Donkey Lovers

[qtrrae]

Okay, I need honest opinions, ideas, thoughts, advice.

I have a chance to buy this baby when he gets weaned, he is just one month old right now.

I am thinking about raising him with my weanlings and letting them grow up together. With all the coyotes in this area, I am thinking he will eventually be a protector for them. I would get him gelded as soon as possible.

Is this a good idea or not?

I have had a little experience with donkeys but not a lot.

Sanny, I know what you mean, I have been checking this donkey forum out quite a bit. I also LOVE those big long ears. This little guy has not been handled but his mother is very tame.

Thanks for any help!

 

[Sanny]

OH...What a doll....if I may ask, is he in WI or MN?? LOL if there is another just like him I MIGHT be interested!

 

[minimule]

He's pretty cute! They are VERY hard to resist. If it were me......I'd get him. I think I would have him gelded as soon as it is cool enough. If you don't intend to breed him might as well take care of it while he is young.

Let us know what you do.

 

[shminifancier]

Donna, yes I would put him with the weanlings but as soon as you an have him gelded, donkeys as a rule mature at a very early age so if not "cut" he would soon be acting studly, not a good thing, But remember this He will want or should I say demand your attention, lol so give as much time to him as you can I know you handle your little ones as often as you can but donkey's want even more, if you can imagine that... Ears scratched,,back scratched,,,rubbed, and loved all over, lol

And not having hardly any coyotes clsoe to me I do not know very much about that, but I know they are great protectors and will let you know if something is wrong, and let me say this you WILL hear them

Here is a nice little link that tells some more info and cqare that I have found useful

http://www.qis.net/~minidonk/donkdet.htm

 

[wendy4mini]

He's adorable. I got my donkey as a weanling (from the stockyard)after my neighbors dogs killed one of my mini. Euyore is the best friend of all my minis and protects then against everything (dogs, nosey neighbors, or anything else that comes into the pasture.) I had him gelded immediately and he is now the sweetest soul. Euyore starting really guarding the minis when he was about a year and a half. I guarantee that if you open your heart to a donkey that they will change your life. They may not have the beauty of a show horse but they are such characters. I will never not have a donkey.

 

[qtrrae]

Thanks guys for your thoughts in helping me make this decision. I'm 99.9% sure that I will take this little guy, in fact I sent a deposit down on him.

Sanny, the man that I am getting this little guy from has another jenny that is pregnant. He wasn't sure exactly when she was going to foal. That jenny is gray, bred to a spotted jack. Located in WI about an hours drive from Alma (where I live)

Thanks minifancier for the donkey link, I found lots of good donkey info on there and have put it in my favorites.

Now, I am getting excited about getting him!

Are they like minis as far as weaning them goes? We don't usually wean our mini babies before 4 months at the earliest.

 

[MeadowRidge Farm]

qtrrae, if you ever get up my way stop in and I will show you how good donkeys are as protectors (mine will even chase the cats out of the pastures...lol...) .This one sure is cute, I wouldnt be passing it up! I have always put mine in with the weanlings and they do great! I am in the process of getting a mini llama right now, who lost her mother when she was born and was bottled raised, she is now 8 months old and expected to mature in the 32-33" size. This will be a new one for me, first time llama owner! Anyone else on here have llamas? miniature ones? Corinne

 

[StarWish]

LOL!!! Boy, are you safe in asking THIS group if you should get a mini donkey! All of us who are "donkeyholics" are here!!! Of course, we'll tell you to "go ahead"!

I agree with everyone else's answers thus far. Don't worry about him not being handled much...he'll be all over you as soon as you scratch and love on him! We can hardly get out of our corrals because we have to get by 7 mini donks! We thought mini horses were the most loveable...until we got these mini donks! You'll LOVE them!...note that I said, "them" because you might not be able to have just one!

On the weaning issue: we have 2 jennets who are less than a year old and we have watched one mother wean one at about 6 months and the other is 3 months and her mother is still letting her nurse...since this is new to us, we are kind of watching to see what Mother Nature is planning. This is in consideration of the fact that the mothers are doing well weight-wise, too. Just an interesting observation from what we are seeing...

Well, go ahead and get excited! We're happy for you!

StarWish/Colleen

 

[TinyMiteVillage]

Oh you will love him. He will protect your little ones and steal your heart at the same time. My donkey boys know what is going on all the time and will run strange cats out of the mini yard. But let the family cats in to drink from the water trough. Threy have their favorites too.........lol..........but they are a hoot. I didn't know what I was missing til I got them and now I would not give them up for anything................I love my Junior and Bubba................

 

[JuGGler_j0e]

Anyone else on here have llamas? Miniature ones?

Miniature llamas??? Is there really such a thing?

 

[shminifancier]

Yes there is mini Llamas

Just about any animal you can think of people have breed them down and now have mini ones... There is just about ALL Cattle you can name there are miniature ones....I wanted to get a Mini Jersey calf....But at close to 2K I decided against it...That is why I got a mini Zebu Which LOOKS like a Brahma,, with a hump and all...That Zebu was only 38 inches tall and wt. about 400 LB's full grown....There is even mini Alpaca's