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BASICS: Donkeys make wonderful pets and if well kept can live well over 30 years! Males are referred to as Jacks and females as Jennets. They come in several size categories: Miniature - up to 36" Small Standard - 36" to 40" Standard - 36" to 48" Large Standard - 48" to 56" (jennets up to 54") Mammoth - 54" & up for Jennets, 56" and up for Jacks/Geldings PERSONALITY: Donkeys have wonderful personalities. They love attention and make wonderful pets. Donkeys are very social so one should never be kept by itself. Always house your donkey with other donkeys, horses, or goats (although ungelded jacks might be too rough for goats). Donkeys are very sure-footed and much calmer than horses so a jennet or a gelded jack would make a better choice for children. CARE: Donkeys need consistent care. They require yearly vaccinations and regular deworming throughout the year. They also need to have their hooves trimmed regularly. The number of trims a year will differ depending on the donkey and your type of ground. You will need at least one acre of land to provide adequate room for exercise. You can fit several donkeys in one acre, however, it won't be enough room for grazing so hay should be offered at all times. Donkeys also need the shelter of a barn or a lean-to. FEEDING: Donkeys only need good hay to be healthy. Alfalfa is too rich for a donkey's digestive system. Sweet feed should only be offered sparingly when hay might be hard to find or low because donkeys are prone to obesity. BREEDING: Jennets should not be bred before 3 years old, however they are able to become pregnant much sooner. For this reason you should not keep young females and ungelded males together. Males are capable of breeding well before their first birthday so you must use caution even with very young jacks around your jennets. The females can be good breeders well into their 20's. The gestation period is about 12 months, however, 11-13 months is possible. They typically have only one foal(baby) and it should remain with mother for 4-6 months before being weaned. You may not remove any graphics or articles from this site without written permission from Huggable Pets Chinchillas. |