Donkey Problems

[mark460]

My wife has a smaller sized donkey that we have on about 8 acres with a couple of goats. The area is wooded, but will grow some grass throughout the summer, but in the winter we have throw out a few bales of hay down here near Houston. Question is, what causes the donkey to want to chew the bark off trees? I was told it is boredom. Is this right? He has killed a few trees already. How can I make him stop, besides getting rid of him. LOL!

Thanks

 

[TexLonghornRanch]

You must have a "Jack". ?? Get a Jenny! You can wrap the trees in chicken wire. But you must take it off and redo it once a year so it doesn't grow into the tree. Or you could build "stand offs" out of wood or pipe. A "stand off" is a 3 rail fence around a tree.

 

[arkcowman]

Does your donkey have access to 'free choice minerals' or maybe a salt lick ? Sometimes animals will chew wood in an attempt to satisfy some deficiancy in their diet.

 

[mark460]

I have a mineral and a salt block. Wrapping the trees is out because there are just too many. So you really think getting a Jenny is the only way?

 

[TexasBred]

Yes get the Jenny......... but get rid of the Jack also unless you want to raise donkeys.

 

[pdfangus]

some equines or perhaps most equines like to chew on wood for some weird reason.
boredom is one school of thought.

I think it is just within the nature of the beast.

 

[Lammie]

I had a jack foal that near ate the barn last summer. I had a while figuring out who was doing it. It is a boredom thing. Once I started working with him halter breaking and teaching him to lead, it stopped.

You can either get him fixed, which prolly isn't worth the money it costs, or you can get a female and prepare to see a little one in about a year.

I sold Hank.

On the up side, the foals are just as can be!

 

[grannysoo]

He is probably bored. You can probably find more info in the horse forum about this. After all, a donkey is just a low priced horse....

 

[Jogeephus]

If he is bored, better him to eat the barn than rape one of your calves. This happened to me a few years ago. Left her in such bad shape I had to get rid of her. I even went so far as to cut him and segregate him from the others. When I returned him to the herd after two months, he went right back to his raping spree only this time I turned him into buzzard feed before he could act on his desires. Personally, I wouldn't have a jack on my place if you paid me to take one.

 

[dun]

I turned him into buzzard feed

What a waste! Cooked in pit they're really delicious.

 

[mark460]

My wife reminded my that Donkey is "fixed". I just didn't remember that when my wife got him he was already fixed. How much difference does this make? I assume he is still bored?

 

[hrbelgians]

Bottom line,
Once an equine species decides to do such a thing as chewing, you will never get it out of him!! If you wish to get rid of the problem.........get rid of the culprit. I have had this happen in the past and as soon as I got rid of the main culprit....all chewing stopped the same day!! The rest quit instantly.

 

[TexasBred]

Mark, "Jacks" are just not good with cattle or goats whether cut or not. I've heard of them killing calves and chasing the herd. You name it they're capable of doing it. I'm sure there is an exception occasionally but very seldom. Get you a Jenny and sell the jack. The Jenny might cost $200 and the jack may bring you about enough to buy a case of beer but at least then you can relax and enjoy the beer.

 

[dcara]

Equines that eat wood are usually referred to as Cribbers. The act of eating the wood is called Cribbing. It is often tied to boredom, but sometimes they do it just because they like to. Some research says that the pressure created in the upper front gums during cribbing releases endorphines the same as when you twitch them. Once they develop the habit its difficult, sometimes impossible to stop them short of putting them in an environment where there is no wood. Nothing good can come from cribbing, but many bad things can such as vet bills and continous facility repair bills. If not dealt with they will wear their front teeth out prematurely and become very hard keepers since gumming grass doesn't really work for them. You can try a cribbing collar on him, but those only work sometimes. Probably best just to get rid of him.

 

[Lammie]

He is probably bored. You can probably find more info in the horse forum about this. After all, a donkey is just a low priced horse....

Beg pardon, my donks are wonderful. I wouldn't have a horse.

 

[TheBullLady]

Definately boredom, and being a jack or a gelding won't make any difference.

I'd wrap the trees in net wire also if you want to keep the donkey. They are pretty smart however, so he may find something else to tear up.

 

[Medic24]

Have had 3 donkeys, 2 worked out great, one was a calf stealer, cow chaser................one to many times........30/30 took care of that problem after he cornered and try to kill a cow for it's calf.................alot of my cattle had bite marks on their necks all within a few days prior to the fatal incident.

I had offerd this donkey to a neighbor, but he procrastinated and only came for it the day after I buried it.

My other donk's are invaluable, and I would be hurting from dogs and yotes without them. They are part of the cattle herd and are kept seperate from each other. :cboy:

 

[WAguy]

I read somewhere that horses in their natural state will graze on average about 14 hours a day. In other words, born to graze. So, depending on personality, some will go somewhat nuts if they aren't given the opportunity to be what they are.

Do you use him for anything? Exercise supposedly helps, but probably not a total cure.

 

[WAguy]

Found the reference, my 8th Edition Merck Veterinary Manual:

"Wood-chewing may be a relictual behavior associated with the equid pattern of browsing. Under free-ranging circumstances, horses will graze 12-14 hr/day. Most wood-chewing occurs in the winter, and it appears to be seen more often in horses that are fed pelleted diets. If horses receive <1 kg of hay/100kg body weight, wood-chewing can become extreme. It is important to address the primary problem and try to learn why the horse is engaging in this behavior, rather than merely trying to prevent it (which can make the horse even more secretive). Treatment involves increasing both roughage (hay, sawdust, etc) and exercise through work or increased pasture time."

Note,

1 kg = 2.2 pounds

Relictual behavior = a surviving, remnant behavior

 

[htrc]

I would get a better loose mineral. Blocks just don't give them what they need in an efficient manner.