My donkey attacked my calf yesterday and almost killed it!! I never would have thought about that happening. It had been in the same field as the donkey for about 4 months with no problem. I think my heifers are in heat. Could this have anything to do with it? The donkey is a male.
Donkey attack
- Thread starter Sherril
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Tod Dague
Well-known member
Sherril":15dssi1d said:
Jacks should not be in the same field as cattle or goats. If you really want something in there get a Jennie.
Caustic Burno
Well-known member
Tod Dague":300952ax said:
Tod you are correct again looks like another pet owner has learned a valuable old lesson about cattle. Jacks are mean to calves as most mules.
50 cent jackass just cost 500 dollars.
Rookie
Well-known member
Sherril said:
G&L Cattle
Well-known member
Donkeys can have bad habits! We returned several before finding a good one. Fortunatly these character problems showed up before anybody got hurt. Jennies have less problems. We also have a gelding (Morris) that is the most gentle one. If yours is young enough and you wish to keep him with your cattle, gelding is good option.
Glen
Glen
Diamond B Ranch
Active member
I gelded the 4 year old Jack I posted about a few months ago..... didn't change his behavior one bit. In fact, it got worse. He got to where he would lay back his ears and sneak up on one of the heifers, grab their back leg in his teeth and just hang on.
Caught him doing it twice before I got him in the pen and loaded. Hauled him to my Dad's place, holdin him there (separated from cattle) till I can sell him.
And, I won't be like the ole boy who sold him to me and say, "he's great with cattle, been around em all his life". :roll:
Lesson learned.........
Caught him doing it twice before I got him in the pen and loaded. Hauled him to my Dad's place, holdin him there (separated from cattle) till I can sell him.
And, I won't be like the ole boy who sold him to me and say, "he's great with cattle, been around em all his life". :roll:
Lesson learned.........
Tod Dague
Well-known member
Diamond B Ranch":3taz02ex said:
I don't know how strong donkeys are compared to horses but your dog is lucky to have his leg still. When I worked in the ICU we had a woman come in that had her arm bitten off by a Qtr horse. The same horse had mangled the husbands hand a month prior. Keeping that horse will be something that he will regret for the rest of his life.
Diamond B Ranch
Active member
Tod,
It was a heifer, not a heeler
It was a heifer, not a heeler
Tod Dague
Well-known member
Diamond B Ranch":18pyxoja said:Tod,
It was a heifer, not a heeler
Sorry skimmed to fast. ;-)
TheBullLady
Well-known member
Sherril,
Jacks are not good with cattle for the reason you've already learned.. they are too aggressive. Most people suggest a Jenny or a gelding. However, even a gelding will not necessarily solve the problem! We went through two geldings before we found one that wouldn't bother the cattle or calves.
Get rid of him.. gelding him will not solve the problem. It's more of attitude issue, not a gender issue.
Jacks are not good with cattle for the reason you've already learned.. they are too aggressive. Most people suggest a Jenny or a gelding. However, even a gelding will not necessarily solve the problem! We went through two geldings before we found one that wouldn't bother the cattle or calves.
Get rid of him.. gelding him will not solve the problem. It's more of attitude issue, not a gender issue.
Rustler9
Well-known member
We got a two year old jack that was just fine for about three months and then he started attacking the calves. Had him cut but nothing has changed so far. We're keeping him in a pasture by himslf right now. But I did read in Progressive Farmer (think it was last month) that donkeys have to have a companion (another donkey). We may try to find a jenny to see if this helps any.
Gale Seddon
Well-known member
Oh dear, I am sorry to hear about this....as you've read, it's not a good idea to pasture an intact jack with other livestock....there are exceptions but most jacks are territorial and even the miniatures are VERY strong!
Unless you are in the business of breeding donkeys, there's NO reason to keep a jack...gelding a jack can help, but it may also depend upon its age; I think that an older animal will still have the psychological makeup of an intact male. The best donkey for a pet is a gelding or a jennet. And donkeys are herd animals; they need equine companions, preferably other donkeys. Their "play" is very rough, grabbing each other's necks, nipping at legs, rearing, chasing, etc. A lonely donkey can easily try to "play" with another animal and hurt or kill it.
You didn't mention if you have this animal as a pet or as a guard animal; but for anyone who's interested in donkeys as guardians, please read:
http://www.usipp.com/gatefarm/the_donkey_guardian.htm
May not be the best time to say this, but donkeys can also be the smartest and one of the most loving pets you'll ever have! You've got to earn their trust and that takes time and effort; they don't forget what you teach them (good or bad). And when you need to get away from it all, go spend time with a donkey. Best anti-depressant there is!
Roger, you might want to look into getting another gelding instead of a jenny; two "boys" will probably get along great!
Unless you are in the business of breeding donkeys, there's NO reason to keep a jack...gelding a jack can help, but it may also depend upon its age; I think that an older animal will still have the psychological makeup of an intact male. The best donkey for a pet is a gelding or a jennet. And donkeys are herd animals; they need equine companions, preferably other donkeys. Their "play" is very rough, grabbing each other's necks, nipping at legs, rearing, chasing, etc. A lonely donkey can easily try to "play" with another animal and hurt or kill it.
