Because life in the country is not crazy or busy enough, we added these to the mix.
Meet Kate, Chloe, and Lucy.
Or is it Chloe, Lucy, and Kate? Let’s hope my kids know the names better than I do.
My kids seem to think that the fact that we live in the country, and own a lot of property, means we need to fill up all that space with animals.
Well, they finally wore me down and I gave in. These three miniature donkeys have now joined the family and the craziness of our life in the country.
I keep saying these donkeys are my kids’ project and I am having nothing to do with them, but even I will admit they are kind of cute.
The dogs though are not quite so sure about the cute part. They have no clue what to think.
Are there any other miniature donkey owners out there?
I do not have miniature donkeys– just one old tabby cat. BUT… when we lived in Indiana, there was a miniature donkey farm just a couple miles away and I drove by it every chance I got. They are SO cute! 🙂
My kids would love ours to turn into a miniature donkey farm. 🙂
ok, this is sooo random, but we were just driving by a farm today that always has a few donkeys out in the pasture, and i asked my husband what exactly the reasons for having donkeys might be. neither of us could figure out a reason. is it just b/c they’re cute? or do they serve another more ‘useful’ purpose? just very curious. . . and now here is your post! perhaps you can enlighten us! 🙂
They are really just a pet I think for most. For us they will eat grass and keep some of our pastures down. And they are easier to care for and easier to keep then horses. Now, you can’t really ride them like a horse, but they do make great pets. They follow the kids around, let the kids brush them, etc. Our kids are loving them and miniature donkeys love the attention. And they make great “lawnmowers” when you have a lot of pasture area to care for.
Some people get donkeys as guard animals, though I think minidonks aren’t quite as good at that as big donkeys. 😉
Also, some people get them as companions for single horses, because they are cheaper than a second horse!
Donkeys are very good at keeping away coyotes. My cousin has a large dairy farm and he always keeps a 1-2 donkeys in the field with the cattle. He loses far fewer cattle since adopting this strategy. (I’m also not sure miniature donkeys would accomplish the same task.)
No donkeys here either! Two dogs, some fish, and plenty of wild critters (coyotes, deer, bear, bobcats, rabbits, etc), but Kate, Chloe, Lucy look adorable!
Hi, I am sure this sounds silly but I have never lived on a farm. The little donkeys are really sweet but are they a pet for your kids? Do or will they serve a purpose on your property?
That is not a silly question at all. They are mainly for pets, but they do eat grass and graze so they will help keep the pastures down which is nice when you have a lot of land to keep up.
Neither do I have donkeys, but I was just reading today about a famous war horse. I was just amazed at this horse.
https://www.horsefix.com/pages/Famous%20Horses/famous-reckless.htm
We have had miniature and full size donkeys on our farm. We use them to protect our herds of cattle, sheep, and goats. They take care of predators like dogs and coyottes. We use females, because the males will kill the babies born into the herd. I believe that people have ridden donkeys, although we have not. And I know they can be taught to pull carts.
We were told that the miniature donkeys will guard other animals, ours are a bit young right now and we have been told they guard better as they get older. I am glad to hear that you agree on the guarding part. We have also been told they can be taught to pull carts and my kids have hopes of doing that at some point, but I think we will have to wait and see on that one. 🙂
Lynn, We have 5 miniature donkeys, 1 standard donkey and 6 miniature cows. Our donkeys are just pets, however I feel we could do more with them once my kids get older. Like maybe 4H. From Stacy, Minnesota
Thanks Stacy! You have quite a few animals to keep you busy.
Hi Lynn! We have 2 mini donkeys, 2 goats and some chickens and they all hang out together. They are so fun to watch playing in the fields. Glad we got 2 of each so they play with each other. Ours are just for pets as well, but someday we will maybe breed our female. They are alot of fun! Enjoy!
Haha…maybe I should tell my daughter to get a mini-donkey instead of a dog (C:
Oh my goodness, that is so fun! Your kids must be in heaven. There’s a donkey that lives in the horse property behind our house and we always love listening to his funny sounds.
My kids have loved them. They have been having so much fun with them and it has been so worth it. And you are right, they make all kinds of funny sounds and noises. I did not realize how cute they could be.