# Why I hate donkeys..



## Amos (Oct 2, 2008)

I just have to post this.. And this is why I hate donkeys (or ours anyway)

Ok, so about two years ago we got a 6 month old or so jack donkey from my mom's friend. He was free because they have no real use for their jacks. (Their donkeys are pets basically) Well after we got him in his small pasture mom's friends told us that their two jennies (one is our donkeys dam) killed the jack (our donkeys sire) by biting him to death.

Anyway, over the next two years or so he had become increasingly violent, he has bitten me on the side, pinned my mom and me against the fence and tried biting our legs, killed a duck and four chickens by trampling them and ripping the flesh and feathers off. We have never been mean to him (unless its when he's tried biting us and then its a firm push or slap on the snout, tapping his chest never worked), and he gets fed quality food in good amounts, minerals, hay, etc etc. Everything we tried to make him to behave had helped at all.

We originally got him to protect our goats but he likes biting them so we had to separate them, except he is in the largest pasture along the goat barn which we don't want him. We have numerously tried coaxing, luring, pushing, and persuading him out of the pen and across the yard to the back pasture where there is tons of space, as well as the pond and woods that he could have access to. He does not lead whatsoever. All of the halters he has gotten off with the help of the fence or trees and eaten.

So today mom and I took a panel off the pen and tried yet again to coax him out with some oats. IT WORKED. We got him out. But now what? What do you do with a loose biting demonic donkey in the middle of no where with no protection? You run of course! Ok, so not really. He started going to wrong direction, so we tried leading him with oats. Well he likes hands better than oats. Short version is that he starts trying to bite both my mom and I and kept coming at us. With nothing to save us we ran, er, well, we were CHASED across the yard. In fear. Of being stomped, trampled, bitten, and eaten. We make it to the back yard and my mom jumped on part of this tank thing we have in the back yard, that kept him stalled and her safe, so I ran to the gate of the pasture and flung it open. My mom decided to take a mad dash for it to the gate where I was, we were both in and safe for the time being.

So we had him near the fence, but not in. He decided that grazing on the lawn was much funner. We tried coaxing him in with more feed, more hay, no avail. He decided that he enjoyed his new found freedom and would run around ALL over. Zigzags, circles, figure 8's, loopdy loops.. All across the nice green lawn (I swear dad would have shot him if he seen that), and IN THE NEWLY PLANTED GARDEN! We then opened up two other sections in the fence to see if he would go in anywhere over there. Nope. Eventually he decided he was tired of us and our antics so he decided to run away. Outta sight.

He ran all the way back to his old pen and ate grass over there. Eventually he made his way around the machine shed, past all the animals to meet (and terrorize) the dog Izzy. Fortunately Izzy had her wits about her and scared him away from there (some guard animal, right?).
Unfortunately he decided to take a lovely scenic stroll down the driveway, to the road, in the ditch, then back up the ditch, and over to our young Blue Aspen pine trees. Boy were those ever nummy to eat. After chomping of the pines he made his way to the OTHER garden! (Eeeep!)

Fortunately he preferred the half where we HADN'T planted the potatoes. (YAY!) He then plopped himself down and decided to roll all over in the dirt several times. All while this is happening my mom and me are at our wits end wondering if he'd going to run on the road and get hit, run away forever, run into town and terrorize random civilians (Ok, so we're 7 miles from town, but still!), or if we were going to have to end up calling in back up.. preferably someone with a strong trailer that's heading in the direction of the sale barn.. And we're still trying to coax him with oats to the gate if you've forgotten.

After the adventure in the garden he half chased us as we ran back to the gate of the back pasture, we run in, mom leaves a trail of oats on the ground, but he still munches on the grass outside. With our hands full of oats we coaxed and coaxed, and we got him up to the gate! He then followed the trail in a bit and he was half in! I hop the fence (ok, so I bent the fence in climbing) go around and pull the gate up behind him! My mom jumps out and we fix the other two areas we opened and turned the fencer on. After backing into the fencer a few times he decides he might actually like it out there. (THANKYOU GOD!!)

Of course, you know me, I'm carrying my camera everywhere with me as always, I managed to get a couple pics.

After rolling around in the garden..









