Thinking about getting a donkey
Thinking about getting a donkey
Should I?
Recently I realized that I have only been reacting to life, and not setting some personal goals. I am very poor, however, could acquire in a few years some capital to invest into a proper home of my choosing. I am not really looking forward to the long years of work ahead of me, I will admit.
This is where the donkey comes in.
I have heard that these creatures lived almost human lifespans, and still being quite young, thought about acquiring such beast.
Does anyone have experience working with such animals? I only have experienced going on a trek with a couple of them, and they seemed to be a very personality distinct specie.
Would it be lonely without me? I am planning upon getting it when I manage to escape the city and acquire a river accessible abandoned property somewhere. It would max be left alone 3 days as a shopping trip or when gone fishing.
To me, they are amazing beings. Their faces are so expressive, and make hilarious sounds. They eat almost anything that nature provides around them. They bound to other animals and protect them all while still having a good time. I plan on making a foyer for it when it's raining, so it can chill by the fire.
Also do they actually perform farm labor, last one told me that it was a human myth.
No, I don't think it's a good idea to get a donkey if you plan on leaving it alone for days on end. For one, you should check up on animals daily just to make sure they don't have injuries, tipped over their waterbucket, broke the fence etc. Also, donkeys get lonely without other animals around.
I would take it while fishing tbh, and I would get a sitter for theses twice a year trips. This is a long term plan, so all info would be great. Do you have experience with donkeys?
Sounds like you haven't thought this out properly. They're not pets, they're farm animals. They're kind, but only if your treat them well. You can teach them some basic stuff, like walking on a leash, because they are quite smart, but very stubborn, so you probably can't train really. They're expensive in the upkeep (shelter, food, hygiene, medical, etc). They require a lot of space. They don't fair well in solitaire, so you have to get two or more. You should definitely do some more research!
You are right about the lack of research. I do not plan to harm any donkey and am still assessing the proper amount of care that must be given to such an animal. Do you work with donkeys? Two seem like a better idea, and will demand considerably more investment of time to think over it.
Owning livestock is not for the faint of heart. Also good quality, safe, fencing is expensive. If you have never owned any livestock before I recommend starting with some chickens.
You will need to be up every morning to feed, turn them loose, check them over, muck them out, if needed. Same thing in the evening.
Also Donkeys can be more prone to hoof injuries if you live in a very wet area. They can get hoof rot if they don't have a good area to dry out their feet.
In my area it can a hundred dollars just for the large animal vet to come out to your farm, before they even do anything. And you will have to pay for them to come out unless you have a trailer and something to haul it with.
Get sick? Too bad. If having covid sucks, it sucks even more when your lugging fifty pound feed sacks down to the barn.
I'm writing this before I go clean out my own farm animals so trust me, I know.
I'm a bit confused: you are poor, but also are going to get a house? And before that, you want a donkey?
My advice for poor people (and I'm not rich either, so I abide by this advice as well) is don't get a pet you can't maintain. A donkey sounds like a lot of work. They need space and since they're equines, the vet bill can't be cheap.
If you really need a pet, get a small to medium dog. If instead you are really tight on money, just don't get a pet.
No, after the house. I am sorry if i did not make it clear in the post. And its a long term plan, so getting the house would have to take the donkey into consideration as well if I manage to get there.
Right, that sounds better. I'd keep an eye out on the costs of maintaining a donkey, it's essentially a small horse. They also need a fair amount of space. If I were your shoes I'd visit a donkey sanctuary if you have any reasonably close, and have a chat with the people running it.
I grew up on farm & we had two donkeys, Honeybun & Buttercup. Buttercup was older & eventually passed away, leaving Honeybun solo amongst the chickens, cows & horses.
Honeybun became ornery as all get out, just mean as hell. He’d started to bite anything close enough to be bitten. These weren’t little nips for attention; he’d draw blood given chance.
