Getting a Donkey for guard duty

   / Getting a Donkey for guard duty #12  
I had a throughbred mare that hated dogs. She would bite, kick, stomp anything she could. She also would kick the crap out of the gelding that we had. One time she picked up a neighbor's beagle that ran at her barking. She threw that dog at least 20 feet!! It survived, but it never came on our property again. Dog would go down the road, keep to the other side, out of sight of the horse. She also kicked me, stepped on my feet, bit me. That's why she went down the road.
 
   / Getting a Donkey for guard duty #13  

You need one of these. Sorry about the terrible music.
 
   / Getting a Donkey for guard duty #14  
I have a BLM rescue donkey...have had him about 9 years or so. I would never consider him a guard of anything.

For a rescue animal is is great. super gentle, loves to be petted and scratched. Follows me like a dog.

I put 2 sheep in with him thinking hed like some company. he killed both of them after a few months. so much for guarding the flock.

He doesnt bother my dogs, but will chase any other dog off the property.

I also have 4 horses, and i think the donkey is smarter .... overall... than the horses.

The BLM warned me he would never drink out of a fountain, never want to go indoors, etc. He LOVES his indoor stall, he LOVES his heated water trough. Once he learned it wont hurt him, hes an easy keeper. Comes to me when i call his name even if hes out on pasture.
 

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   / Getting a Donkey for guard duty
  • Thread Starter
#15  
After reading all the feedback and learning about the critters, I think that I will pass on the Idea.

Thanks all for the feedback and links.
 
   / Getting a Donkey for guard duty #17  
I had a Jake in one of my pastures for several years and he done a really good job at guard duty. I got to see him in action a few times and know that he would ran a dog or go after a lurking coyote. I started noticing that he was acting sort of weird awhile back but didn稚 think much of it at the time. A few days later I found a dead new born calf and couldn't figure out what had happened. Something started telling me that he was involved, so I started watching him close. A day or two later I walked up on a new calf that was only a few hours old. I guess me standing there got his attention and he started coming my way, but once he seen the new calf he went crazy and attacked it. He picked it up by the back of the neck and threw him like piece of trash.

There was no time to go back to the truck for my gun so it was just me, the mama cow, the calf and an old fence post (that just happened to laying there). The mama was fighting with everything she had and I wore him out with that post. I finally landed a good lick up side his head with everything I had. After that, I was able to get between them and keep him off long enough to call my son on the phone for help. Needless to say I don稚 have him anymore.

I have talked to a few folks since then including my Vet and asked why after all these years did he just snap They all have heard of similar issues and said for some reason it seems, as they get older some of them will start to see the new calves as predators and kill them instead of protecting them.
 
   / Getting a Donkey for guard duty #18  
I have llamas guarding my goats and sheep. They are excellent guard animals, very bonded to the herd, and very aggressive towards any predators. if they see a predator they will run at it, screaming what my wife and I call their war cry. That will intimidate almost any predator. If a predator is foolish enough to try to engage them, llamas have a very lethal kick.
 
   / Getting a Donkey for guard duty #19  
My neighbor next door has a guard llama to protect his goat herd.
Another about a 1/2 mile away uses a guard donkey for his goats.
Good luck
 
   / Getting a Donkey for guard duty #20  
They keep the coyotes and dogs away.Photo1536.jpg
 
 
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