# Does anyone else use a Donkey?



## Rechellef

We have chosen a donkey (a Scicilian Jack to be exact). My neightbor and I have a small combined flock of Kahtadin sheep (1 ram, 5 ewes and 4 lambs), plus I personally own 3 dairy does with two kids and one on the way. We were looking into a dog, but we have a small, 17 lb. terrier mix who will ocassionally find his way into the pasture and I know a LGD would kill him. The guy we bought our sheep from has LGD, but they aren't friendly with people at all and I have a 3 and 5 year old, so I didn't want to risk it. Therefore, we settled on a very gentle Donkey who seems to be doing his job so far and the kids can pet and brush him without a problem. He isn't aggresive with the other animals, and I do feed him separately to avoid any hooves in the face episodes. My neighbor heard him braying at 12:30am this morning, so I am wondering if perhaps there was something close to the fields. Of course, there is still a possibility that he could still hurt our dog, but the one time he managed to sneak into the pasture, "Pete" didn't pursue him. So far, Pete and I are developing a repore and he will ocassionally do a semi-bray to call for me, so for us it has been a pretty good choice. 

Does anyone else have a donkey for a guard?


----------



## Minelson

I would love to get a donkey. I have heard they are great for keeping coyotes away. But I am afraid of what one might do to the dogs I have. So I'm thinking if I run across one that is a baby that might work.... I'm glad yours is working out!


----------



## Nica

We have 4 donkeys that are free to roam the pasture. The dogs have learned that they do not go there. We have four lg outside dogs. No problem. We raise miniature donks as a hobby, and always let two of them roam the yard during the day. They don't bother the dogs and the dogs don't bother them. We enjoy them a lot.


----------



## Firefly

I've considered getting one, let me ask if you think it would work with my setup. I only have one acre, about 2/3 in scrubby lawn that's all I have for "pasture." I have a variety of poultry who roam about and may add a couple of pigs and sheep. No dogs. The pigs would be somewhat vulnerable at night (coyotes, fisher cats) and the others during the day (the odd fox, dog, bobcat, or coyote). If the geese and turkeys nest outside the coop (my biggest fear!) they'll need help too.Would one mini donkey help with predators? What kind of fencing would I need? I know someone who has donkeys and they are not behind a fence; she has a much bigger property but they pretty much hang around the house.


----------



## Minelson

Nica said:


> We have 4 donkeys that are free to roam the pasture. The dogs have learned that they do not go there. We have four lg outside dogs. No problem. We raise miniature donks as a hobby, and always let two of them roam the yard during the day. They don't bother the dogs and the dogs don't bother them. We enjoy them a lot.


Can you recommend any breeders in the South Dakota area?


----------



## Rechellef

Firefly said:


> I've considered getting one, let me ask if you think it would work with my setup. I only have one acre, about 2/3 in scrubby lawn that's all I have for "pasture." I have a variety of poultry who roam about and may add a couple of pigs and sheep. No dogs. The pigs would be somewhat vulnerable at night (coyotes, fisher cats) and the others during the day (the odd fox, dog, bobcat, or coyote). If the geese and turkeys nest outside the coop (my biggest fear!) they'll need help too.Would one mini donkey help with predators? What kind of fencing would I need? I know someone who has donkeys and they are not behind a fence; she has a much bigger property but they pretty much hang around the house.


A minature donkey or minature horse would work in your situation. You would need a shelter big enough and keep in mind that they do require a little more maintenance than a goat (hoof trimming must be done by a farrier). Donkeys and horses need less fencing than goat - meaning, they won't climb or sneak under things, so a good 4 x 4 wire would work just fine. Although I did own a horse who would remove a plank of fencing with his nose, jump over the fence at night and then jump back in before he knew I was up to feed for breakfast, so horses and donkeys are smart, but donkeys won't jump and he was trained hunter/jumper anyway. Since you have poor pasture, make sure you have plenty of good hay for your herd too as any equine requires quality forage and a minature is going to require only a little feed/protien because too much can cause hoof and digestive problems.


