Donkey Advice needed please

[Penny29]

Hi,

We've just given a home to two unwanted donkeys. Before they arrived we turned one of our outbuildings into a stable for them - they have manger racks full of hay, plenty of clean fresh drinking water, we have deep-bedded the floor with straw, and a plentiful supply of human contact bearing carrot and apple treats, the also have free access to the paddock directly from the stable - in short they have the 5 star hotel dreamed of by donkeys everywhere.

Up until Monday they were fine, behaving as donkeys are supposed to - grazing in the paddock by day & retiring to their stable at night or when it rained.

On Monday we extended the paddock area by an extra 1/2 acre as I felt they needed access to more grass. Since then they have refused to enter the stable, and remain in the fields even when it is pouring with rain. If we manage to temp them inside with treats, they hang around long enough to eat the goodies then act "spooked", lay their ears back and run out of the stable. I've searched the stable, turned over all the straw, hunted high and low but can't find anything untoward.

As I write this we are in blizzard conditions here in North 24  & Mack and Mabel are standing in the paddock looking like two sad snowmen. This is daft when they have a nice warm home and it can't be good for them!!!

Can anyone shed any light on this weird behaviour or suggest anything we could try to get them to behave like sensible animals again? I really am quite worried about them freezing to death!

 

[Cadeby]

You could try closing-off the extra paddock area that you have given the donkeys, and see if the lack of new grass tempts them back into the sheter. Feed all of their hay, treats etc.. inside the shelter and leave them alone without any human company whilst they are eating to see if they'll settle again.

Our two donkey geldings frequently choose to stay out of their shelter in wind, rain and snow - they have even been known to have frost on the tips of their ears after a night "al-fresco", but they have never come to any harm, so try not to worry too much!

[Chrisb]

Just to echo the last poster................both my donkey and horse, an ex-trotter who had never had a night out of a stable in his life before I bought him, often spend the night outside, lying in the mud under the leafless apple tree, rather than in the warm barn! Just because we think they would be much happier in the warm and dry, doesn't mean that they agree with us - as long as shelter is on offer, don't worry!!

Regards

Chris

[Penny29]

Thanks for the reassurance and advice (and for your PM, Karen).

We finally got Mack and Mabel in the stable in the wee hours of this morning after us walking up and down the fields at 2am (in blizzard conditions) with carrots dangling from our hands! As far as we know they stayed in the stable all night - I can only guage this, though, from the amount of pooh I had to muck out this morning!

I am sure it is the lure of all the new grass which is tempting them to stay out all the time, so as soon as possible, I shall reduce the paddock area & also buy them some donkey macs to wear. This would have all been done today had we not been at the vets all afternoon (see my other posting).

 

[Washy]

Maybe they are so happy with their new surroundings they are 'guarding' their new grazing????

 

I know llamas are more hardened to cold weather but sometimes when we take the dog for a final walk and like tonight it is minus 3 or lower we see them each sitting on the top of their mounds chewing away and glistening with frost on their backs...the goats of course are well hidden and wouldn't dream of showing their faces in such cold.

Two years ago when we had quite thick snow one of our llamas was sitting in the field on the snow and when we arrived with some carrots he had difficulty standing up as he had melted some of the snow around him and his fleece has welded itself into the melted snow and had refrozen......he left a half cirlce of brown wool in the snow.

I am sure your donkeys will be really happy after they get over the shock of having so much loely grass and people to care for them.

[Fmn]

Don't worry about the donkeys out in dry cold conditions.  They can cope easily with snow and blizzards so long as they are in good health and have plenty of fibre (hay, toughish grass etc) to eat as this is where their warmth will come from.  They are however, susceptible to pneumonia if they get really cold AND wet. The both together.  Like goats, they need access to shelter, but the word there is access.  If they are in good health they will decide for themselves when they need to go in to the stable.  Remember that in general, outdoor conditions are far healthier and more natural for these type of animals.  They will stand very still in the fields to conserve energy which is natural, not normally a sign of illhealth.  Sounds like you're doing everything right except getting up in the middle of the night to insist on dragging them in!!

[Jonzjob]

"I shall reduce the paddock area & also buy them some donkey macs to wear."

Hi Penny,

Just a thought, but wouldn't they be better of with jackets. I ain't 'eard of donky  macs before, but donky jackets.....

Good luck with them. My better 1/2 would have like a donkey if we had bought a place with a padock, but alas the place we are buying hasn't got the room. My grandchildren would have loved that!!!

John.

[Penny29]

Hi All,

I've stopped dragging them in at night and decided that they are intelligent enough to decide for themselves. They seem to use the stable more now that they have gorged themselves stupid on grass in the extended paddock area. Although this is a guess simply based on the amount of pooh in the stables every morning (but then they could just be using the stable as a gigantic lav!).

I tried the "coat" idea but they just took one look, laid their ears back, bucked like crazy and ran away - I guess they didn't like my taste in handmade donkey fashionware (Gucci it ain't!) & I did hear Mabel neigh, "My dear, I wouldn't put a dead dog in THAT outfit."

The farrier comes next week and I am dreading it, I expect they will show me up something rotten!