Mini Donkey as a livestock guardian? Update pic of my new mini donkey

[cat1994]

Hello all
Well I bought a mini donkey lol his name is Gus. My dad says he will be our guard donkey but frankly I just bought him cuz he was cute hehe We don't really have a predator problem but its sort of for his peace of mind. Anyways he's sooo cute and very sweet and gets along so well with my pigs.
Here he and I are at his new home

 

[yinepu]

Hello all
I was wondering if anyone uses mini donkeys as a livestock guardian. If so do they stay with their charges? Do you keep more than one? Or do you think they would be too small to keep dogs out of a pen?
Thanks

I have one

The guy I got her from had 7 or 8 (it's been a while). He got them to guard his goats.. then found one of the mini donkeys dead from either a coyote or dog attack. That's when he decided to sell the rest and buy standard size donkeys instead

From my own experience:
I guess it was about a week ago. One of my neighbors had been allowing their three dogs to run loose (I didn't know they were their dogs at the time). I woke up in the middle of the night to my dogs barking and when I went to investigate I found their three dogs chasing our mini horse (who is in the same pasture with the donkey). My mini donkey had headed for cover and was braying as loudly as she could.
She does fine when ONE dog enters her domain.. but when it's more than one she can't handle it.

So based on those experiences i wouldn't recommend them as a livestock guardian.
Now you may have a different experience. But personally i don't think they are a match for a pack of dogs or coyotes.

 

[farmchick897]

None of my mini donkeys would guard. They are very alert and warn of danger but would not attack a predator.

 

[cat1994]

Thanks we don't really have a problem with big predators

 

[Mini Madness]

Hello all Well I bought a mini donkey lol his name is Gus. My dad says he will be our guard donkey but frankly I just bought him cuz he was cute hehe We don't really have a predator problem but its sort of for his peace of mind. Anyways he's sooo cute and very sweet and gets along so well with my pigs. Here he and I are at his new home

 

[Mini Madness]

NEVER have a male donkey intact or gelded as a livestock guard~he will end up hurting/killing them! Have a jenny instead. I have a minijenny and a mini henny mule they are great~grt pyr in another pasture. They will start acting up around 18months or so even if raised with the livestock~so word to the wise trade it in for a jenny

 

[LovePolish2]

NEVER have a male donkey intact or gelded as a livestock guard~he will end up hurting/killing them! Have a jenny instead. I have a minijenny and a mini henny mule they are great~grt pyr in another pasture. They will start acting up around 18months or so even if raised with the livestock~so word to the wise trade it in for a jenny

I agree.

 

[LovePolish2]

He is very cute though

 

[cat1994]

Thanks much for the advice... Gus is a four year old gelding who was raised with goats, chickens, pigs, and mini horses, he has a very sweet and shy temperament, never has he shown any aggression to any of my animals (not including my dogs lol), so I think I'm going to stick with him... plus he was really a present from my mom for my birthday... She figured, like my dad, that he could protect my pigs... I always understood that the larger donkeys and mules stood more of a chance against any dog. Gus doesn’t like my dogs, he will chase them away, but if a pack of dogs with bad intent came along I don’t see him being able to do much. Maybe he would sound an alarm lol he is very loud and vocal… a lot lol. Maybe he would yell and we could come running… Idk but he’s part of the herd now… luckily this birthday was full of surprises, my dad bought me a LGD. A Anatolian Shepherd puppy!

here is Bree my 7 week old Anatolian Shepherd... she will be the real livestock guardian