It got bad enough my grandfather carried a potato soaked in hot sauce to deter the donkey from biting. Grandpa would try to shove the potato into the donkey’s mouth when Honeybun went in to bite.
I know some donkeys get along well with horses. Honeybun did not. He bit those horses, went after chickens that wandered into his area, & likely would’ve done the same to cows if we’d let him.
I don’t have any specific advice for you, but I do believe donkeys get lonely & need some measure of companionship.
Did the donkeys get along with the chickens before their mood soured? I can't tell if this is a copy pasta also they have very fun names
It’s not copy pasta, all of this took place in the late 80’s - early 90s, in my preteen years.
I think the donkeys left the chickens alone when they were together, but I could be wrong about that. I know foxes were a bigger concern for the chickens, and I remember the foxes were eventually chased off by coyotes.
The horses were my uncle’s, named Silver & Chestnut. He also had a pig, named Alex.
Here's a few shots of the farm, I took a couple of years ago.
Thank you for sharing this cute story. RIP Buttercup and I hope Honeybun eventually found peace.
Donkeys often pair bond so when buttercup died I'm guessing it caused Honeybun to develop those behavioural issues out of grief sadly.
I think you should get a donkey in Minecraft.
It won't get lonely without you, you can tie it to a fencepost with a lead and you don't have to feed it.
You can breed it with a horse to get a mule, and you can put a chest on the mule to carry your excess items.
Is this a shitpost? Some new copypasta I haven't seen before?
The person seems quite serious with it in the other comments
They are not an animal you should get based on whimsey, they are animals that take a lot of effort and time to take care of, even if compared to some other farm animals they're considered lower maintenance.
Donkeys are working animals, but I don't know what you mean by farm labour exactly, unless you're referring to draft work? They were primarily pack animals and transportation animals but were also used for draft work too. They usually helped people carry their stuff when travelling because they're actually quite strong, often stronger than horses of comparable size, and they're lower maintenance and less expensive than horses. Even today they're still regularly used for that purpose in countries with less industrial development. They were also often used for pulling plows or milling if that's what you mean by farm labour in particular, but I'm not sure why someone would say that's a myth. You can find plenty of pictures and videos of donkeys doing stuff like pulling plows on google, and the history of their use in this area is pretty well documented.
But even in countries where they aren't used as pack animals donkeys usually still have a job of some sort, often as a comfort companion animal for other species like horses (they're less high strung than horses and have a calming effect on horses that take behavioural queues from herd mates for example) or guardian of a herd of other livestock like sheep or goats. They aren't made to stand around doing nothing in a pen all day. And no, you absolutely shouldn't just leave one alone for 3 days, they're highly social animals who need companionship to be happy. They can get lonely and bored easily, and will not enjoy being alone for long periods of time. They do best with a herd to socialize with or at least another donkey (with some caveats in regards to ungelded donkeys). Companionship is very important for their mental well-being, and no, you will not be enough on your own, especially if you plan on taking 3 day fishing or shopping trips. Donkeys often form pairs and bonds with other animals in their herd and being without their companion or companions is stressful for them.
And they may be easier to care for than horses, but that doesn't mean they're maintenance free, or expense free. They are high maintenance and expensive animals to keep, just like any larger animal. Their hooves need to be clipped regularly, they need constant shelter available since they have less protection from the elements due to the fact that they were bred for arid environments. They need proper access to grass hay for grazing but not enough to cause founder and obesity since they're prone to over-eating if food is available in too much abundance. They need a certain amount of grazing hours per day, and constant water available. And those are just the very basics, not even including stuff like vet costs and vaccinations and grooming. I could go on for much longer on this topic, but this comment is already getting long so I'll just say there's a lot involved in their upkeep.
Donkeys are also not easy to train like horses tend to be, and they can exhibit a lot of stubbornness. There's a reason they aren't exactly known for their obedience. They also need a lot of enrichment via toys and activities because they're intelligent animals who require regular mental stimulation.