----------



## Firefly

Rechellef, thanks for your response. Funny story about your horse! If I got a mini donkey, how much hay are we talking about? "Scrubby" is the wrong term for my lawn; weedy is more accurate. The grass is thick and there's quite a bit of clover, plantain, violets, dandelions, and other nutritious weeds; the geese do very well on it. It's only scrubby by suburban standards! LOL How often would a donkey need hoof trimming and is it very expensive?


----------



## Rechellef

Firefly said:


> Rechellef, thanks for your response. Funny story about your horse! If I got a mini donkey, how much hay are we talking about? "Scrubby" is the wrong term for my lawn; weedy is more accurate. The grass is thick and there's quite a bit of clover, plantain, violets, dandelions, and other nutritious weeds; the geese do very well on it. It's only scrubby by suburban standards! LOL How often would a donkey need hoof trimming and is it very expensive?


Horses and donkeys need their hooves trimmed about every 6-8 weeks. Definitely every 6 weeks in the spring and summer. Our farrier charges $25 for a trim, which is nothing compared to shoes (shoeing by a good farrier can run about $125+ for 4 shoes). A minature donkey is more expensive than a standard size. I have seen non-show quality mini donkeys run about $500-1,000 - give or take and show quality/registered for about $1,200-2,000. A donkey should do fine on the limited grazing you have available, but towards the end of the summer, it will probably be reduced to stubble. However, a mini is small enough where you might want to consider a small pasture rotation if you can (about 1/4-1/3 acre fenced "pastures"). Lastly, get something that is at least broken to lead as a donkey is still a donkey and will try to out stubborn you at times. I hope this helps!!!


----------



## Maura

We have two miniature donkeys (34" and 36"). The braying you heard was probably him being lonely. They prefer to have a donkey friend, or in a pinch a horse friend. I got them when they were 4 and 7 months old. They have bonded pretty well with the sheep. They dominate the sheep, but also protect them. When danger approaches (my neighbor's big dogs) the sheep will all cluster behind the two donks, who position themselves between the sheep and the danger. They will attack a dog, but one Boston we had was so fast and so tough that they ended up running from him. Generally the size of them is enough to keep dogs away, that and their stare. They cannot really take on a big dog/wolf/coyote, but most predators do not want to be kicked or bitten.


----------



## Firefly

Wow, I had no idea horse shoes were so expensive. Lots to think about. Thanks Rechellef, what you've told me is _very_ helpful!


----------



## olivehill

One thing to keep in mind is that farrier prices vary WIDELY from region to region, even just from farrier to farrier within a local area so if cost is going to be top consideration it'd be a good idea to call around and ask for pricing from a few different farriers and base your expectation on the most expensive one you find. The most expensive doesn't always equal the best, but if he is the best and you need him you'll want to be able to pay him -- especially with a Donkey. Donkey hoof form is not the same as horse hoof form, a farrier should either be experienced with donkeys or good enough to be able to follow the writing on the wall when trimming. One might think this is a given for any farrier, but there are a lot of _bad_ farriers out there. 

Back to the donkeys, though. I've been looking at them for a long time. I would love one as a guard animal. Hadn't really considered the minis. Always thought of them as being too small, but I suppose they are bigger than most predators... hmmmm...

There are a couple standard mini crosses on CL here right now... so tempting...


----------



## twomeal

We are considering one for the sheep. I kinda want a sheep dog just because I love dogs. DH wants a donkey because it could also be used to run a plow. We shall see. Glad to hear it has worked for you so far.


