Mini-donkey advice

[gsganzer]

My wife and I are planning to get some mini-donkeys. Does anyone have any advice or experience with them? They're just for pets, no breeding anticipated.

We're planning to get a pair of 6 MO jacks that are best friends (photo). Should we get them both gelded? At what age?

 

[RollingsFarms]

i would ask your local vet about what age to geld and any other questions you might have.

 

[jinman]

My wife's donkey, Jonathan (John-nuthin'), is about the most useless animal you could ever have. He eats, poops, bites you and other animals, and is a noisy pest. He was allowed to mature before being gelded. That's probably a big mistake. He formed habits and attitudes that stayed with him. He also lived about 2 years in the same pen with a billy goat where they battled pretty much on a daily basis. For your minis, I'd say to talk to the vet and get them fixed as early as possible. Also make sure they are in a non-confrontational environment as they mature. Hopefully, then you will have two cute well-behaved little pets.

Oh yes. . . We just sold the property and the new owner wants Jonathan and the goats. I'm a happy man!

 

[GaryM]

Those guys are pretty cute, at least for now. How big will they get when full grown?

 

[kthompson]

Have a neighbor who raises them for sale. Amazing how loud they can be. Not complaining, like to hear livestock but to hear them baying just sounds so different than cows or horses.

 

[gsganzer]

Those guys are pretty cute, at least for now. How big will they get when full grown?

These are mini's and will only get 33" or so, when full grown. I visited them today and arranged to get them to our place. They're very social and act more like dogs. They love to be pet, nuzzle on you and follow you around. One funny thing about them is that they don't smell. You know how your hand smells like horse after petting a horse? There's no odor with a donkey.

Another peculiar thing with a donkey is that they don't like you to lead them by pulling on a lead rope. If you stand beside or push from behind they move. As soon as you get in front and try to pull, they put the brakes on.

 

[chh]

Talk to a vet and geld them as soon as you can. Once they learn breeding behavior gelding may or may not help their attitude. Our jack has been gelded for 3 years and still does not know it. Luckily he has a laid back, socialable, and freindly disposition. Subscribe to a magazine such as the one from the American Donkey and Mule Society. They have a lot of good info in their mag. Do not feed them very much at all and all feed needs to be low protein, under 10%. As an example our 4 are all standard size(bigger than yours) and in the winter a 3 lb coffee can of sweet feed is more than enough.

 

[JESSE1]

I've got 5 regular sized donkeys, 4 jennies and 1 gelded jack. We had the jack gelded as soon as we got him, he was about 1 year old. The oldest jenny is about 14 and the two youngest are 10 now. I feed a 10% sweet feed and all the hay they can eat. They stay fat on grass.

 

[gsganzer]

The breeder said to geld them as soon as they drop, which should be somewhere between 9 and 12 months.

We probably won't need to feed them much during growing season, because they'll be on pasture. If they start to get too fat, then we can dry lot them and just turn them out as needed. They'll just need some minerals and water.

 

[heehaw]

i've had/raised donkeys for quite a while now: mostly the minatures: they are a lot of fun, an have great personalities: i never have liked horses, but have always liked donkeys?? i just got rid of my last jack: the 2 prior to the last one, i had to give away to get rid of them: i got a whopping $60 for the last one: he was about 6 months old. we got rid of the jack because we decided we didn't want to raise any more. hope you enjoy your new friends..the only thing i have missed about not having a jack around, is the braying: i always liked hearing that, an it is amazing how loud a little bitty donkey can be.
heehaw