to locate you ? Mine would bray when I pulled up at the barn to feed,and they brayed if strange vehicles came down the lane,but it wasen't excessive.Friends of mine who have donks say theirs only bray a couple of times a day and for the most part are pretty quiet. Hope some of this helps. Susan

SierraAt any rate since all other earlier symptoms had cleared (from blind cave attacking) and only one or two flashed (I think mostly at feeding time) I with advice from pet store management decided he was a wild and crazy guy)(fish) So, I put them all in established 20 long, low light with annubias and wood. Later added (oops one female betta already there) gourami. All seems fine now... if one kind of digs crazy into gravel (very small layer just for bacteria)I ignore. (well not really, but try not to worry wart) There are strange things that occur with this nyc water. Even though I pre filter from shower head (or will be brown) and store and filter with chem remover (old pipes so on) I notice and so does pet store (a block or two away) changes. When it rains sewage backs up here into water incoming (YUCK) bacteria count high in summer (hear it on radio news) and it shows up as flex bacteria in tanks, theres and mine. so who knows. But for these albinos (others (one) in larger tank flashed during same time) but stopped... I occasonally think I see one white spot that doesnt increase but think it is bit of sand as can't find it later. all seems fine now in both tanks so something during summer heat??? ONe main thing could have been fluvival filter (one of two) I used on storage water.... I thought with no fish could go longer (one month) before changing, but it was a bit rank one day and when I took it to clean all this white stuff? So maybe the water I was using was nasty with something???? Maybe why other was flashing? So, maybe a combination of things, but I think in future, keeping fluvival cleaner might be helpful... /////////////////////////////////////// Sandy: thanks for garlic idea... I actually used some oil after giving up on meds with rescue betta female after four months and it doesn't quit! Was doing salt dips once day, (salt in tank)as if not it would cover her almost overnight. Stopped with medicated food, and in water save for small amount of bettazing only now as it neared her gills. I took her out and used a garlic oil and water swab...on her side... salt dip then back.. I can hardly believe it on both sides now gone. also increased salt per Dr. Innes salt cure,(bettas can handle large doses of salt I have found, (just do slowly)...I increased this after doing commercial fish disease reserch, and went by their formulae for flex (really helps) Only problem now is it went near gill (one area I don't spot treat, used mild water and mecurachome (the old with mecury I used as a kid worked wonders for spot treating) ANd It stopped strage growth on gourami (that caluflower growth many mentions when you reserach their diseases) If you read this do you think garlic could be dabbed on or near gills, or maybe will feed her some garlic in food. Actually think I answered my own question.. since flex works on muscles and goes inward this may lead to something.. someone else who post here also had success with the garlice. thanks for that suggestions. And to both much thanks. A releif things are settling down... Best Sherry

I especially loved the baby turtle. My uncle gave my daughter a baby red-eared slider (we lived in Ohio) for Easter when she was 5. He had just crawled up out of the nest and was still damp and soft shelled, about the size of a dime. We had "Junior" until we moved south 4.5 years later. He was about 6 inches long when we let him loose in the lake near my uncle's house. It is cool but gross to watch them eat a minnow...LOL!!

I agree with mblan13--7-10 days is too long between cleanings to be safe for the birds. If it takes that long to empty the feeders, fill the feeders only a third of the way, and store the extra nectar in the refrigerator. I have ten feeders. Four of them get depleted and need to be cleaned and refilled every day; the rest are refilled every other day. Our customers include a gang of the gigantic "hummers" (hooded orioles) part of the year, so they help. But even when it is just the hummers, 2-3 days is the longest the feeders last before refills are needed. Which is fine, because they would need to be cleaned anyway. It helps to choose an easy to clean feeder; it takes about one minute to clean and refill one of mine.