The freedom she enjoys didn't start out to be that way. She was supposed to stay within a fenced area bordered on one side by a canal. On the other side of the canal are fields planted in corn. She used to be content just lounging at the waters edge, mud bathing, rooting and snoozing in the sun. However, a few weeks ago the dogs let me know she was wandering around out in the yard by our house. Also, she was spotted out in the the corn field and would disappear for days!
Since we are leasing the lower fields to the Clarks, I've been trying to keep the goats and Petunia from getting out there. So far the goats have cooperated. I reworked the fencing and was confident the problem was solved. But, then I saw her wading and swimming across the canal! There's nothing I can do about that one, short of confining her in a smaller pen away from the canal. I won't do that now though. It would be like putting her in jail!
So, she's joined the ranks of the free range chickens. I make sure she gets fed extra grain and old veggies from our garden. She comes to me when I call her, answering with various melodious grunts. In the late afternoon when she shows up, I entice her with some kind of food item, but don't actually let her eat it.
She follows me to the double wood gates that lead to the goat yard and barn where she sleeps at night. I open the gates, toss in the food, give her a nudge and a pat on her rump and she waddles in.
MY zucchinii.....NO, MY zucchini....Petunia wins.
Because of her size (5-600 lbs) she is capable of doing some serious damage if she wanted to. She's pretty easy going though. I just need to remember to unload the sacks of grain out of my car right away, as she has quite the sniffer!
(Notice her teeth marks on my car's bumper......hey, is she smiling??)
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