Q&A for How to Care for a Donkey

"Coaching" them isn't likely to work but encouraging them just might. Place delicious food inside that shed, fresh hay for example, to entice them in. You could also gently lead one in and tie its rope near a food source; once one goes in and realizes the benefits, the others will soon learn it's a good place to go.

Fresh needles are fine. Cedar is bad for them, and hemlock can be mistaken for pine, but actual pine is edible. The needles are very high in vitamin C, and the inner bark is an excellent source of fiber. Pine needles can terminate an animal's pregnancy, but apart from that they are fine.

Yes, I have 2 female sheep with a jack and jenny and they seem to all do well.

It depends on age of trees and availability of feed. Established trees should have no problems and the donkeys will love the shade in the summer.

Yes, but it depends on their size, fitness, and motivation. The larger-sized donkeys certainly can run fast (around 35 to 40 mph), and some can even outrun most horses, like the Asiatic Wild Ass, which has been known to run upwards of 43 mph. Most donkeys run closer to 30 to 35 mph, which is still a little faster than the average horse, which is around 25 to 30 mph.

If they are in an environment unprotected from severe cold, wet weather with no shelter, that needs to be reported to animal services as abuse. They will educate the neighbor and usually give them a couple of warnings, as well as teach them to care for them properly before they would take them away. If the neighbor cannot afford to put up a shelter, and gives you permission to build a lean-to or provide weather proof blankets, or lets you help them with any other ideas, then that would be great, too.

If they were brought up with goats there is no problem. We have a donkey that was 2 years old when first introduced to goats. At first she would chase them away. After about 6 months she would let the newborn kids run between her legs and even climb on her back when she was laying down. I have heard of other donkeys that will kill goats though.

It would depend on how cold it is. If it is bearable, yes. If it is too cold, dry him and if he is OK with it, put a donkey blanket on him.

Having access to woods would be great for them, but it would probably be best to separate off an area for them rather than having them disappear too far into the bush where you can't keep an eye on them. They can get into all kinds of trouble in a forest, and they should never be loose if they are wearing halters, blankets, or anything that could cause them to get hung up.

Yes.

It would be good to keep the dog away. The donkey may kick and severely injure the dog if it feels threatened.

Yes, but extra is great! The same rule goes for mini horses.

I wouldn't recommend letting them wander off into the woods. A general rule of thumb is one acre of pasture for each equine.

Cut up as a treat, yes, but not all the time.

Absolutely. Donkeys and cows interact well together and have great respect. Benefits to sharing a field include social interaction for both and protections for the cows.

It could be colic, or simply being too cold or damp. Take it to the vet to know for sure.

A couple of minis probably could probably be kept on your land in theory, but they would require a lot of feed in addition to pasture. Someone should also be training them daily for exercise and to prevent boredom. You should never just have one donkey. They get lonelier than horses and really need another donkey for companionship. The point might be moot though; most municipalities won't let you keep livestock or equids on such a small lot.

It is possible for this to occur.

Yes, as long as it is not a gelding with a jack or two jacks, because they will fight.

It will not hurt them as long as they are not fed more than a carrot's worth - and only once in a while. I would not give them any of the juice part. Carrots should be saved for special occasions, and not as a regular treat.

You should consult a vet before doing this. Their digestive systems may seem similar, but donkeys require a high fiber diet that is low in sugar and starches. The main problem with horse pellets is that some brands have animal byproducts in them and are actually toxic to donkeys.

A lot of the time they either want attention or food. When your donkey brays, go out and pet them and lavish love on them. If that doesn’t do it, give them a bit of food. If that doesn’t work, perhaps consult your veterinarian or a donkey whisperer.

It is important to give it a bit of shade. A tree or shed is enough. And since your donkeys are minis, a large dog house would probably be fine.

Not necessarily. But in extreme hot weather, a shed or something else will probably be good to have. The donkey needs to have somewhere to get shelter from during hot days.

Yes. Our alpacas were afraid at first, but got used to our donkeys. It just takes time.

There could be several reasons why this occurs. The animal may have been abused and donkeys never forget. Or, it could simply be because they have been put out in a field without much handling. Coaxing your donkey with healthy treats to start can break the ice. Start with putting something in a dish and work your way over time with the dish closer to you. Then feed from your flat hand. Be patient. Donkeys are very cautious so it will take weeks, not minutes. Once they are eating from your hand you can start to try to touch them. They see better from the side than from the front. They don't like sudden movements, so move slowly and deliberately.

Depends. If you do do this, make their field a bit smaller. I didn't make my donkeys field smaller and I fed them chaff every day. Turns out they gained weight easily! For one donkey, if fed just grass and treats sometimes, the space should probably be 0.6 acres. But if you feed them chaff, downsize it to 0.5 acres.

They need companionship but it does not need to be two donkeys, as they will bond with sheep, goats, and horses as well.

No not really, unless you have very lush grass, then they need a grazing muzzle or to be taken off of the pasture for awhile.