More Space At The Feeder

When we only had one hay feeder for the sheep, the donkeys would sometimes come to eat from it and chase all the sheep away.  Then the sheep would go to the donkey’s hay feeder which didn’t have enough hay in it for all of them.

Since we got a second feeder for the sheep, now when the donkeys come to their feeder, they don’t chase the sheep away anymore.   There is enough space so they can all eat from whichever feeder they want.

I still feed them the same amount of food, but now there’s no pushing to get a space at the feeder.

When the animals feel that they don’t have to fight for food, when they learn that there will always enough for all of them, the farm is more peaceful.

And, unlike when the ground is covered in snow when they can graze during the day, even if they’re not getting any nutrients from the winter grasses, they are content because grazing is what sheep do.  It’s how they naturally spend their time.

I was thinking that it’s similar with people.  When we have a secure place to live and enough to eat, when we have work that sustains us economically and is fulfilling, then as a whole, we function better together.