Anyone have a Mini Donkey?

[sandy sea]

Tell me about your Mini Donkey. Do they make good pets?

 

[19hhbelgian]

I had farm hats that have a mini donkey on the front with the farm name, on the back, they say "Everybody needs a little xxx"

I LOVE my donkeys and will never be with out them - they are very different from horses though. Completely different mind set, and you need to be able to conform to their different ways. I have 2, and they are attached at the hip. They LOVE to play, and are always being silly. I have a road cone, horse ball, slightly deflated basket ball, and they also play with anything else they can get in their mouths

Mine are also in with mini horses, goats, alpacas, and my foals - never ANY issues. Go for it and POST PICS when you get one... or 2

Here is Donkey (grey donk) & Detour playing with their road cone...

 

[danischi24]

I have 3 tiny Jerusalem donkeys. I live in Israel so I guess it makes sense. I was sick of them sitting around so I broke in the 3 year old but she makes me feel bad riding her cause she is so little so on outrides, you see me leading the donkey up the hill. How pointless...I need a horse!

 

[wombat]

Get her a little pack, lead her on your hikes while she carries the picnic!

 

[danischi24]

I was considering it-stubborn little $#%^*! Seriously, I'm a horse trainer & I always heard that donkeys are stubborn but to experience it 1st hand is something else.

 

[sandy sea]

If I were to get one would I need two or would just one be OK? I have two goats and three Pot Bellied pigs. Could the donkey live with them?

 

[Southernbelle]

I hear they do a good job as livestock guardians. Can anyone confirm that? I would love to get a few donkeys!

 

[Wynette]

I've got two mini donks and I adore them! I wouldn't say they're fantastic livestock guardians; I hear tell the standards are, however. I had a horse trainer that always kept a few standard donkeys in with her pastured show horses, and she told me she saw them chase coyote out of the field on more than one occasion.

 

[19hhbelgian]

My donkey will chase a dog with their mouths open, ears back, and teeth bared - they HATE dogs. I just love having them... Such different personalities than horses. I don't have them for any reason other than entertainment

I can say that Donkey used to try to play with the mini horses, who didn't really want anything to do with that, before I got another donkey. As soon as we had 2 donkeys, they were buddies from the get go. Playing and keeping each other company.

 

[joedie]

I breed and raise mini donkeys so I'm biased. I LOVE them. Also have horses but they are totally different and really love to be around humans. Almost like dogs. They make great pets, can be trained to drive carts, kids under 100 lbs can ride them. My grandkids show them and they are quite easily handled. I also have a few mammoths. Minis do NOT make good herd guardians. They are too small if attacked by more than one. I have mammoth donkeys for that. Not all donkeys are good at guard either.
They can do fine in the company of horses but really prefer another donkey. Braying and neighing are different languages!
A good breeder would never sell a single donkey unless you have others or a horse at home. They are very social animals.