I just bought a baby donkey!

[boykin2010]

I found a standard white baby jenny for sale on craigslist! I have been looking for a jenny to use as a livestock guardian for my sheep. The donkey is about 10 months old and the donkey and its mother was raised in a petting zoo so it is very friendly and good around kids. I am excited as this going to be my first livestock animal ( except for chickens ) i should be getting my sheep in a couple of weeks. My sister and I are splitting the price of the donkey and we are going to share it. The guy on craigslist wanted 200$ for her so i took it. The only problem is that i dont have a livestock trailor yet because we are just getting into animals. So he is going to deliver her to us for 100$. He lives 3 hours away so this is why it is so much. Anyway here is the link to the baby.
http://macon.craigslist.org/grd/2162430834.html

Please feel free to give me any helpful hints about keeping donkeys. I am completely new to this and although i have been researching a lot i have a feeling i dont know all of it yet.

 

[krcote]

That very well may be the CUTEST little donkey I have ever seen!

 

[Goose and Fig]

Awwww! She's so FURRY! It sounds a little expensive for a donkey, but I guess it all depends on where you live. She'll sure blend in with the sheep- super cute!

 

[walbarbsa]

Oh, she's just adorable. I have two mini donkeys, a jenny and a neutered jack, and they are loves especially the jack as he was raised around people. They are easy to care for.

 

[StevenW.]

AWWWWWW

Shes adorable

 

[boykin2010]

Thank yall i am very excited. Believe it or not i have had a lot of choices on donkeys but they were either
1. unfriendly and you cant even touch them
2. Friendly but have get wild. ( males )
3. to old
4. to young
5. to expensive ( one lady wanted 1000$ for her donkey! )
6. Not a good guardian ( known to kill smaller animals )
7. to far away
8. unhealthy

This one seemed to be perfect. Since my sister is 10 my parents and i wanted to get something we wouldnt be scared of her to be around.

I have one question for you donkey people
what age do people usually breed a jenny? i know it is a long way away but i would love to have a baby donkey of my own. And there is nothing like the protection of a mama and a baby donkey right!

 

[boykin2010]

anybody got any facts about donkeys they would like to share?

 

[Alabama ee]

She is soooo cute. I am glad you are getting a friendly one. The price was high for a standard. However, if she has been handled and is sweet, it will be worth it.

Has the baby had any shots yet?

One of the most mportant things is not to overfeed. It is very, very easy to make a donkey too fat. Being too fat can cause all sorts of health problems including founder. I would not feed the little one any grain. A good quality, (not moldy) mixed grass or bermuda hay is great. (Don't feed Alfalfa..it is too high in protein.) If your pasture is green, you may not even need to feed hay. In the summer, give her a horse mineral/salt block. Feeding her a treat like a slice of apple is fun. JUst don't feed her too many.

You will need to have the farrier come out every 8 weeks or so to trim her feet. Make sure the farrier likes donkeys and is kind. Also, get her used to picking up her feet. At that age, it is not too hard. reward her with kind words and neck scratches. Donkeys LOVE to have their necks itched. Most also love to be brushed. A dog brush works best. Mine love to be brushed. I use the wire side of the brush for the long hair. The soft side of the brush I use around their faces and ears.

 

[Alabama ee]

Quote:
I would wait until she is at least 4. Some people breed them younger, but I never would. Some will grow until they are 5.

 

[Alabama ee]

here is a good info website on donkeys.

http://www.lovelongears.com/