----------



## SmokeEater2

We got a jack mini-donk a few years ago but he was lonely and bored and made some of the goats life a living hell so, when we found someone that had a jennet for sale we got him a girlfriend. Now we have 3 donkeys. :huh:

The little guy in the pic is named Whiskey,He's the son of of Donkimus Maximus and Cocoa. They are all spoiled rotten but they don't miss anything that goes on here and they don't mind calling the LGD for backup if they think they need it. :gaptooth:







[/IMG]


----------



## Linda J

A donkey does well on scrubby pasture. You don't want anything too rich for them, they will founder. As far as the hooves, if the ground is hard and rocky, no need to trim. The hooves will take care of themselves. They don't take the cold well, they need shelter to get into. Think of their natural habitat, they take the heat, live in semi-desert. 

Mine shares a pasture with 2 retired horses, gets about a cup of Equine Senior a day, and all the coastal round bale she wants. It's a dry lot, rocky (Texas hill country). We have had her for 4 years, not trimmed, although the horses get new shoes or trimmed every 6-8 weeks. Very low maintenance. 

She guarded sheep and lambs very well and now guards the pasture chickens during the day. Only lost one lamb to a coyote after she took over the 4 acres. We have so many coyotes in this area after the hot wire was installed at the top of the fence, we counted "yips" in the middle of the night for a week until the coyotes realized hot wires and a donkey make a very undesirable place to hunt sheep. Chloe is very sweet and when she's out of the pasture, she is close to the house, but she eats my petunias and day lilies. She does leave our dogs alone, she knows they belong here, but she's not with them in the pasture.


----------



## Linda J

And Whiskey is adorable. What a sweet baby picture.


----------



## westbrook

back in the early 70's I did try 2 donkeys. A pack of coyotes can take down a donkey! got rid of the other because the idiot tried to breed my goats... moved him to an area near my horses... he bred a 16H mare! I guess if there is a will there is a way. Jezebel was born! A cute little appy mule.


----------



## SueMc

No donkeys (yet) but I do have two mules and horses. I watched one day while a fox was hunting in the pasture, nearly under the mules feet. I kept waiting for the mules to run it off. Never happened so I'm sure I need a donkey.


----------



## Guest123

We have had great success with our pair (Kong and Dolly). Kong absolutely hates raccoons and I find them stomped in barn entrances on regular basis. One day he chased a raccoon across our south pasture up an electric poll so fast the **** ran into live wires and blew our transformer. Power company came out and knocked fried **** off of pole back into pasture and Kong still was going after it even though it was fried. Coyotes will not come near farm since we got donkeys. Make sure they have a companion, they get very lonely.


----------



## redroving

Friends of ours had rescued wild donkeys that lived with their sheep but they were so good as guards that they considered new lambs a threat and would kill them. They had to separate the donkey's each lambing time but even then one day a donkey got a hold of a lamb that was laying up against the fence. The donkey pulled it through the fence and killed it. 
Another friend had a flock of geese that lived with their sheep. They decided to breed the sheep and as we were watching the ewe with her new lambs, the flock of geese came and suddenly went on the attack since it was a new animal. They had to separate out the lambing ewes until the geese got used to the new lambs after about a month.


----------



## marytx

I bought a donkey and put her in the field between my pastures and my chicken coop, thinking she would keep the red fox out. She would walk around the fox grazing, and take no notice at all. That fox actually raised a litter last year right under her nose, so to speak.

While I find the donkeys personable (I have two now, since she foaled), I find them otherwise useless. I'd like to sell mine.


----------



## BigKuntryKort

Donkeys as guard dogs? I have honestly never heard of that before. Doesn't seem like that bad of an idea though after reading the posts!


----------



## PurpleMartineer

I have a donkey, I keep her with my goats. She HATES a canine. She will stomp one to death given the chance. I haven't seen if she will go after a wild animal, but the way she acts with cats and dogs, I wouldn't see why she wouldn't go after a wolf or coyote. Thats why I have her with the goats--but I do have to say I am not sure how she will be with tiny goat babies, so I have to keep the little babies away from her until I figure how she would react to them. They are big as cats so IDK if she would try stomping them too. My children ride her, so she pulls her weight around here too, prettymuch. She gives lots of love and hugs too. She's a pocket donk, but not looking for sugar cubes, she wants hugs.


