Opinions on getting a donkey?

[FarmerGirl1010]

I’m thinking about getting a donkey to protect my chickens. My chickens are fenced in and I even have 4 Great Pyrenees guard dogs.. well actually 2 because the other 2 are puppies. However, we are still losing chickens to a fox! One of my dogs runs down to the coop when they hear something but foxes are just too quiet! I haven’t been letting out the chickens for a few weeks now until I figure out what to do. So... I’m thinking about getting a donkey. A donkey that will protect both my chickens and goats. I have 19 chickens and 3 female goats. My goats are almost 2 years old and my chickens are from a week to a year old. Will a donkey get along with my chickens and goats? Will they get along with my dogs and cats? What gender and breed would be best getting along with them and guarding? Should I get two? What about a miniature donkey? The chicken pen and goat pen are connected but divided by a fence/gate. I’m thinking about the donkey staying with the goats at night and maybe only letting the donkey into the chicken pen in the morning? The goats will just break the chicken wire. Will the donkey be lonely just being with the chickens during the day? Will the donkey try the break the fence or chicken wire? I need some opinions about this whole ordeal

 

[chickawhat]

I’m thinking about getting a donkey to protect my chickens. My chickens are fenced in and I even have 4 Great Pyrenees guard dogs.. well actually 2 because the other 2 are puppies. However, we are still losing chickens to a fox! One of my dogs runs down to the coop when they hear something but foxes are just too quiet! I haven’t been letting out the chickens for a few weeks now until I figure out what to do. So... I’m thinking about getting a donkey. A donkey that will protect both my chickens and goats. I have 19 chickens and 3 female goats. My goats are almost 2 years old and my chickens are from a week to a year old. Will a donkey get along with my chickens and goats? Will they get along with my dogs and cats? What gender and breed would be best getting along with them and guarding? Should I get two? The chicken pen and goat pen are connected but divided by a fence/gate. I’m thinking about the donkey staying with the goats at night and maybe only letting the donkey into the chicken pen in the morning? The goats will just break the chicken wire. Will the donkey be lonely just being with the chickens during the day? Will the donkey try the break the fence or chicken wire? I need some opinions about this whole ordeal

I’ve got 4 donkeys. if you haven’t had a donkey before than i’d read A LOT first. a couple issues right away, Donkeys don’t do well alone. like chickens they need a bestie or multiple besties. and goats won’t substitute that bond. also, in a donkeys eye a dog is a coyote/wolf. my donkeys have always been around dogs but the dogs NEVER get to go into the donkey pen. they’d be stomped to death. also, you can’t train a donkey. they do what they want and hopefully you agree because they are going to change also, donkeys have very specific diets. they can’t eat what a horse does. we have 6 pastures and only 2 of them are ok for the donks because the others have to much green grass. and the biggest thing to take into consideration is their feet. they require different hoof care than horses (or goats) and it’s not easy to find a farrier that works on donkeys. donkeys live a long time and will bond with their humans (it’s different than the bond they have with the other donkeys) all 4 of my donks are rescues. all 4 really don’t fully trust me because i’m not their original human. they tolerate me fine but really they prefer to be with their own. if you do decide to go with donkeys than welcome to the club . they’re the biggest cats you’ll ever have

 

[cassie]

If you want a donkey because you like them, fine. If you want them to protect your chickens, that is another proposition entirely. If they have not been raised around poultry and livestock, they may well stomp them to death.