I wouldn't consider donkeys to have almost human lifespans. They live to about 30-35 years on average, which is a larger lifespan than some pet species, but isn't comparable to humans. The only animals with comparable lifespans that aren't obscenely high maintenance are like, tortoises. Anything else is more akin to raising a human child except they stay a toddler forever (macaws for example), or just ridiculously expensive to keep (like certain species of fish).
If you want a lower maintenance companion animal with lots of personality then tbh just getting a regular dog or cat would probably fit your intended lifestyle more. You can even leash train them and bring them on your trips if you want. Or if you want a longer living animal, then get a tortoise or something, they can have plenty of personality if you learn how to read their behaviour. In all honesty I don't think a donkey is a good match for you or your intended lifestyle. Only people who have significant experience working on farms and with farm animals should ever consider getting something like a donkey. They aren't a beginner animal by any stretch of the imagination.
Thank you for the information, other comments have pointed their need for mental stimulation and companionship. I intend to look into many options, and a fellow donkey mate is on the list of primary considerations. On the subject of donkeys, do you know if they are rather patient? Would they rather walk around or laze about (it depends on the donkey, I bet)? I am trying to picture their behavior, from the minimal amount of research I've done. I saw a YouTube video of them galloping and it was very entertaining. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hk0V07YNWxA
EDIT: Donkeys dont sound easy to keep by no stretch of the imagination, and I have alot of time to get acquainted with the volume of work it will take to keep one happy!
I still don't recommend getting a donkey. 2 donkeys just means twice the work and twice the cost, and they are already expensive high maintenance animals. Like I mentioned before, they are not beginner animals, they're animals you should only get if you already have significant experience maintaining a farm and working with livestock animals. Before deciding or even planning to get a donkey you should try to get training, or a job or volunteer position, actually working with donkeys and other farm animals for an extended period of time, including feeding, grooming, etc, like a farm hand or something along those lines. Lots of places are willing to train employees who don't already have experience. And I don't mean do it for a week or two, I mean do it for a while, learn the routine, and see how much manpower it takes to care for various types of farm animals. No offence but I really get the impression that you're looking at this from a very idealistic and rather naive point of view as someone who has no idea what caring for an animal like this is actually like. So I think it's vitally important for you to actually get experience working with animals like donkeys and horses and so on before even considering owning one.
Donkeys are very active, intelligent animals who need lots of stimulation and enrichment. They aren't the type to laze about at all. They need lots of toys and activities to keep them entertained. They get bored easily. Every donkey's personality is different. Some are sweet and placid, while others are ornery and aggressive. They need to be properly socialized if you want to reduce the risk of aggression and get them used to human interaction, and there's also factors that can influence their behaviour like like if they're a jack or a jenny , and whether they're gelded or not. You generally shouldn't keep 2 ungelded jacks together for example, or an ungelded jack and a jenny (not to mention they could end up breeding which would cause a whole host of issues). 2 geldings, 2 jennies, or a gelding and a jenny are usually recommended. And it's worth noting that donkeys are large animals. Even miniature donkeys are roughly 200-400 lbs, heavier than even the largest dog breeds. If they get aggressive they can do a lot of damage to humans, especially the non-miniature ones. They've been known to kill predators like coyotes and wolves, which is why they're often used as guardian animals for smaller livestock like sheep and goats. In some rare cases they've even killed humans, though it is extremely rare. That said, the injuries they cause can be pretty severe. They can kick and bite very hard, break bones, puncture skin, etc.
Even if you are dead set on getting a donkey and don't want to get experience first via a job or volunteer position, there are many farm animals that I would recommend trying to raise first before moving to donkeys. Ducks, goats, and chickens are good starter livestock. Then you can try bigger ones like sheep and pigs. Then maybe you can think about trying a donkey or two. And a miniature donkey might be a better donkey to try first before considering larger ones.
