Soon to be Donkey owner in need of any and all helpl

[faye fox]

Hello, my husband and I have just purchsed property and would like to have donkeys. We are completely new to donkeys. My husband trained horses when he was younger but that has been awhile. We have a barn, a spring fed pond and acres of vegetation that they could graze on, so I think they will have a good home. I would like to have two and I would like them to be people friendly. They will basically be pets and will be around young children, dogs, goats and chickens. My questions are:


How do I go about picking them out?
Is it better to have males, females or a mix?
Is it better to buy them young or to get an older one?
Are they difficult to train?
Do they require daily grooming?
What type of routine vet care do they need?
How many donkeys per acre is recommended?
Do they get along with other animals?
Do they need feed every day or can grazing be subsituted?
Are they able to protect themselves from predators?
Is there a good thread that offers this information or a good book?
Is there a better time of year to buy them?

Sorry for all the questions. I just want to be ready and have an idea what I am doing.
Thanks for any and all help.

 

[bubba1358]

I got a donkey about 15 months ago ago as a rescue. He is gelded, 11 years old, full-size.

I use a combination of electric net grazing and sheltered tethering. He is 100% vegetation-fed, and does fine in a grazing or a brush environment. I change it up every two weeks (netting) or every 1-3 days (tethered). His favorite food is wild bamboo. I also feed a generic mineral supplement with diatomaceous earth mixed in every few days. The DE and the rotation help keep parasites nonexistent. I've given him carrots and oats as a treat, but if the vegetation is varied enough, these are not a necessity. When I got him, he had very thin legs, open sores, and a bloated belly. Now, he is a very healthy specimen, although he does still have scars and other lingering effects from his mistreatment.

Basic needs include water, fencing, and shelter (although mine WILL NOT go in his shelter). They need hoof trims on an as-needed basis, unless the ground is rocky enough for the hoofs to be ground naturally. Kind of a check-and-see thing.

I think stocking depends on the quality. I am in the lush hills of middle TN, so he's fine on less than an acre during the grow season (March through November), and on hay during the cold season. It really depends. I'd start with fewer than you think you need, knowing you can always add more donkeys if they can't keep up with eating what's there.

They are very good against canine predators, and may or may not get along with other animals. I don't have experience with larger predators like bears. The thing is, they're territorial. They protect an area as supposed to a flock. So, if they perceive an animal as an intruder, they will attack it. If they have a "family" then they will leave them alone and keep other animals out of their "family's" territory.

Some are good with kids, some are not - it's an individual temperament thing. Mine is great with kids, but I am wary - they are big animals with strong legs and very hard hoofs, and they do kick when spooked. I make sure he's calm and not trying to eat or do something before bringing my kids (10, 8, and 2) near him.

Hope this helps get you started!

 

[faye fox]

Bubba 1358- Thanks for the information. It is very helpful. I do have one more question. We will not be living on the property for a few months while we build. We would be there every day or everyother day. Would the donkeys be okay under those circumstances or is there something we would need to do for them daily. They would have access to a barn and a stream fed pond for water. They would have access to at least an acre and could be moved as needed. The people we bought the property from had a herd of horses that they pastured there. I am not sure how often they came to care for them. Do you think they would be okay or should I wait until we move onto the property? As far as predators the neighbors say they do not really have any problems other than stray dogs. There are some wild hogs that break through the fence once in a while, but have never bothered the horses.

 

[bubba1358]

As long as they have water, shelter, and adequate food readily available, they're fine. They are really a low-maintenance animal. My daily routine most days is literally the three minutes it takes to pick up and refill a water bucket. There have been times that, when I can see water in it from a distance, I don't even go out. With a clean pond, full field, and a barn, you could potentially leave them for days.

 

[faye fox]

Bubba1358. Thanks again for the reply. I am so excited to get them. I really do not want to wait those few months.

 

[Bunnylady]

I discovered this site when I first got my mini mule:

http://www.lovelongears.com/

I'm afraid it isn't getting updated very often, but they have lots of info for anyone who wants to know about donkeys and mules.

 

[faye fox]

I discovered this site when I first got my mini mule:

http://www.lovelongears.com/

I'm afraid it isn't getting updated very often, but they have lots of info for anyone who wants to know about donkeys and mules.

Thanks, since I am new to donkeys this information will be new to me. I want to learn as much as I can before I get my donkeys. Thanks again.

 

[BrayJunction]

There's a very comprehensive book on donkeys written by Sue Weaver, contributor to "Hobby Farms" magazine. It's excellent, packed with useful info and lots of folklore about donkeys in the sidebars. Many great photos too. There's lots of good websites out there, including several yahoo groups (which unfortunately do not have the wonderful user friendly format this site has). There's a yahoo group about donkeys and an even more specialized group on donkey clicking (training using a clicker). I acquired 3 donkeys last year and have really enjoyed them. I think a gender mix is good. My jennet runs the herd and the two gelded jacks enjoy roughhousing and playing with traffic cones. I'm clicker training and having success with that.