You didn't mention if you have this animal as a pet or as a guard animal; but for anyone who's interested in donkeys as guardians, please read:
http://www.usipp.com/gatefarm/the_donkey_guardian.htm
May not be the best time to say this, but donkeys can also be the smartest and one of the most loving pets you'll ever have! You've got to earn their trust and that takes time and effort; they don't forget what you teach them (good or bad). And when you need to get away from it all, go spend time with a donkey. Best anti-depressant there is!
Roger, you might want to look into getting another gelding instead of a jenny; two "boys" will probably get along great!
Thanks for all the replies. I seperated my jack from the others and is he pissed. He was best buds with our horse. I listed him for sale in the paper and someone is going to come and look at him today. I am sure companionship was not the issue. I believe their temperament never stays the same. It was funny, after I saw a post from someone saying that they would attack goats, I was thinking how mine had been in with the goats for 2 years and the goats love him, and then I looked out the window and the donkey had one of the goats by the horn and was spinning him around trying to catch his back end so he could hold him down. That did it for me!
Idle curiousity, but...with the exception of keeping a young colt in with cows for a few weeks to get him accustomed to cattle, I can't see the point in wanting any equine in with any cattle. Anyone care to enlighten me?
After one of my horses kicked at a heifer I had that came too close to his feed I've always kept cows and horses in separate pastures.
After one of my horses kicked at a heifer I had that came too close to his feed I've always kept cows and horses in separate pastures.
Craig-TX
Well-known member
milkmaid":xceacl4c said:
You appear to already be fully enlightened.
Craig-TX
Rustler9
Well-known member
"Roger, you might want to look into getting another gelding instead of a jenny; two "boys" will probably get along great!"
Thanks Gale for the info. We actually got the donkey to keep in the barnyard because we have had alot of chickens and ducks killed. It was by coyotes and foxes. I've always heard that donkeys would run them off or kill them. But from time to time we also have weaned calves or sometimes a cow/calf pair in the barn yard as well. I was very disappointed when he started chasing and biting a certain heifer relentlessly. I will try to look for another gelding and see what happens.
Thanks Gale for the info. We actually got the donkey to keep in the barnyard because we have had alot of chickens and ducks killed. It was by coyotes and foxes. I've always heard that donkeys would run them off or kill them. But from time to time we also have weaned calves or sometimes a cow/calf pair in the barn yard as well. I was very disappointed when he started chasing and biting a certain heifer relentlessly. I will try to look for another gelding and see what happens.
Gale Seddon
Well-known member
Hi Roger, a standard size donkey (mini's are 36" and under) would be able to keep foxes, etc., away....instinctively, donkeys do not like canines of any kind, but there are some, I suppose, who tolerate those that they 'know'. I think a real guard animal will take its job seriously.
Perhaps the reason people end up putting equines in with cattle is lack of separate pastures for the equines...at least, that's why we've had to do it...but I've seen our smallest jack (30") back on up to the bull eating grain from a bucket, kick a couple of times, and the bull leaves the bucket (and the donkey gets the feed he's not supposed to have). We don't use medicated cattle feed, but some medicated cattle feeds are toxic to equines. I don't want our donkeys eating the cows' grain anyway...some donkeys get fat on air. So I don't like having donkeys and cows together for lots of reasons.
I just hate to see donkeys get a bad rap for being donkeys and doing what they do. I know that some do get along with lots of other livestock (goats, sheep, poultry, etc.). When I let our chickens out to 'graze' in the afternoons, I have to shut the gate to their pen or any donkey who's in the yard will go in and clean up all the scratch feed on the ground. Creates a lot of extra "uh oh's" for me, but I love my donkeys....
Had a bantam hen who hatched out her babies and nested with them in the corner of a donkey stall for several weeks, until they were big enough to fly to the rafters...the donkey never bothered her or her chicks. Another hen walked through our calf weaning pen with her babies and one of the calves stepped on and squashed a chick...not intentionally, just never noticed them!
Now, I like our cows too (most of the time), but every species is different. Have learned so much about animals and nature (good and bad) on this farm....get ticked off about a lot of it, but wouldn't trade the experience for anything.
Perhaps the reason people end up putting equines in with cattle is lack of separate pastures for the equines...at least, that's why we've had to do it...but I've seen our smallest jack (30") back on up to the bull eating grain from a bucket, kick a couple of times, and the bull leaves the bucket (and the donkey gets the feed he's not supposed to have). We don't use medicated cattle feed, but some medicated cattle feeds are toxic to equines. I don't want our donkeys eating the cows' grain anyway...some donkeys get fat on air. So I don't like having donkeys and cows together for lots of reasons.
I just hate to see donkeys get a bad rap for being donkeys and doing what they do. I know that some do get along with lots of other livestock (goats, sheep, poultry, etc.). When I let our chickens out to 'graze' in the afternoons, I have to shut the gate to their pen or any donkey who's in the yard will go in and clean up all the scratch feed on the ground. Creates a lot of extra "uh oh's" for me, but I love my donkeys....
Had a bantam hen who hatched out her babies and nested with them in the corner of a donkey stall for several weeks, until they were big enough to fly to the rafters...the donkey never bothered her or her chicks. Another hen walked through our calf weaning pen with her babies and one of the calves stepped on and squashed a chick...not intentionally, just never noticed them!
Now, I like our cows too (most of the time), but every species is different. Have learned so much about animals and nature (good and bad) on this farm....get ticked off about a lot of it, but wouldn't trade the experience for anything.
