Mini donkeys

Anybody have any mini donkeys?

I saw a post on Facebook today that was shared by two friends about these "dwarf donkeys" and how they stay that small and cute forever (it was 4 pictures of fluffy babies) and I kinda had a hunch right away they were just babies but then I opened the original post and read the first comments and found one that said they were, in fact babies, but weren't dwarfs or bred down but were a separate breed, Miniature Mediterranean Donkeys, and yeah, anyway, I got curious and have been looking at them and various breeders and club sites for hours LOL

They seem like they make great pets and are sociable, etc.

Unfortunately the price seems a little steep on most even the cheaper ones so I probably won't be adding them soon. But they sure are cute.

Although I suppose it's a lot like buying a well bred dog but still, probably can't afford the associated costs of ownership right now anyway.

But gosh, eventually I just HAVE to have them. They're so CUTE.

Sooooo, sorry, I'm rambling on now, but anybody have Miniature Mediterranean Donkeys, mini donkeys, anything like it?

Or even mini horses or regular donkeys. Or heck, now I'm wondering if anyone has the mammoth or wooly ones.

Basically any unique or mini donkey/equine?

Maybe pictures or care info or whatever's relevant.

Thanks

Wasn't sure if anyone saw it but they really are so cute

No one has one?

And do you think adopting one if I can find one is a good idea or would they have behavior/health problems?

I've had miniatures and I currently have standards. Donkeys are kinda like you crossed a dog with a horse, they are built like horses but act more like a dog.

Donkeys need other donkeys, so I would never get just one it will be depressed. Donkeys are soft hearted and don't do well with rough handling. Horse training techniques won't work on them.

They can be healthy, but can quickly become obese, so feed intake needs to be controlled and they need regular exercise. They can founder on too much grass, and grain shouldn't be fed too much if at all.

They can be noisy, braying every time they see you, and they can be stubborn. They have to want to do what you are asking.

I got distracted and I didn't finish, donkeys need regular hoof trimming with someone who understands the hoof structure as well as needing their teeth checked and floated yearly if necessary.

Donkeys are long lived, 30-40 years so a long commitment, they are often abused because people don't understand them, so it's important to screen homes if you ever need to find them a new one as they often end up in the meat market.

Thanks for all the great info

And yeah, everything I read said the same thing and that goats or horses aren't the same, that they need other donkey companions, so I'd definitely get at least two

And wow, they sound like great animals. Love the personality part.

Is the floating and/or farrier expensive?

And yeah, the commitment is definitely a big part I'd need to consider.

And I saw one thing say that they're very cautious which can be confused as stubbornness but that they're not, they're just very cautious/have to make sure it's safe first and won't do anything if it's not safe but if you can convince them that it's safe they'll do anything for you. Do you find this to be true or are they just plain stubborn? Or is it a mix of both? I think they had minis

Thanks for all the help and info

Both vets and farriers are all over the place depending on where you live and even what vet you choose. I have one vet float teeth for 50 dollars, another charged 400 because they sedated and used fancy tools, so prices are all over the place. You can certainly learn to do your own hooves, most around here charge 20-30 dollars. We do our own.

That is totally true about a donkey, he's way smarter than a horse. A horse will run forward in fear, and most training techniques use that, but a donkey will freeze, and often drop in place before moving forward. A donkey has to trust you and your leadership to comply, so it's more like a relationship you form with a dog. A donkey will follow you everywhere if allowed.

Donkeys are emotional and will remember everything forever, so one bad moment will take a long time to fix. Donkeys seem dumb because they aren't very reactive sometimes but they are very intelligent and want to please you, they just need to understand what you are asking.

Wow that's crazy they charged so much! Although I guess I can semi see why since the sedation especially on a bigger animal (or was it a mini?) Probably costs a lot or is more work but at the same time, seems to me it's just an excuse to charge more. And also, shouldn't a good vet not even need to sedate? I thought they did it awake. Wow. And yeah, I think I'll have to look into how to do the feet although that doesn't sound too bad. Guess it might add up though especially with two.

That's awesome to know, thanks for all the info, love the last two paragraphs especially.

They sound a lot like my dog hahaha

He's half black Lab and half Great Pyrenees so thankfully he has the willingness to please and food motivation of the Lab but he does also have the stubbornness of the Pyrenees. He is veryyyy smart though and often "gets" things within just a few times or less or showing him. So training can either go very very quickly or it can take a long time to train if he's feeling stubborn lol but thankfully over the last year or two I've worked with him a lot and I think the righr motivators, when he was younger I thought he was just stubborn (okay he is lol) but it's all about finding the right motivator and once we have that down, it's pretty easy. For him it's food and play but lately I mostly use food. Anyway, I'm rambling now but he won't do anything unless there is a good reason for him to do so and often he has to stop and think about whether he wants to do it or not. If the motivators strong enough or he wants to, he will. If not, good luck LOL but he's gotten better and resists less. But anyway, I figure that's kinda similar to a donkey aha

I am looking to buy a donkey does anyone have one they wish to sell?

I hope you find one!