I’ve been watching donkeys and the way they eat for more than 15 years now. They are set in their ways and have odd quirky habits. For most of my life, I had no idea how donkeys eat and could care less.

In recent years, I’ve become a donkey eating scholar.

When I put the hay in the feeder, they each like to stand on opposite sides. If the sheep come nosing around, they chase them away.

If Lulu (left) goes around to Fanny’s side (right), then Fanny will come over to her side, so each can be alone on their chosen side.

They switch back and forth until there’s no more hay.

After about 15 minutes, they both will walk over to the sheep feeder to see if there is a better deal.

When they run the sheep off, the sheep will come over to the donkey feeder that they just abandoned.

When that happens, both donkeys will come back to the feeder and chase the sheep back to their feeder. They may not want it anymore, but that doesn’t mean the sheep can have it.

So they start to finish their hay.

Then, one or both donkeys will pull a bunch of hay out of the feeder and drop it on the ground. I think they like to do this because it replicates grazing, but I’m not sure.

The donkeys will permit me to take photographs of them eating from the side of the feeder, but never from behind them or alongside.

As I’ve mentioned, with donkeys, everything has to be their idea, or they just won’t do it.