# Opinions on mini donkeys



## bmt123 (Apr 9, 2014)

So I have been looking do an animal that will keep the grass down in my backyard while also being a good pet. Last weekend I went and visited my grandmothers and noticed that her neighbors had a miniature donkey. It was one of the coolest animals I have ever seen. So I started doing some research and understand the basic care but was hoping to get some insight from owners of the small equine. 

Here are my questions 
1. Do they need a companion 
2. What is the daily care required for these animals
3. How much does it cost roughly to keep them happy and healthy per year
4. Do they need to be shoed
5. How much space do they need per donkey.


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## Bunnylady (Apr 13, 2014)

I don't own a miniature donkey, though I do have a mini mule. Some things I deal with don't translate, but a lot of the issues are the same.

Some people will tell you that donkeys are solitary animals, though most of the donkey people I know insist otherwise. They tell me that donkeys tend to bond very closely together, and that "an only donk is a lonely donk." I know my mule is very fond of her two miniature horse friends (not so much the goats; I think she considers them pests). Truth be known, Betsy (the mule) is a major flirt; she seems to have fallen head over hooves over every gelding, jack, and stallion I have ever seen her meet.

Donkeys tend to be rather territorial, and have an instinctive dislike for predators, particularly dogs. Some people use them as guard animals because of this, but a miniature donkey is really not big enough to be an effective livestock guardian. 

Donkeys are very hardy animals; their digestive systems are pretty efficient when it comes to food. Most donkey people will tell you not to give grain to a donkey, just hay. Donkeys can develop large pads of fat on the crest of the neck and on the rump that can be almost impossible to get rid of when overfed. We feed Coastal Bermuda; minis sometimes have a hard time dealing with the coarser stems of some types of hay, and feeding alfalfa to a donkey is going overboard. A square bale of hay would probably last 2 to 4 days when fed to a single mini.

Just like horses, donkeys need shots, worming, and to have their feet trimmed on a regular basis. They don't need shoes; for that matter, most horses don't, either.  

Space is hard to say. Some people keep minis on dry lots (areas with no grass) and they do fine; minis can actually become too fat if kept on good pasture. Obviously, the animals should be able to run around and get some exercise. Equines in general don't make terribly good lawnmowers. They will keep some areas grazed down short, but they don't like to eat over their own poop, so anywhere they have left a "deposit" will grow tall from the "fertilizer" and you will have to cut the grass yourself. They tend to walk in the same places, so you may notice paths developing, and the grass may get worn out in other areas where they tend to stand around a lot.

Does any of that help?


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## poundinghooves (Apr 13, 2014)

Hello, I don't own any mini donkeys, but I have a friend who has one.  They are definitely very cool!  I would assume they would like a companion, as horses do, but they can do fine without them.  My friend's currently has a companion but will be moving to their new place and will have llamas as companions.  Do you have any other critters your donkey can socialize with?  The donkey won't need to be shod, but will need regular hoof trims.  I don't think it will be too costly to keep one, especially since he'll be feeding on grass during warm months.  My two mini horses don't cost a whole lot to keep.  Around here, a small equine gets their hooves trimmed for about $20 (and for horses they need trimmed every couple of months).  Then you need to figure in vaccinations and deworming.  There is an excellent hay calculator at horse lovers central.com that can help you decide about how much hay you'd need.


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## Baymule (Apr 14, 2014)

www.lovelongears.com


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