Is this normal donkey behavior?

[Nupine]

Ok. We have mini donkey gelding, he is a registered paint. We have had him about a year and a half, he will be two in September. We had three but sold the two jennys last winter. So here is the problem. He is the oddball at the farm. We don't have a lot of land to give him a large spot, or even a spot of his own. So he has been in either a stall and very small run or with the goats. One problem, he is mean to the goats. Last September, I heard Stella screaming, so I rushed over and Buckaroo [donkey] had the skin on Stellas back in his mouth! He was biting her! So I gave him a whack, and seperated him for a while. While in the stall he stomped one of my precious chickens to death! While, we kept him there through kidding season, so he wouldn't kill the kids. Now the kids are like 4 months old. We had Buckaroo in one of the horse pastures for a while too. So now we put him back in with the goats and he was fine for a few days. Yesterday we were coming home from a bring your horse birthday party of a friend of mine. When we came home, we were kind of scared that Sonny may have tried to break out of his horse stall. So when we came home, we heard VERY loud screaming. Like something was being killed. So I ran like Lance Armstrong [wait that makes no sense

oh well] up the hill, and was shocked to see Buckaroo biting and stomping on on of my goats!!!!!!!!!!!! The goat was on the ground, I thought DEAD. I yelled and he let go, the goat got up,it was Cealey, a nubian cross yearling, a pet. I started crying. I rushed in the barn, she was fine. Although I felt like blowing the donkey's brains out, I moved him in with the horses [who cares if he is killed] for the night, as he was NOT staying with the goats. He is fine, and is actually KICKING the horses, althought he is only, what, 1/10 the size of them. He is for sale, and has been for a while, like months. We paid $600 for him from a breeder, and can't get $350 for him. [Hay and feed prices] So he is most likely staying around for a while. Today I looked at Cealey, and her whole neck is SWOLLEN HUGE, but she is fine. Why is the donkey acting like this? He has tried to kick at us before. And is slightly hard to catch, but with grain is easy. BTW, he was raised since day one with goats, as his breeder raised pygmys. We heard ungelded jacks can be aggressive, so we had him gelded, and I watched, and TRUST ME HE IS GELDED.

We got him to protect the goats, and he is going to kill them. What is wrong with our donkey?
Ashlyn

 

[Wolf-Kim]

I've "heard" that jacks can be pretty nasty. I haven't had any personal experience with them.

It sounds like you are stuck between a rock and a hard place. I would try lowering the price even more or even giving him away. Yes it is a lost from the initial cost, but it sounds like he is going to cost you more to keep around than it would just to give him away and be done with him. With the economy like it is recently we had to give away a few of our horses last year, wish we made profit, but boy were we glad they were gone.

If you cannot find someone to take him, I would start considering euthanasia. He is obviously a danger to you, your family and your other animals.

-Kim

 

[texasreb]

I have zero personal experience with donkeys, but I love to watch my neighbor's cavort around. He has a little herd of four. They are mean as all get out to eat other and they commonly display some of the behaviors you mentioned such as kicking and biting esp the neck and withers area. When one has a good bite-hold on another, the bitten donkey will scream and scream until the biter lets go. Then it happens all over again after a chase around the pasture.

I do know that these donkeys are tame and halter broke as far as humans go. I've often seen the kids playing with them.

If the behavior isn't acceptable to you (and I don't blame you for it NOT being acceptable), you should seriously consider re-homing the creature for free (with full-disclosure of his negative habits), or put him to sleep. It sounds like you have no place to keep him as it is.

Good luck with what ever you decide and stay safe!

 

[onthespot]

yes it is normal jack behavior. Get him away from your goats. He will eventually kill them most likely. Get him a jenny maybe?

 

[Chatychick]

I have a donkey and dont let him in with my goats. I have LGD's in with my goats and they do a awsome job. I have heard of donkeys killing goats and that just wouldnt work here. I would put him in with cattle as they are bigger and he will adjust better. Take him to the sale or put him down if you cant find a cattle rancher to take him. JMO

 

[Opa]

I know from personal experience that your donkey's behavior is normal. My son's jack has killed several goats and even a mule foal. Getting him company will not work either. He had two mules that would double team when it came to killing. There's nothing you can do except make sure that other small animals cannot get in the same pen.

 

[Ugly Cowboy]

Yep, thats normal alright.

 

[WrenAli]

I know a lady who bought a jenny to guard her sheep. The jenny was a proven guard and about 3 years old.

She kept her in a pasture next to her sheep for 2 weeks then when everything looked like it would be fine, no squabbles over the fence or anything she let the jenny out with her sheep. Everything was fine for 5 minutes. Then the jenny went nuts and killed several ewes within the space of a few minutes.

Donkeys are different beasts. I have never had any issues with them. But I do know they can be vicious around smaller animals.

It sounds like you have a horse pasture. I would just keep him with the horses. Stalling him will only make things worse.

 

[Florida chick]

Yes he is 100% doing what he should. He obviously was NOT raised as a LG donkey. By you placing him in a small area or a stall it only made him more annoyed and aggressive. They need space. Even though you have $ into him it would be MUCH nicer to give him to a doney,home so he can have friends. Its really not ok to put him with large horses, they may kill him one day. Please consider loving him enough to count your losses and place him. He may be able to pull a cart. It doesn't matter if you have "papers" he gelded so most people won't care. In this economy I doubt you can get $100 for him. Goodluck

 

[Nupine]

We have him currently in a 1 acre horse pasture of ours, it has no real shelter, just a dense area of large pine trees, which keeps him dry. I will see if he can just stay in their. He doesn't eat very much, just very little grain and a little hay and pasture. We just had our small hay field cut, and we already go through tons of grain, so expense wise he isn't a big problem. I thought if you had them gelded they would be nice to the goaties. So this is all normal? Wow. He doesn't get tons of attention, as we already have enough animals and stuff to deal with. We had two jennies, but they were sold for $500 each to a breeder. He got to be mean to them too, so they had to be seperated. The two jennies who were best friends since birth always were biting each others necks. Sale barn isn't an option, been there, terrible place. The abuse there is awful, very dirty too. Prolapses, severe foot fot, its there. Thanks! I think we are stuck with Bucky.