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| I am not sure this forum is the right place to ask about these little "darlings" but thought I would give it a try.
Dh and I have retired and have a good deal of property. We have fenced most of it as we have a few beef cows. Now we are considering getting a couple of mini donkeys. We know of some people that raise them and have gone to see them a few times. Can't believe how affectionate they are and how small!!! I think we would have to have 2 as they are herd animals. I'm also thinking they would need to be fenced in closer to the house with maybe some field fencing of some kind? Anyway, does anyone here have any info on them? Would love to know more :) Thanks! |
Follow-Up Postings:
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| i don't have mini donkeys but i do have a couple of mini horses. they are wonderful little animals, VERY touchy feely and are always in my pocket. my only suggestion would be to keep the donkeys separate from the cattle. while they are hardy little guys, a kick from a cow could be very bad. they're "easy keepers" and you don't want them getting overweight. of course, they need regular hoof trims and dewormings. good idea to keep 2 but i bet you won't be able to stop at just 2! ;) |
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- Posted by marlingardener (browns@rgf-tx.com) on Tue, Feb 9, 10 at 8:14
| There are a couple of posts about mini-donkeys on the Farm Life forum. You might pick up some information there. Let us know what you decide! |
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- Posted by sylviatexas (My Page) on Tue, Feb 9, 10 at 11:26
| Ask Carrie on the Texas Gardening Forum. |
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- Posted by pamghatten (My Page) on Wed, Feb 10, 10 at 12:43
| Here is a picture of 2 of my three mini-donks. They are very affectionate! And yes, you need at least 2 to keep each other company. I have a jenny (Sambina) and a jack (Cosmo), and they had a baby boy, Merlin. Both father and son are now gelded, so they can live together peacefully. Or relatively peacefully ... they act like little boys together, always picking on one another when they play. They're fun to watch when they run and kick and enjoy life.
Field fencing is perfect for them .. I think you can see the fencing I have in the picture. Feed them good hay, but no feed that is a sweet feed, donkeys can get fat quickly. I give mine crimped oats as a treat int he winter ... they think it's the best. If you google Miniature donkeys, you'll actually find a lot of information and a couple books out there. You will need to have their hooves done every 8 to 10 weeks, and visits by an animal vet that is familiar with donkeys. While there are a lot of similarities between horses and donkeys, there are some differences that your vet needs to be aware of. Let me know what else you are interested in. Pam |
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| Thanks for the responses and info!! Pam, your donkeys are soooo cute and that is the fencing I looked at yesterday when I went to town. Dh is thinking of fencing off anywhere from a 1/2 acre to 1 acre close by the house. I wouldn't want them with the one cow we have now, she is huge and BOSSY!! Do you get halters for them? I have been looking for some but I must not be looking in the right places, all I find are BIG ones :) We talked to the people the other day that have the jennet and jack and she said they are ready to go!!!! So probably in a few weeks after we get their fencing and shelter put up. I can't wait!! Anything else I should know? Wouldn't you know we grow alfalfa at our place but every website I look at says, DON'T FEED YOUR MINI DONKEYS ALFALFA!!!!! I suppose we could mix it with some grass hay? Anyway, thanks for the info :) Eileen |
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- Posted by pamghatten (My Page) on Thu, Feb 11, 10 at 12:29
| Hi Eileen, I got my halters from the attached link. She used to put out a magazine too, but changed it to an on-line publication which I don't read. She also has some great books and I refer to the books all the time. Since you're getting a jack, are you going to breed the 2 of them? Or are you going to geld him? Geldings are much easier to handle, adn your jenny will aprreciate it too. Sorry, alfalfa will make your donkeys fat. The only time I gave alfalfa to any of my donkeys was when Sambina was pregnant. Mixing it with grass hay won't really work ... still too fatty. The NMDA is a good resource too. I used to get a magazine from them, I must have missed a renewal notice. Don't forget about access to fresh water ... that's important. I also have a salt block, they really like that. ANd a ball to play with, adn an old tire they drag around the pasture. Here's Sambina and Merlin when he was a little boy ...
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Here is a link that might be useful: Mini Donkey Talk
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| Thanks Pam, for the link and info! We will be gelding the jack because they are half brother and sister (same Dad) but I am also not interested in breeding, just for pets. And yes, we have the water figured out so I am getting really excited! Thanks again, Eileen |
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- Posted by pamghatten (My Page) on Fri, Feb 12, 10 at 12:34
| I thought you had the water figured out. I expect to see pics when you get them! Have fun, they are great pets. |
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