TXFarmGirl
Loving the herd life
We need some help/advice! First, Here is a little bit about us:
We live in East Texas, I have 2 children, My daughter is almost 12, and my son just turned 13. We got a 7 day old male miniature donkey on July 31st. He is now around 15 weeks old and his name is "Donkee or donkey or Donquavius". My children also have around 60 chickens, 10 ducks, 1 turkey, and the chickens "guard" cat. We finally found a halter that fits Donkey after trying out several different kinds. My daughter would like for him to pull a cart and let our young cousins ride him when he is an adult. We aren't sure how we need to be training/preparing him for those things. His "daily routine" is usually: 3 bottles of milk, a scoop of his pellets, and lets himself out of our backyard and goes to his favorite tree to eat leaves & grass, and then goes into the barnyard and lays with the chickens. We also brush him, tend to his hooves, and he absolutely loves car rides. My kids have also rescued 5 Nubian goats in the past, long before we had Donkey, but they had to go back to their original farm as adults.
So with all of that being said. Ever since we got him we knew he needed a friend. We have been searching up and down for a female mini Donkey that we can bottle feed with him. We would be open to an adult female mini Donkey, but we worry she wouldn't be as sweet to us and our other animals. We also thought about getting him a goat friend(if we get a goat it would have to be a Nubian). But we don't want to spend a fortune on different kinds of feeds. Behind our house there is 6 acres of trees, grass, and shrubs, but it is not fenced in. We are putting up a fence around a large pine tree, and building a shelter for Donkey. We considered a female sheep as well, but we don't just want a yard decoration, we want an affectionate animal like Donkey. All we know is that Donkey is SUPER lonely by himself, so we have to get him a friend soon. We have been looking on Craigslist, Facebook, and at several farms since we got him, and can't fine any Donkeys. Although, we have been offered several goats, and a sheep, we just aren't sure. Several people have told us just to get him a goat, and several people have told us absolutely not to get a goat or sheep, because he will accidentally kill it. I do think that if we get a goat or sheep it would need to be an adult. What should we do? And sorry it's sooo long!
We live in East Texas, I have 2 children, My daughter is almost 12, and my son just turned 13. We got a 7 day old male miniature donkey on July 31st. He is now around 15 weeks old and his name is "Donkee or donkey or Donquavius". My children also have around 60 chickens, 10 ducks, 1 turkey, and the chickens "guard" cat. We finally found a halter that fits Donkey after trying out several different kinds. My daughter would like for him to pull a cart and let our young cousins ride him when he is an adult. We aren't sure how we need to be training/preparing him for those things. His "daily routine" is usually: 3 bottles of milk, a scoop of his pellets, and lets himself out of our backyard and goes to his favorite tree to eat leaves & grass, and then goes into the barnyard and lays with the chickens. We also brush him, tend to his hooves, and he absolutely loves car rides. My kids have also rescued 5 Nubian goats in the past, long before we had Donkey, but they had to go back to their original farm as adults.
So with all of that being said. Ever since we got him we knew he needed a friend. We have been searching up and down for a female mini Donkey that we can bottle feed with him. We would be open to an adult female mini Donkey, but we worry she wouldn't be as sweet to us and our other animals. We also thought about getting him a goat friend(if we get a goat it would have to be a Nubian). But we don't want to spend a fortune on different kinds of feeds. Behind our house there is 6 acres of trees, grass, and shrubs, but it is not fenced in. We are putting up a fence around a large pine tree, and building a shelter for Donkey. We considered a female sheep as well, but we don't just want a yard decoration, we want an affectionate animal like Donkey. All we know is that Donkey is SUPER lonely by himself, so we have to get him a friend soon. We have been looking on Craigslist, Facebook, and at several farms since we got him, and can't fine any Donkeys. Although, we have been offered several goats, and a sheep, we just aren't sure. Several people have told us just to get him a goat, and several people have told us absolutely not to get a goat or sheep, because he will accidentally kill it. I do think that if we get a goat or sheep it would need to be an adult. What should we do? And sorry it's sooo long!