My mom trying to lure him over.. (small but evil.. both the donkey and my mom =P)









And finally in!!









Now its just keeping him in! Whooooo...

And please, no hate, we have successfully owned equine before.. but they were all broke & trained. 
:roll: 
Oh, and he's not full grown, he'll get quite a big bigger... We're probably going to sell him to some friends of ours, they train and rehab horses, mules and donkeys from auctions, slaughter houses and other places. They've seen some pretty sick stuff.


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## Haviris (Oct 7, 2007)

I'd definately give him to someone w/ training experience (preferably donkey). There is no reason he should be atleast halter broke at his age.

Is he not gelded? That's another thing I would have done right away especially if he was ment to be a livestock guardian, I'd never put an intact jack in w/ my goats.

He's a cute donkey!


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## cdtrum (Aug 25, 2008)

Ok......I know this is a serious situation, but just picturing all this happening in my mind did give me a good laugh this morning :ROFL: , being Mother's Day made it bittersweet, brought back to mind situations that my daughter and I experienced when she was a teen still living at home.....nothing like those mother/daughter moments!

I do hope for your sake you find him a good home.


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## Amos (Oct 2, 2008)

Haviris, when we first got him thats what we had asked them, but they said he wouldn't lead at all (have you ever tried to lead a donkey?), we agreed to getting him thinking that he was gelded (kinda thought it was the most obvious thing to do if your just giving a donkey away).

We were supposed to get him long before we actually did, the previous owners work with my mom, at an agricultural laboratory, there are only two of this specific type laboratory, the biggest one got hit by a tornado so everything was coming to them, they were all woking Mon-Sat from 8 to 7 for about three months to get caught up on everything, so no one had time to do anything, so thats their excuse.

Cdtrum, I'm glad it made you laugh! It makes me laugh now, I just had to share it because it was quite the expirience. Happy Mothers day!


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## Haviris (Oct 7, 2007)

I understand how life happens and can sometimes delay things. I had a filly once that I waited longer then normal to halter break, normally I don't think it would have been an issue, but it was w/ this one. She was also the most difficult to wean I'd every had, I could do like normal because she would plow through any fence and I was afraid she'd kill herself. We finally loaded up her mom and took her accross town, the filly couldn't see, smell, or hear her. The next day I put a halter on her and she led like she did it everyday!

My donkey was a nearly untouched (only contact was being fed through the fence) 3 year old intact jack. He now leads, loads, handles feet, he's been saddled and harnessed. He's still intact, he has been living w/ friends for the last few years, but still belongs to me.

They are strong and can be stubborn, but what I would do next time you need to move him, put a halter and lead on him, and use to feed as a lure him, it may take awhile because he may not want to follow, but the lead will keep him from going off course, that way you have some control over him. (I am assuming he doesn't fight the lead, just refuses to follow it?)


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## Amos (Oct 2, 2008)

Yeah, my mom's not ready to give up on him yet, she got some sort of training book today from the library.. I haven't looked at it yet.

We haven't gotten a new halter since he destroyed the last, and my dad doesn't want the leather ones put on him. In the pictures you can see some braided twine on his neck, thats what we were using to try to lead him with, he usually just refuses to budge when we try leading him out, but when we had him out and were trying to lead he would either not follow, or just run to the side dragging us with him.

He stands fairly well for his hooves thank goodness! Someone just needs to hold his head while its being done or he'll nip em in the butt, or head.


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## Crissa (Oct 7, 2007)

Sounds like that donkey never learned his manners! He sounds really smart though, so as soon as someone has the time for it and can do it right, he'd probably learn quick. :wink: 

So you have time for piccies of the donkey but not of the goats? :tears: I haven't seen pics of your girls in FOREVER!


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## Haviris (Oct 7, 2007)

Yeah, he does sound like a smart guy, just needs to learn his manners! 

I think my first step would be to get him gelded, it should make him alot more managable!


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## FunnyRiverFarm (Sep 13, 2008)

Oh my gosh...that's crazy. :shocked: 

Like others have said--it sounds like he needs some very intensive training...Donkey Boot Camp...


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## RowdyKidz (Apr 2, 2009)

WHOA!!! :shocked: :shocked: :shocked: :shocked:


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