Can Donkeys and Emus Live Together? (also some tips for a biting donkey??)

[Dees'NEees]

Heyy! I have two mini donkeys, a one year old gelding (a little stinker) Jasper, and a 20 year old Jenny, Rosie. The last couple months Jasper has been really acting up and biting and kicking our goats and sheep. I know he's just really been moody lately because of the cold weather, and since Rosie is old and slow, she doesn't have any desire to play with him, and I've been busy with school, so I haven't had much time to go out and work with Jasper and walk him and exercise him and play with him, so I know he's just bored beyond his mind.

So, my question is... I plan to get emus in a couple months, and I'm working on building them their own pen which will be about an acre, and I'm wondering if it's okay to house mini donkeys and emus together. It would mainly be just so that Jasper doesn't beat up on the goats and sheep anymore. I also plan on getting Jasper a younger buddy to play with hopefully this spring so he won't be as bored when I'm not able to be out there with him. Also any tips on something that might help Jasper with the biting?

Anyway, sorry for the long post. We just got Jasper last year, and I've never owned an equine before, much less a young one. But I really love Jasper and I want to make this work!

 

[RacehorsesRock]

I love donkeys! It may depend. Would be worried on eating each other's food.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Donkeys can break the backs of goats and sheep. I wouldn't house them together. A true guard donkey is a single animal, usually a Jenny that bonds to the flock or herd. Two donkeys won't play nice. I have a partially paralyzed goat due to him being stomped by one of my donkeys during an escape. I can't imagine what they would do with emu. In the past my young male donkeys have stomped and killed ducks.

It also sounds like he's a typical pushy young male that doesn't know his boundaries. I found the horse whispers techniques worked well on getting my boys under better control. They still are donkeys though, and they can be difficult if you don't understand them. Be firm and gentle with donkeys. They shut down if they are treated harshly, and will push boundaries to see how far they can get.

 

[Dees'NEees]

Donkeys can break the backs of goats and sheep. I wouldn't house them together. A true guard donkey is a single animal, usually a Jenny that bonds to the flock or herd. Two donkeys won't play nice. I have a partially paralyzed goat due to him being stomped by one of my donkeys during an escape. I can't imagine what they would do with emu. In the past my young male donkeys have stomped and killed ducks.

It also sounds like he's a typical pushy young male that doesn't know his boundaries. I found the horse whispers techniques worked well on getting my boys under better control. They still are donkeys though, and they can be difficult if you don't understand them. Be firm and gentle with donkeys. They shut down if they are treated harshly, and will push boundaries to see how far they can get.

Thanks so much! I have realized he pushes me around and tests his boundaries the more I work with him, and since I know way more about horses than I do about donkeys, I've been kind of treating him a little more like a horse. Our vet who comes out here works with someone who knows a whole lot about donkeys, so I've been wanting her to come out and help me work with him and get to know the brain of a donkey some more. It's all a learning process, and I'm really trying so hard to learn and do the best I can.
Thanks again!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Donkeys are more like dogs than horses. Most horse techniques won't work with a donkey. I once tried to lunge one. It just stood there no matter what I tried. They are definitely smarter than they look. The freeze, or even drop down, in response to fear generally, where a horse will run.

Think of him as a pushy St. Benard. They will never forget bad treatment, and they prefer to be asked, and not told, so training can be a bit different. They can drive a person crazy if you don't understand them. It's probably why so many end up abused unfortunately. People expect a long eared horse, and you end up with a hoofed dog. Good thing they are so cute.

 

[Zoomie]

Personally, I would definitely house donkeys and emus separately. I have a donkey (just one, a jenny) and I do not allow her in with my goats. She is in the big outer pasture, hopefully running off dogs and coyotes. We haven't had anything killed since she's been here, so here is hoping...

She did make very good friends with a llama, a tragic lone survivor of a dog attack. His mother and the others did their best to defend him, a very young llama at the time, and the dogs killed all of them but the baby. So no, you don't normally keep a llama alone, but we had a tragic reason for it... so we got the donkey to protect against dogs and she immediately bonded with the little fellow and they are now BFF. I have to say though, she plays pretty rough with him. He is up for it luckily. The donkey does not kick him, she picks her foot up and pretends to but is really careful. But they sure do wrestle and play rough, biting each other.

Would definitely get some training tips from your local expert, it's well worth it. Donkeys are just very different. They can really hurt or even kill other animals so it's good you are working on that.