# donkeys and goats



## goatsintheopen (Mar 14, 2012)

Wondering if anyone has a donkey in with their goats and if so, how do they get along?   I've read about Donkeys picking goats up by the necks?  

We are getting an 8 month old donkey on Saturday, she will be in with our 5 goats and 2 Great Pyrenees.

Would like any helpful input, suggestions..ect. 

Thank you!


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## beckyburkheart (Mar 14, 2012)

goatsintheopen said:
			
		

> Wondering if anyone has a donkey in with their goats and if so, how do they get along?   I've read about Donkeys picking goats up by the necks?
> 
> We are getting an 8 month old donkey on Saturday, she will be in with our 5 goats and 2 Great Pyrenees.
> 
> ...


i'm sure others will answer, but we have a mature donkey gelding that was raised with the horses.  he's "bossy aggressive" with the goats and will haze them, but he isn't super aggressive like he is towards dogs.  I've seen the stallions bite them on the back, my senior guy will pick them up and toss them (amazingly the goats seem ok with it  but i've never seen the donkey do that. 

now i will say that i haven't let him in with my kids, they're just too small and curious and i doubt they would understand donkey-speak well enough to let him do his dominance hazing ritual without getting hurt. 

funnest thing i have seen in a long time is when our mature buck will sometimes get in with the 2yo colts and they try to play.  of course, bucks play by running at each other and butting heads and horses play by running away and chasing each other, so there is a lot of culture clash going on out there sometimes, but it's all good natured. (except at feeding time)

anyway.  i've been told to get a youngish jenny and put her in just before the kids are due so it sounds like you're on the right track, but i haven't tried it.


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## beckyburkheart (Mar 14, 2012)

forgot to say, i don't know if your donkey will live well with your prys.  we had a mastiff for a long time, a wonderful dog.  she was raised her but the donkey just barely ever tolerated her.


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## ksalvagno (Mar 14, 2012)

A lot will depend on the animals themselves. I would put the donkey next to the goats to start with and give them a chance to get used to each other through the fence. But be prepared for anything once you put them together.


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## aggieterpkatie (Mar 15, 2012)

I will never recommend anyone put donkeys in with their sheep and goats.  I lost 2 goats that way.  The first one was bitten hard on the neck and ended up dying, and the second one snuck through the fence after I fenced them apart (darn goat).  IMO, donkeys need other equine companionship and get very bored by themselves, and will then make up games like toss-the-goat or chase-the-goat.    There are people who keep them together, but I will never recommend anyone do that.


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## HB Sheep & Goat Farm (Mar 15, 2012)

I had two in with mine. They were great until feeding and then the Jenny would kick at the goats but since that, they are gone.


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## goatsintheopen (Mar 15, 2012)

Thanks everyone for the input!  I really appreciate it.  I've read articles on line from various sources but I wanted to see what folks would say here..

 I agree about the personalities of the animals..and We do have a separate pen to put the donkey so her and the other animals can sniff each other.  and we'll be right there during any interaction until we're confident all will be fine.

  Aggieterkatie, was it Jack or a Jenny that bit your goat? (_SO sorry that your goat died from it  _)  My friend said Jacks would definitely bite, that they are aggressive but Jenny's weren't as aggressive and she hadn't had any of her Jennys bite necks.    I spoke with her about our fear of that happening to us.  which would be HORRIBLE because we absolutely adore our goats.  But she assured me things would be fine once everyone calmed down.

HB sheep and Goat farm,  yep..we were worried about that happening too. .. we may create a separate feeding area for the Donkey so she won't be near the goats when the grain gets put out.  

again, appreciate the posts.  I got a lot out of reading them.


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## goatsintheopen (Mar 15, 2012)

beckyburkheart said:
			
		

> forgot to say, i don't know if your donkey will live well with your prys.  we had a mastiff for a long time, a wonderful dog.  she was raised her but the donkey just barely ever tolerated her.


my friends have a dog that gets around their donkeys all the time and our Male Pyr. will be about the same height as the little donkey they'll be giving us.. I'm hoping that them being the same size right now, will be a good thing.


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## beckyburkheart (Mar 15, 2012)

goatsintheopen said:
			
		

> Thanks everyone for the input!  I really appreciate it.  I've read articles on line from various sources but I wanted to see what folks would say here..
> 
> I agree about the personalities of the animals..and We do have a separate pen to put the donkey so her and the other animals can sniff each other.  and we'll be right there during any interaction until we're confident all will be fine.
> 
> ...


i've never had a jack, but i understand that some of them can be extremely aggressive.  i would never put a jack in with my goats.  for a comparison, our donkey gelding (who i think is a 'standard', about 12hh or less) lives with our senior stallion.  They bite and chase and play pretty rough and are both very happy about it.


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## aggieterpkatie (Mar 16, 2012)

My donkey was a gelding.


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## goatsintheopen (Mar 24, 2012)

*Update*


So we got the Donkey and separated her for 3 days so everyone could get used to each other.  On the 4th day we turned her out with the goats and the dogs and everything went really well.

What is so crazy is that the Donkey LOVES my Pyrenees!!  She sticks really close to them and when they run off she runs right behind them.  and the goats don't bother her although, my wether likes to try to intimidate her.. but she doesn't seem the least bit interested in him..haha!  

But YES!!  Thank the Lord, all is going well and the animals are all happily living together!


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## Goatlover200 (Dec 11, 2013)

Really haven't owned donkeys neither goats but i think the donkeys are going to toss and bully goats ?


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## peachick (Dec 13, 2013)

I got my mini donkey last  year..  Shirley was 6 months  old.   I penned  her  for about 3 days  with  a yearling myotonic doe,  to  bond.  Then  returned  them both  to the rest of he goat herd  and  the two of them  are constant companions.


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