Who to geled

[Dein]

I am getting two mini donkies tomarrow one a jack and one Jenny I am getting them for predator control for my mini and goats as being out hearin the country the people arround hear just let their dogs run loose well my two boys are just pets and I am for sure going to geled the smallest one as he had deworf caratices and he is not reg eather. My other mini is a stud to but he is 16 years old and really quiet even arround mares you would never know he was a stud but I was wondering if I should geld the jack or would that change his attude about chaseing off the dogs

 

[Dein]

The more white one is the jack

 

[chandab]

Intact jacks can be quite dangerous; if you have limited experience with donkeys, especially jacks and don't want to raise donkeys or end up with some mules, geld him. [i know just like stallions, there are some you'd never know they were intact, but it's just not worth the risks to me.] If guarding is in their nature, they'll guard, intact or gelded.

 

[amysue]

Geld him. He will still guard your herd just fine even without his man jewels. Trust me everyone will be much happier if he is gelded.

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

I also vote, geld him but I am not sure if mini donkeys will be particularly good at guardian work. They will most likely have the will to drive away dogs but not necessarily the size. It would be a shame if they became the victims of the attack they were meant to prevent. In general dogs will leave alone anything that wants to chase them rather than run from them but if the dogs run in packs they may be more than a mini donkey can handle. Just a thought altho I can't tell how small your 2 are and if they aren't truly 'mini' just not very big they might do fine. Lovely colour/markings on your 2 btw.

 

[Little Wolf Ranch]

I had a gelded jack one time, he was priceless even though he was a gelding!

 

[Dein]

Thanks for all the help I will be making a call to my vet tomarrow to set up to get him cut they are both 36" we don't have packs of dogs arround hear it is just 1or 2 of the people close to my house they are only little dogs but they are tarrizing my goats I have spoke with them about it and it just falls on death ears so I figured I need to do something about it I had only planed on getting one but it was a package deal cause they have been together since they were 6 months old

 

[Field-of-Dreams]

I'd geld them all. They'd be happier in the end. Plus MUCH less hassles!

 

[FurstPlaceMiniatures]

The best dog deterrent I ever had was a 14hh witch with a b 20 yr old paint mare half thoroughbred (racing lines) and the paint half heavy cutting bred. She wouldn't let any dog within 100 yards of her of she was loose: My mini stud is dog selective - and let's the board owners 50lb English lab walk under his belly while he's in the field. It's all personality - not hormones!

 

[happy appy]

I have donkey's and minis and goats. The only thing my donkey's will chase around are the goats. They wont chase off any of the foxes that we have living around my home. I also vote for gelding all the studs.

 

[amysue]

My two mini jennies are very good listeners and when they hear anything they alert the rest of my herd. No, they cannot fight off a large dog, bobcat or coyote but they do listen out for things. My girls do stomp stuff tho, snakes, possoms and even a stray cat once. Best way to protect your livestock is to install a really secure fence.

 

[HGFarm]

Jacks can be downright vicious- and I have even seen geldings that were pretty rough. Geld him- you, and the rest of your critters will all be much happier for it.

 

[Rocklone Miniature Horses]

I knew a gelded donk that chased anything, including us. It may not be suitable to be with your horses anyway..

But as for gelding, make sure to do it at a time that it is safe which is usually winter. I've known a few to die from infection already.

 

[AnnaC]

As an aside - how old are they? Is it possible that the Jenny will be in foal? And yes, I agree with the others - you need to geld the Jack asap and certainly before you try mxing him with your resident stallion. And maybe your stallion before you allow him near the Jenny if she is not already expecting?

 

[shorthorsemom]

Is the jack currently in with your mares? Hopefully you are keeping them separate or you can probably expect some long eared foals. Geld everything you do not wish to be using for breeding. If they do not have guarding tendency then that is probably personality, not due to the fact they are gelded or not.

You have to be careful when gelding older animals but it can be done.

 

[Dein]

I do not have ne mares I just have the two studs one 16 and the other is just one the one that is one I have him schedule to geld as soon as my vet get back but I was worried about gelding my older boy cause of how old he is and he does not act like a stud the jack I am getting has been running with the Jenny so she is likely bread I was only looking to get just one but it was a package deal

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

Just a thought, even if you go ahead and geld -which I believe to be your most trouble free option and as long as you have a competent vet and a clean environment should be fine for the 16yr old too, lots of older stallions have been gelded very successfully. - Please remember that it can take months before the stallion/jack stops acting like he is intact. After a few weeks he would not be fertile but any aggressive behaviour that is a result of being an intact male would remain as would his interest in mares etc.Also, even tho your stallion is at the moment very quiet you need to consider that he is living in a bachelor herd but when you introduce the jenny, bred or not, she may trigger a rather notable change in his manners.