Im not just saying this for you, because it won't just be about you, I'm also saying this for the donkey. You cannot decide to get one on a whim. You have to be willing to invest a lot of time and effort into their care. You owe it to the animal, because they have no control over where they live or who cares for them or how well they're treated. The one with complete control over their life is you. It's a big responsibility, which means it's up to you to do your due diligence. Do not just think about this in terms of what you want, think of it in terms of what they need and and if you are capable of providing that. Jumping into it without any hands-on experience is not doing your due diligence. And you need a plan/arrangement from the start for if it doesn't work out. A friend with a farm or a rescue who's willing to take the donkey if you find you're unable to care for it. I've known people who wanted to get dogs and were convinced that they could care for a dog, and then found out that they couldn't even emotionally handle many of the basic requirements like dealing with chewing on a remote or jumping on people. It is extremely difficult to have an accurate idea of what it's going to be like to care for a pet you've never had before from research alone. And compared to donkeys a dog is easy mode.
I cannot emphasise enough that you really need to put a lot more thought into this before saying you want to actually own a donkey imo. A lot the time when people who get donkeys and other similar animals on a whim because they like the idea of owning one it ends up badly for the donkey, who ends up mistreated, or abandoned, or rehomed. Even if they're treated well while in the person's care, rehoming them is still stressful for them. It's not fair to the animal if you put them in that situation.
So if you still decide that you want to get a donkey, then make sure you don't get one until you have the right experience to know what you're doing. If you want a donkey, but a donkey isn't a beginner animal, then you need to make sure you're not a beginner when you get one.
i don’t have experience with donkeys, however I grew up on a farm with mostly cattle, but we also had pigs, sheep, horses, chickens, etc on occasion. I wouldn’t recommend leaving any farm animal on its own if it can be avoided. Especially if you’re going to be gone for days on end. Get 2 donkeys if you can, or another animal companion for it, and make sure there is someone who can check in once or twice a day when you’re gone
There are so many factors to consider and questions you have to answer for yourself.
You cannot have just one donkey. They're herd animals and need companions. Other animals like a goat or cow might be good enough companionship but I would never suggest that. You will find stories about donkeys living alone happily but they're a rare exception to the rule. I would question if the people claiming such have a good understanding is equid behavior.
Donkeys don't need a ton of food but they do need it constantly. A few acres of land with edible plants is more than enough for a donkey to eat. It's harder to keep a donkey thin and healthy than fat. However that depends on where you live. Will you have year round edible plants or will you need to buy hay in the winter? What is the price of hay in your local area and where would you buy and store it?
Donkeys need to have their feet cared for regularly. It's entirely possible to learn how to do that yourself but what is the availability if it's something you can't handle? This depends very much on your local area.
Medical care is a very complicated issue. There are regular vaccines and care that every equid needs. Those aren't very expensive and usually easy to access. Emergency care depends on your local area. If you are very remote then emergency care is whatever you can do personally. Getting outside care will be very expensive and a long wait. You have to consider what level of medical care you are able to provide and decide if that is acceptable to you.
As the donkeys get older their care will become more complicated and expensive. What level of care are you comfortable and capable of providing? How will you deal with serious issues that arise?
Living a rugged individualist lifestyle in a remote place is a totally viable strategy for some people. Donkeys do very well in rugged remote places. Millions of people around the world depend on donkeys to survive.
It sounds like you are looking for a pet and not working livestock though. That means you have to decide if the lifestyle you can provide a donkey is acceptable to you or not. What happens when something expensive comes up and you simply can't afford it? What happens if your circumstances change suddenly? What are you capable and willing to do when there is a medical emergency and help is seven hours (or seven days depending on how remote you are) away?
If you have more specific questions I'm sure someone or myself can answer them.
Will you at least take the donkey on your trip to rescue Fiona? In my experience, donkeys make great traveling companions, and can be quite humorous!
I plan on feeding it some meadow hay on some walking trips, I hope I won't have to feed any dragons at the end of them.
I hear Donkeys can make a mean waffle.