----------



## PurpleMartineer

She lets slightly older goat babies and adults use her for a climbing rock when she lays down in the pasture. It is HILARIOUS!


----------



## Rechellef

Pete is particularly gentle with the smallest babies but not too gentle with the adults, but that's only because they would steal his feed if he turned his back for a micro second. It's funny how he knows that they are just babies.


----------



## farmlady

We just got our first mini-donk a little over a week ago. Already had 2 horses and a mule. Unfortunately, we're having some problems with the intro of the donk into the herd. She's an absolutely sweet, affectionate jennet, in foal & due next spring. Found out she was sold because she was a misfit in her old donkey herd. Any advice on helping her fit in?

Also, I read that it's not a great idea to have mini-donks in same pasture as pigs, since the pigs can get too playful and their greater weight & center of gravity can do grievous harm to a mini-donk, especially their tiny legs, if hit from the side. We plan to have a buffer zone around all our critter areas where the donk & mule go, if we can ever get them to tolerate each other! So far, it looks like the mule is staying buddies with the TWH mare, and MAYBE the mini-donk will bond with our senior retired Shire (an ex-Arlington cemetery caisson horse). Now won't that be a sight... 32" high donkey palling around with a 2300 pound 17.2 hand draft horse! 

Incidentally, we've found no deer spoor in our pasture or yard since our mule came here. That was an unexpected benefit!


----------



## City Bound

What do you use the donkies for, pets or for work? if for work, what kinds of jobs can they do? How much weight can they carry?


----------



## Fowler

Rechellef said:


> We have chosen a donkey (a Scicilian Jack to be exact). My neightbor and I have a small combined flock of Kahtadin sheep (1 ram, 5 ewes and 4 lambs), plus I personally own 3 dairy does with two kids and one on the way. We were looking into a dog, but we have a small, 17 lb. terrier mix who will ocassionally find his way into the pasture and I know a LGD would kill him. The guy we bought our sheep from has LGD, but they aren't friendly with people at all and I have a 3 and 5 year old, so I didn't want to risk it. Therefore, we settled on a very gentle Donkey who seems to be doing his job so far and the kids can pet and brush him without a problem. He isn't aggresive with the other animals, and I do feed him separately to avoid any hooves in the face episodes. My neighbor heard him braying at 12:30am this morning, so I am wondering if perhaps there was something close to the fields. Of course, there is still a possibility that he could still hurt our dog, but the one time he managed to sneak into the pasture, "Pete" didn't pursue him. So far, Pete and I are developing a repore and he will ocassionally do a semi-bray to call for me, so for us it has been a pretty good choice.
> 
> Does anyone else have a donkey for a guard?


Remember donkeys cannot attack a coyote...maybe chase...maybe bite...but against a pack of coyotes..a donkey is out numbered....and sheep arent always near them....basically...they will alert you that something is out there but only if it's near them...I wouldnt place all my eggs in one basket...get LGD's that is their job to protect the flock...just my 2 cents


----------



## Maura

Friends of ours had a flock of about 100 sheep and problems with coy dogs. Put a couple of donkeys out with them and there was a noticable improvement in lamb survival.

To help the new jennet, there are pressure points around the tail that you can press that will improve her status with the herd. In the meantime, keep her adjacent to the herd, not with them.


----------



## farmlady

Thanks Maura, that's pretty much what we've been doing. We had a narrow fenced area between their two fenced areas for a few days. Today I took her back over to the "big guys" pasture (on lead). She rubbed noses with our Shire, and got a sniff from our mule.. big improvement. The mule has also stopped banging the gate to express her displeasure. So I think we're making progress.


----------



## rod&chas

I love my little donkey "Hiney". We just got him a couple of weeks ago and keep him with our goats. He is not aggressive at all with them or us for that matter. He is a big big baby and I love to hear him bray! He hollers alot for attention, so when I am around I go give my Hiney kisses :hysterical:


----------

