Donkeys??

[Buster52]

So, I'm investigating meat goats for my little farm and belong to several homesteading and meat goat forums, and the option of keeping donkeys as guard animals keeps popping up. They will apparently protect the goats from pretty much any predator from dog or coyote on down.

So, the idea of using one to also protect the chickens came to mind. I don't remember seeing any posts about that on this forum. Has anyone tried this? If so, what was your setup and how did it go?

Thanks in advance!

 

[adoptedbyachicken]

Yes, I got a donkey that had killed dogs previously, his parents were chicken guardians and he was a 2 year old. So it seemed perfect, and it was for about 2 months. He ran coyotes off and the only one he got a hold of he hurt bad. But then he quit. I have horses and instead of staying with the chickens like he was raised he started hanging out with them. Coyotes never bother horses so he did not care. It did not help either that my hubby was not supportive in telling friends to not bring dogs to the farm. It's not realistic to run the donkey off of dogs, expecting him to be happy about visiting dogs running loose when he is guarding for canines. Since I have been told he would have quit guarding with horses areound, they just become another horse, but I really feel my hubby's expectation that he leave dogs alone was a big part of the mistake. Anyway shortly after that we got our own dog, a LGD and they stay serious.

Too bad, the donkey was a great idea I thought.

 

[Wynette]

I've got a couple mini donks, and though I love the cuties to pieces,

I can't say they act as if they even know the chickens are there.

 

[ducks4you]

Get a good guard/herding dog. DO a SEARCH and decide which one works best for you. Then, get it As a PUPPY. ANY equine can hurt YOU more than protect your birds.

 

[citrusdreams]

I opted for a GSD because a donkey will hurt your goats if he/she doesn't like the goats. I know you're looking for protection for your chickens but I thought it was worth mentioning. If they don't feel bonded to their charges, they won't protect them. The reason why they are pretty good at protecting is because they don't like dogs or coyotes. Also, yes, they can be dangerous to you if they're protective of their charges.

But a LGD will protect your livestock from all kinds of predators, not just coyotes and dogs. They're also easier for a human to handle.

Puppies also need to be trained. Please don't get a puppy LGD and expect him/her to fill right into the job, or to not chase chickens. They still need to be trained. You might get lucky and get one already used to being around livestock and knowing how to behave. But don't trust them without training until you're sure. It's great when the breeders keep the puppies out with their parents patrolling, but note that they don't all do that.

And FYI, I got mine as a four-year-old. I don't know much about her, but I do know that she was already used to being around all sorts of livestock. So she's fowl-safe, as well as goat, cow, etc. safe. She hates my housedogs too, and that's the way I want it. I keep them totally separate. And when the house dogs get too close to the goat pens, she growls and barks at them and holds them back. Which is what she's supposed to do.

And FYI, they are very noctural. It looks like they're lazy good for nothings during the day, but believe me, they're just conserving energy

They are up alllllll night patrolling, guarding and yes, barking...all night, esp great pyranese. So if you live close to others, you might want to consider a quieter LGD.

 

[SproutGirl]

I've heard of guard donkeys in various books I've read. I've also heard of people putting llamas or alpacas in with their sheep to protect them. Cool stuff.

 

[19hhbelgian]

Llamas yes, although they are still quite vulnerable, alpacas definitely not

I too would go with a guard dog if it was me. My donkeys are great guard animals in with my goats minis alpacas and a mare and foal, but I don't know about chickens. They are very playful - they have multiple balls, a road cone, and they still carry around the feed tubs! They have never tried to hurt my goats what so ever, but a chicken might resemble a ball a little too much! Donkeys do naturally hate dogs ect.. They will honk when someone or somthing comes on the property that doesn't belong, and if a dog does go in their pasture, it'd better be very quick to get out! Also, a donkey is a lot more work than a LGD to take care of.

 

[Buster52]

Thanks for the responses. Already have a good dog, but she is busy guarding the birds on the front of the property. The meaties will be going in the pastures, which is what made me think donkey when I read about them on the goat sites. Not really interested in getting another dog, although I do agree dogs are the best of all guard animals.

But thanks for responses. They were helpful.