Soon to join the ranks of mini donkey owners

[backwoodsnanny]

Posting for the first time here. Though we have been mini horse owners / breeders for 6 years we are soon to get our first miniature donkeys and truthfully I am reading all the threads I can to get a handle on what to expect. My first question is about fencing. We use all pipe fencing both big and little for winter paddocks so will this do for donks? Secondly we have a shelter that is split down the middle with Babydoll sheep on one side and the donks will be on the other will this work? We soon will have 3 mini Jennys and their two last year baby boys who will be weaned next month. They are 4 and 5 months old right now. Any help regarding housing will be greatly appreciated. They have all been together in their current home.

 

[MeadowRidge Farm]

:new_multi: :new_multi: :new_multi: [SIZE=12pt]CONGRATULATIONS on joining us in the ranks of being owned by our donkeys.

:

: and WELCOME to "our part" of the forum. I dont use pipe fencing, but I do have pipe gates. Our fencing is the 16' panels with the little squares, or ranch fencing, with the 3x5" squares, I have never had any problems with my donkeys and this kind of fencing. I would think pipe fencing would work. As far as your babydoll sheep go, I would be a little careful that the donkeys cant get in to them, as donkeys can have a protective instinct and some will stomp at anything that comes into there pasture or shelter area, and they also have been known to kill a animal by stomping. My donkeys dont even let our barn cats cross thru there pasture, and if the cats do--they make a beeline for the other side before a donkey sees them. :bgrin SOme donkeys can be very gentle with a animal but if the instinct kicks in...... :no: so with donkeys your much better off being safe then sorry. Cant wait to see pictures of your new donkey family. Corinne[/SIZE]

 

[minimule]

I have my jack in the big horse pipe rail fencing. It works fine for him. Anything else he breaks through. He's even broken out of these before :new_shocked: . My other panels are all mini ones that we've either bought or made. I prefer the homemade ones personally. Designed by myself for our own needs.

Congrats and welcome to the fun forum!

 

[backwoodsnanny]

Thank you both, so we need pipe fencing the large one and when we wean can we put the two little boys together? How far from the jennys should the jack boys be kept for weaning? We love the pipe fencing because it can be moved to suit our needs. Wish it wasnt February though as some of the sections are frozen in. So we are moving stuff around to accomodate. We will post pics when they come and am sure will need alot of help along the way. Are they anything like minis or totally different?

 

[jdomep]

:aktion033: WooHoo we've got another one to join our insanity LOL

This is what my 3 share

and I have a strand of electric in the middle of my white 4" fencing and they have never pushed it...

Donkeys (to me) seem totally different - much more loving - I often compare them to a dog - I never had a horse like that before (though I know some have) I am just in

: with long ears!!!

 

[PaintedPromiseRanch]

we have all of ours in pipe fencing, big horses and mule, pony and small standard donkey, and mini donkeys, horses and mules... anywhere from 3-rail for the big ones and 4-rail through 7-rail for the minis... no reason for the higher number of rails other than we buy fencing used when we can get it reasonably priced and that's what we got...

as for personality, i agree, they are more like dogs as compared to the minis being like cats. when i go out it's my donkeys that call to me, it's my donkeys that come to the fence, the minis look to see if i have treats and if not they are not all that interested in my company LOL. same thing with entering the pen with a halter in hand, the minis run away and the donkeys are grabbing the halter and lead in their mouths as if to say "take me, take me".

i have not yet weaned a donkey foal, we are expecting our first two in March and April this spring, but intend on following the same weaning plan we used for our big horses and mini horses... so long as baby is not pulling mom way down, we like to wait till 6 months, by that time we have found they are not nursing all that much anyway, we will separate them from mom with one fence between for about a week so mom can allow nursing at her option, then we separate them far enough they can't reach. if baby is pulling mom down and extra rations don't help, we would look at weaning sooner, but so far keeping close watch we have been able to throw extra feed to mom and keep her weight stable.

welcome to the wonderful world of miniature donkeys! (actually any size as far as i have seen...) - when i first joined the forum i went back into the older threads and i learned a lot and got to know the others, and got to see a lot of neat pictures. just a thought...

 

[backwoodsnanny]

Thank you all for your warm welcome and yes I have been reading old threads to help educate about the long ears.

 

[ChrystalPaths]

OK Nita...fess up! 5 donkeys! You will definitely have your hands full! Congratulations! Michaela will be in heaven! I don't know alot of our donkey moms here but Marnie and Corrine are masters!

 

[iluvwalkers]

[SIZE=14pt]congrats and welcome to this side of the forum :bgrin . lots of nice people w/ good info. again...WELCOME, Nikki

[/SIZE]

 

[JumpinJackFarm]

Wow...you are getting an instant Donkey family...you are going to get donkey fever BAD :aktion033:

Welcome to the forum and can't wait to see pics of your new family members

:

 

[HobbsFarm]

[SIZE=12pt]Welcome! You will love

: your new donkeys and hopefully like it here too. There is lots of wise donkey people here. I'm not one of them, but I'm learning LOL! :bgrin [/SIZE]

[SIZE=12pt]Nice to meet you, I'm Shannon...

WELCOME![/SIZE]

 

[backwoodsnanny]

Well as I said we are soon to get three moms and two of them have babies who have not been weaned yet but the price was right and my daughter and granddaughter will love it Sooo now our miniature family includes 14 miniature horses, 7 Southdown babydoll sheep and soon I think by the 25th 5 mini donkeys. The donkeys were a package deal from a breeder who was going out of them. Oh I forgot we also have 3 mini lop bunnies and a French lop and I guess even my Mitzy dog would qualify as a mini she is crapzu/Maltese cross and weighs roughly 6 pounds. The sheep are just boarding here for now but some will probably stay we shall see. Not fun doing chores on a day like today. We currently have blowing miserable snow roughly 4 inches an hour and they predict 12 to 18 for our area. Everyone is shut in their own area tonight not fit for man nor beast out there but my chores for the day are done Hubby does the bedtime check. So now we will settle in for a nice roast pork supper to celebrate Valentines. I usually make his favorite meal for Valentines. 40 years Ive gotten flowers and he continues to do well. I will be sure to post pics when I can dig out and get some. Thank you all for the warm welcome.