Who has a guard donkey?

[Blondie]

I saw in another post someone suggested a donkey to protect their livestock. I didn't want to hijack that thread, so for those of you who have one I have questions:

Are they easy to take care of? I have goats. Will they eat the hay I give the goats? We have 3 acres that is fenced in so they can graze. The chickens and goats free range.

Can someone give basic care giving instructions?

 

[Picklestix7866]

I have two mini donkeys that live out with my horses. They chase dogs and one night my neighbor saw them pacing up and down the fence trying to get at coyotes that must have been nearby. They eat hay. They must be fenced in. When my donkeys accidently get out, they are really hard to catch, cuz they think it is all fun and games. They need regular farrier work by a farrier that knows how to trim donkeys. They are not trimmed exactly like horses, so be sure they are done right or it can cause them to go lame.

 

[Judymae]

We have a donkey and have for almost 9 years. He is a hoot. Pure entertainment!!! He has lived with goats, chickens, ducks, horses and a potbelly pig. He eats everything and anything that I have given him. Not hard to take care of at all. We don't have the issues with trimming his hooves because our ground is sooo hard!!! They can be very stubborn!!! Just don't let them get away with something....not even once. They will remember forever and try again and again!!

Before we got Mr. Donkey we lost 17 goats in less than a month. Since Mr. Donkey we haven't lost any!! He has detoured all coyotes and stray dogs. He has definently earned his keep!!!

 

[()relics]

I have a standard size jenny. She is 6 years old probably around 350#. She is pastured with our horses and billy goats in the winter. During the summer she is with the does and kids once they come back out to the pasture. She is very protective of everything that is supposed to be in the pasture and HATES anything that may want to wander in...this includes deer,coyotes,dogs, and even people that she doesn't know. She insists on trailing us when we ride the horses and fences merely slow her down when she sets her mind to something. I bought her to help me break colts,teach older horses manners, and to keep stray dogs out of the pasture. She is very gentle and I have never had any problems with her even with new born foals or kids; a turkey was her stall mate most of last summer. Our GSP's have learned to enter the pasture at their own risk and keep moving once she sees them. I stall her at night when the horses go in and feed her like the rest of the horses...grass hay and pasture during the day.