Settle this debate

Along many of our cycling routes we see miniature donkeys. There is even a ranch by one of DH's favorite mountain biking haunts. I told him this morning as we carpooled in I would like one if we ever achieve our dream of leaving suburbia and tract housing behind for a small ranch. DH argues they serve no real purpose. You can show them but is there anything else? I want ammo for the next debate one the miniature donkey issue. :p I wonder if you can use miniature donkeys and horses for an ag exemption? I also want alpacas but that is practical, the wool is quite comfortable!

Miniature donkeys or burros?

Edit: from research I guess they're one and the same but growing up with Texan and New Mexican family, we called them burros.

Donkeys are great pets. They will protect your horses, goats, sheep, alpacas from dogs and coyotes. for that alone, they deserve a home. and they are fun, thrifty and have the best voice of all animals.

Many many years ago, i owned a horse and a donkey. A friend's parents agreed to let our horse and donkey share their pasture for a few months; they had expensive arabian horses. They were embarrassed to have a common donkey on their pasture, but they tolerated it, since we were friends of their daughter.
One day; a friend of ours drove by and stopped to say hello. As she got out of her car, her three large doberman pincers (sp?) jumped out of her car and ran after the horses. the horses all put their tails up and ran off, but the donkey charged the dogs and chased them yipping right out of the pasture. we didn't have to pay rent after that. the dogs would have drove those horses right through the fence.

They could be used for driving, and they probably make decent pack animals, too. They sure are cute, that's for sure! :D

They're cute and sweet. Although I bet that's not much ammo in a conversation with a guy. :p

Miniature donkeys and burros will serve as protection if you have other livestock. They are very popular around here among those that raise small goat breeds which can be taken by packs of coyotes or dogs. A burro or a donkey will protect the rest of the pack quite agressively if necessary.

Of course, an alpaca will do the same thing...so there isn't much need for the mini burro/donkey if you've got an alpaca herd.

They could be used to pull small carts. They are cute and make good pets.

Actually, if you only want one alpaca or one goat, then a donkey/burro is a good companion animal as well. Most of these types of animals are herd animals and therefore need other herd animals around...even if they are not of the same breed.

a down side to particularly the smaller races of Donkeys is that, like ponies, if you have a really rich pasture, they can founder and overeat.

Mimi that was my husband's one plus for them- not needing to mow! But I wouldn't want a roly poly donkey. We do have coyotes in Texas, my husbands stepfather (and born and bred hill country ranch boy) told me about the llamas scaring off coyotes. I have to say he was suspect but he said that was "the theory".

I keep trying to say our home owner's association rules only speaks to cattle, horses and goats so we should get an alpaca. ;)

ha, that's essentially the same dialogue my boyfriend and I have. When we live in an acreage, I've told him I want a rescue donkey and he says they're mean and horrible and no way will we have one.

I saw one episode of Animal Miracles (that show always made me cry, is it even still made?). It was a donkey that this man rescued. They had made leaps and bounds in getting the wounded soul to trust people again, and during one of their walks in the hills, a pack of wolves came out and circled them. The donkey went and chased the wolves away but in the process they became separated. The man was frantic to find the donkey and he finally did find him.

It was quite moving how the donkey protected the man, even if it meant he was to be killed doing so. *sniff*

Now I got some ammo. :) Just in case anyone needed a good shot of cuteness this is the ranch right around the corner from one of the area's mountain bike trails. Unfortunately I only ever see the large gate, not the donkeys. I am kind of partial to the red one but again I live in suburbia where donkeys are not welcome.
http://www.minidonk.com/Content-HTML/For-Sale/Page.html

they are so cute!!
ironically, the first time my photo was ever in newsprint, it was combing a Sicilian Donkey named Taco. (hm, and come to think of it, the last time too)

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Originally Posted by Aggie_Ama

We do have coyotes in Texas, my husbands stepfather (and born and bred hill country ranch boy) told me about the llamas scaring off coyotes. I have to say he was suspect but he said that was "the theory".

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Oh, it's true! Coyotes are pretty cowardly animals unless they are really desparate. Hell, our dogs have scared them off a few times! (our dogs are both about 70lbs but they are not agressive breeds at all).

Mini versions of many animals are popular when you don't have much land. They can usually live on about a third the space of a full sized animal and usually have a better ROI in terms of what they produce (ie, mini dairy goats give you more milk for what they consume compared to a full sized animal - same with bantam chicken eggs vs feed). We have one mini-fiber goat as a companion for our full size dairy goat and he's really a lot of fun. I wanted a mini-burro, too...but we just couldn't justify the cost when they won't really produce anything (and our land/space is very limited).

I'm actually surprised cats haven't been bred to have miniature versions. Not that there ought to be more cats, there are so many out there who need homes.

If they can make rottweilers into ~40lb sizes, I would be all over them!

cats have been bred to produce mini-versions. There's a line of Persians that stay very tiny.

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Originally Posted by badger

If they can make rottweilers into ~40lb sizes, I would be all over them!

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Me too! Instead they just breed them bigger. Our house is comfortable size but I just don't want a big down fumbling around. About 40 lbs is perfect size to be indoor/outdoor.

GLC- I am jealous of your little farm. My husbands dad has some chickens (I have no clue what kind) and we get farm fresh eggs everytime we visit, they are so huge and FREE! I love goats and apparently with our large hispanic population they are not a bad animal to sell at market. My husband's Oma does pretty well around Easter selling them. She sells cattle year round but goats only usually around Easter, they are hard to get to the trailer. I guess cabrito is popular in the spring and at Easter? My lot is only 50x150 so it is tiny and again HOA means no goats/alpacas/donkeys. They ruin all the fun!