donkey

[danl]

My son in law called last night and asked if I wanted a free donkey to run with the cows. I said maybe if it is a female. He is going to find out.

How hard is it normally for cattle and donkeys to get used to each other? I know nothing is for sure.

My cows fight with each other if they have been in a separate pen for maybe as little as 5 minutes :!:
So a strange looking critter might really set them off.

 

[M5farm]

i would suggest 2 donkey's as they will try and bond with the cow and calves and some will chase the calves. If you have 2 they will hang out together and only stay in the area of the cows. they are great pets and love attention.

 

[Howdyjabo]

Make sure if its a male its gelded.
No guarantees- some donkeys are a pain some are great.
A single will bond to the cattle and will chase off/kill dogs harassing the cattle(including yours)
Two will just hang out by themselves and take care of themselves.

 

[Caustic Burno]

A good jenny is worth there weight in cash.
Dog start across my pasture better be faster than the jenny.
Save's lot's of neighbor problem's as well, no one is near as upset when the jenny take's out a dog.

 

[Bigfoot]

I rented the neighbors place. He sold his cows, but loved his donkeys to much to sell them. They hang out together, never look twice at a dog. They are the first thing in the catch pen when you want to gather cattle, and pretty well keep the cattle out. I have one we practice roping in. It's one of the best animals I have ever had on the place. I would consider burying her in the family plot. She's that nice. I wish the other two would be involved in a serious farm accident.

 

[M5farm]

I rented the neighbors place. He sold his cows, but loved his donkeys to much to sell them. They hang out together, never look twice at a dog. They are the first thing in the catch pen when you want to gather cattle, and pretty well keep the cattle out. I have one we practice roping in. It's one of the best animals I have ever had on the place. I would consider burying her in the family plot. She's that nice. I wish the other two would be involved in a serious farm accident.

Thats funny!

I have 3 the Ginny stays with the horse's and the 2 jacks stay together. they all stay pretty close to the cows. Donkey's are alway the first to come running for a treat or a head scratch.

 

[danl]

My experience is limited to cattle.
I had hogs,rabbits, turkeys and chickens a long long time in the past. So I know nothing about equine animals.

I just hate to get one and have 20 head of cattle chase it through a fence or vice versa.
My cows freaked out over white cowbirds a couple of years ago. I heard them bawling and went back and they had circled around the calves, butts all together like they were fending off an lion attack, over a couple dozen cattle egrets.. So they aint real smart.
They normally are not spooky cows though.

 

[Caustic Burno]

My experience is limited to cattle.
I had hogs,rabbits, turkeys and chickens a long long time in the past. So I know nothing about equine animals.

I just hate to get one and have 20 head of cattle chase it through a fence or vice versa.
My cows freaked out over white cowbirds a couple of years ago. I heard them bawling and went back and they had circled around the calves, butts all together like they were fending off an lion attack, over a couple dozen cattle egrets.. So they aint real smart.
They normally are not spooky cows though.

Two Barbado (sp) wandered into my neighbor's pasture took him two week's to get all his cow's back out of the piney wood's.
We don't know where they came from, we know where they went.

 

[dun]

My experience is limited to cattle.
I had hogs,rabbits, turkeys and chickens a long long time in the past. So I know nothing about equine animals.

I just hate to get one and have 20 head of cattle chase it through a fence or vice versa.
My cows freaked out over white cowbirds a couple of years ago. I heard them bawling and went back and they had circled around the calves, butts all together like they were fending off an lion attack, over a couple dozen cattle egrets.. So they aint real smart.
They normally are not spooky cows though.

Two Barbado (sp) wandered into my neighbor's pasture took him two week's to get all his cow's back out of the piney wood's.
We don't know where they came from, we know where they went.

Had to same kind of deal with a couple of emus a few years back. Even who is usually the first to attack was lathered up from running away from the goofy things.

 

[Howdyjabo]

I introduce sheep,horses and donkeys to new cattle across a fence- after a few days they don't care anymore.

 

[farmdog]

If you want a real good watch dog for your cattle get yourself a 2yr old Longhorn steer, he's guard your cattle, babysit the calves and even get between young calves and agressive young bulls. I had a donkey for years and it only ate, slept and s*#t. Not sure you can guarantee any protection with having one. Just my opinion of course.

 

[circlew]

I've got a billy goat that has took up with the tigers. He don't protect them or anything he just head butts them if they get too close. :shock:

 

[greybeard]

Make sure if its a male its gelded.

X2!!
When I lived over near Lafayette La, a neighbor kept an old jack with about 3 cows in a small pasture by his house. Dunno how to put this politely but--well----it just wasn't a pretty sight, if ya catch my drift..

 

[Howdyjabo]

Even worse sight around sheep

 

[Bigfoot]

Witnessed a coyote walk by both of my "Guard" donkeys today. They never looked at it. Couple of losers.

 

[Howdyjabo]

Not necessarily- Donkey are not territorial. They specifically protect their "flock, herd".
So if the coyotes were not agitating the stock ,the donkey won't care.
Let the stock get riled and the Donkey will swing into action.

I have always heard that more than one will make them protect each other instead of the livestock.So I only keep one.