Anyone with experience of keeping donkeys, please?

Please let us know when you find the donkey!

I think it's a wonderful idea. I love all horses, ponies and donkeys and have done since I was tiny! We have a little smallholding type of place near us where we go every week to get our eggs, and they also have a horse and a donkey. My GS loves going to see them. My late SiL also loved donkeys and at her funeral, a collection was taken in aid of the Donkey Sanctuary, where there is also a tree planted in her name. Please keep up all updated on your donkey plans, FP!

Sounds great Fleurpepper. We have two big field shelters made by a local man many years ago. We wanted a big area where the horses could stand or lay down and then a smaller section where we could store tack, feed, saddles etc. the horses decided straight away who had each one and they stuck to that!

Our horses like to go in out of the sun and they do sleep in them but we often see them standing out in pouring rain when you would expect them to go inside!

As said, only thinking aloud, in case we find a case of donkeys that need to be re-homed quickly. Getting an outdoor shelter suitable for summer could be very quick, via my neighbour who has a fast delivery service with farmers' supply. She could barn house them in extreme weather and then a proper shelter good be built, costing about 1000, which the charity would cover, or we would. And would work with charity all the way, their vets and experts.

Yes, got it, thanks. Very easy to do here- instead of having 3 sections- just move posts a bit one way then t'other.

You use an electric fence and section off smaller areas so they are limited to that area rather than the whole field. No, don’t give hay as well in summer. When they have eaten down that section, move the posts out a bit.

Thank you so much.

What do you mean by sectionning off- so that they don't have so much fresh grass to feed, and be fed hay instead?

When you neighbour kept the two horses, she had sectionned into 3 parts, and moved them on when the grass got very short. But you mean the other way round?

I think like all animals, if you are fond of them then they're not a chore. If you're not, then they are. As for the grass being too rich, it's hard to say without seeing it and Laminitis can be a problem. As has been said, sectioning it off is the answer if you're worried.

Good luck with it. What a nice thing to do. Any donkey you have will be lucky to have such a sensible owner.

You can always section off areas of your field if you think it’s too rich but if the ponies were OK I guess it will be fine.

We are down to one horse now, an Irish Cob. We thought she would be very unhappy when our other cob had to be PTS but she is fine.

MIL had two donkeys and I think she was surprised at how much attention they need; hooves trimmed every couple of months, worming monthly, grooming, good, solid field shelter, poor grazing (prone to laminitis), ground poo-picked very frequently, teeth rasped as necessary, annual vet checks (also prone to lungworm so need vaccinations etc).
Definitely a commitment!
Good luck 😊

Ah thank you for the positive comments.

All I was asking for, is comments about fresh meadow grass being too rich for a donkey. Blimey!?!

NO, I have NO intention in getting a couple of donkeys from any old where, any old how and any old when! I can assure you.

But thinking things through in case we suddenly find ourselves confronted with emergency care being required in our area. Outside shelters are quite cheap, and even a proper wooden stable is about 1000. We would only do so with the help of an association, with their vets, and with available care when we went away. Always have residential care for our pets anyhow- and would only accept someone with the right experience.

Thanks all- even if a bit sad that so many chose to be condescending and thinking I am a total numpty. Hihon hihon hihon (that's a French donkey btw). LOL.

We have one, now 19 year old Exmoor Pony. (we had 4 at one stage!) and quite honestly he is absolutely no trouble at all. We have a stable,small yard,and a 1/2 acre paddock with field shelter. He lives out in the summer, in the winter, he's in at night, out in the day. Obviously he has to be mucked out, hay and feed provided, hooves attended to, wormed and anything else that rears its head. (Ragwort!) He is a pretty placid boy,but we take nothing for granted. He has in fact given us enormous pleasure over the years and still does. I would love a donkey companion for Merlin but they can be a bit noisy!! My only advice for equine care is to get into a routine as much as possible on a daily basis, a bit like a baby! Then the general care ceases to be a chore. We have different routines for summer,when it's just a case of checking water, de pooing and saying hello, to winter when more effort is needed! We are lucky in that our garden leads into the paddock, and our stable block is literally outside our back door, this of course does make care easier.

Good luck Fleurpepper and I hope it all works out well for you and the lucky donkeys. My life long love of donkeys started as a small child on my grandparents farm in Ireland. I spent hours every day of my holidays playing with their donkey. The same donkey was there from my childhood into adult life and I have a photo of my baby daughter sitting on his back. I was heartbroken when we arrived back a few months later to hear he’d died the previous day.

There are some lovely donkey clips online. These are my favourites.

youtube.com/shorts/5hY5IoJ4Y58?feature=share

youtu.be/ppM9VznR6Pw

Good for you Fleurpepper I hope you're successful how wonderful to have the space to home a couple of donkey's who need rehoming.
My DGD will be 5 in May and I have adopted a donkey from the Donkey Sanctuary called Tiny Tim he lives at the sanctuary they have nr.Manchester we will be able to visit him during the holidays all donations go straight to the care funds of the donkeys.

Best of luck Fleur at least you will already be used to all the braying

Vito

Good for you fleurpepper. Cant believe some of the patronising replies you've had, honestly you start with a perfectly reasonable question and you get jumped on as if your a child. You very obviously have given this a great deal of thought and if you feel you can manage go for it. Tis a wonderful thing to rescue a needed animal .

Totally agree, donkeys are great and you will become as addicted to them as I have become to horses. Equines are really very special. Go for it, I've made so many friends through my connection with horses and they have enriched my life as much as the horses have.

Good for you fleurpepper. Cant believe some of the patronising replies you've had, honestly you start with a perfectly reasonable question and you get jumped on as if your a child. You very obviously have given this a great deal of thought and if you feel you can manage go for it. Tis a wonderful thing to rescue a needed animal .

Scrub that. The wrong video has linked.
Or, you can watch the previous videos to the Donkey one.

Listen to this Donkey's joy

www.facebook.com/reel/162086250076104/?s=ifu

We had a much loved donkey when I was young, she had company but learnt when dustbin day was in the town. She could be seen setting off on the relevant morning. She was very stubborn! Goats are browsers not grazers so don’t particularly like grass.

We had a donkey sharing the field with 3 ponies and a horse. A friend rescues donkeys, she has 2 living in over an acre. I love donkeys but they can be stubborn
If in the uk a donkey sanctuary will assess yiu, your land and give advice, I don’t know what happens outside the uk

Charleygirl5

Another consideration would be vet bills. I have no idea if a donkey can be insured but I would not have thought so.

It is a huge commitment, good luck.

Yes, you can insure donkeys, just as you can with horses.

I borrowed a goat for a Summer hoping she would mow the lawn. She didn't.
She preferred the flowers .
She escaped, Houdini like, from the tether we set up and was found by a passing lorry driver as she galloped down the main street.
I gave up and returned her to her owner.
Maybe if I'd had two...,......

Goats are remarkably good at escaping but are often used as companions for horses.

A few years ago I knew of a racehorse that would set foot in the lorry to travel anywhere unless his goat pal went with him.