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!

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Originally Posted by badger

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!

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You may find a mini Rottie mix at the pound. I had a shephard/dobie from the pound who was barely 50 lbs full grown. She was awesome! Her bark sounded like a full sized Doberman and behind a closed door, she'd scare the pants off anybody!

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Originally Posted by GLC1968

You may find a mini Rottie mix at the pound. I had a shephard/dobie from the pound who was barely 50 lbs full grown. She was awesome! Her bark sounded like a full sized Doberman and behind a closed door, she'd scare the pants off anybody!

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have you seen big dogs crossed with basset hounds? the low-riders. I once saw a black lab, or so I thought, until he got up and he was barely off the ground!

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Originally Posted by badger

have you seen big dogs crossed with basset hounds? the low-riders. I once saw a black lab, or so I thought, until he got up and he was barely off the ground!

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Ha! I have one!! One of our dogs is a golden retriever/bassett mix now. He's got the golden shaped head and coloring (and personality traits), but bassett fur type and body/legs. He's got a huge chest and his front feet are huge and turn outward when he's facing forward. He's really funny looking but we love him nonetheless. Most people think he's just an odd looking yellow lab, actually.

His freakishly loud hound-dog howl sends the coyotes scurring away, too!

Oh crap. Now I want a mini-donkey. :p

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Originally Posted by GLC1968

Ha! I have one!! One of our dogs is a golden retriever/bassett mix now. He's got the golden shaped head and coloring (and personality traits), but bassett fur type and body/legs. He's got a huge chest and his front feet are huge and turn outward when he's facing forward. He's really funny looking but we love him nonetheless. Most people think he's just an odd looking yellow lab, actually.

His freakishly loud hound-dog howl sends the coyotes scurring away, too!

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cute!! pic??

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Originally Posted by snapdragen

Oh crap. Now I want a mini-donkey. :p

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:D
Me too.
Seem to me they'd make fine hiking partners!

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Originally Posted by badger

have you seen big dogs crossed with basset hounds? the low-riders. I once saw a black lab, or so I thought, until he got up and he was barely off the ground!

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Ha, you remind me of our Ickey - I still miss her :( Who knows what-all she had in her, besides a generous dose of pit bull (coloring, forehead, and personality - i.e. more personality than any other 5 dogs combined, sweeter than honey with people of all ages, but aggressive with adult animals other than the ones she was raised with)... No identifiable basset/dachsie/anything else you could place, but she had these short little legs that were just comical on her.

She had a whole range of odd voices, too. :p

Let's see if I have anything good.

Ok, here you can kind of see his big barrel chest and how his front legs sort of bow out:
http://www.tranquilitysystems.com/ga...4-IMG_0062.JPG

Here you can see the size of his head compared to his body:
http://www.tranquilitysystems.com/ga...giecharlie.jpg

And while this is a totally odd photo - it kind of shows his big bassett feet and short legs:
http://www.tranquilitysystems.com/ga...1020072239.jpg
Yes, he curled up this way on his own so we had to take a photo! Boneless dog, anyone? :p

I love the boneless dog pic :D

I used to have a donkey when I was younger. He was a rescue donkey from New Mexico.

They ARE highly protective. Once my friend ran away from him and fell down. He went to her and sat on her but more like hovered without putting weight on her. It turns out that is what they do to protect their young when they are injured.

They are also intelligent. He did things like pick me up by the back of my neck to move me out of the way when I took too long to feed him. I was in elementary school at the time so I was more moveable than what I am now. When we'd saddle him, he'd de-bloat enough to make us think he wasn't holding in air. He would then go to the rose bushes, release the air and put his head down, and let the saddle start sliding down toward his neck so I'd go off in the rose bushes. He could break out of any corral, he liked beer, he liked to go in the house, and he chased cars.

If you have a donkey, be prepared to do more interaction than you would if you had a horse or pony. Donkeys have a lot more personality (at least I think they do) and are a lot smarter. At least our donkey was smarter than any of the horses :) Sometimes it was frustrating, especially when we discovered he could open any latch on his gate and when we also chained the gate, he stuck his neck through it and lifted it off its hinges. He never ran away, he just either wanted to be with us or he wanted to chase cars.

teigyr, great donkey story. they ARE smarter than horses, that's why mules are so valuable. They theoretically get the size from their horse mother and the smarts and cattiness from their jackass father. Although it's not ALWAYS the case of course.
I miss my donkey too. if i could get away with having a pair here in the city, i would.

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Originally Posted by OakLeaf

Ha, you remind me of our Ickey - I still miss her :( Who knows what-all she had in her, besides a generous dose of pit bull (coloring, forehead, and personality - i.e. more personality than any other 5 dogs combined, sweeter than honey with people of all ages, but aggressive with adult animals other than the ones she was raised with)... No identifiable basset/dachsie/anything else you could place, but she had these short little legs that were just comical on her.

She had a whole range of odd voices, too. :p

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I'm thinking of fostering a pittie, actually. I think they are SO misunderstood. While they may be dog-aggressive due to their breeding, they are so loving and loyal towards humans. They say they make horrible guard dogs because of them loving people, and the Staffordshire terriers are actually recognized by the AKC to be good with children.

Look at this face!! http://www.bullybuddies.net/meika.jpg

and I might be fostering her http://www.bullybuddies.net/baileyxmas2.jpg

GLC: yep, i can see the stumpy legs. cute! :D

http://www.satromaranch.com/donkeys2.JPG

I told my husband donkeys are good for protecting from coyotes (which incidentally he heard commuting home last night). His response? "And what are we protecting with your heard of little asses?" I replied "My goats I want for amusement and brush control and the chickens for eggs and they are keeping my alpaca I have for the wool company." :p:p I really don't think he gets the farm animal as pet reasoning, he thinks dogs (and not cats he is resisting adding one) can be our pets.

Badger- she is so cute, who could not melt with that face?

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Originally Posted by Aggie_Ama

I told my husband donkeys are good for protecting from coyotes (which incidentally he heard commuting home last night). His response? "And what are we protecting with your heard of little asses?" I replied "My goats I want for amusement and brush control and the chickens for eggs and they are keeping my alpaca I have for the wool company." :p:p I really don't think he gets the farm animal as pet reasoning, he thinks dogs (and not cats he is resisting adding one) can be our pets.

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I'm sorry he's such a hard sell. And cats, people who have indoor cats never have mice in their homes!

Stubborn. He hates the litter box, nothing against cats just the cat's potty. I want a particular type (Manx) and if I ever see it at the shelter I will sneak it home if I have to! Actually I am not giving him enough credit, he says yes we can have a cat when blind Maggie is gone. He thinks it is mean to expose her to a new pet she cannot see. He does say I will be cleaning the box.

I just adopted a manx mix for my parents in December. He's got really long hind legs, and runs around like a speedster! He's quite sweet, very personable and friendly. Has the characteristic stump of a tail :)

I looked up Manx, and they just bascially said it's a genetic mutation of sorts that gives them short tails and long hind legs. Which makes me wonder if he isn't full manx? who knows. All I know is my parents adore him and that's all that matters.

I saw this thing on t.v. the other day. It's a self-cleaning litter box you attach to a tap and all the waste actually gets dissolved and flushed down the toilet or something of that kind. It looked interesting but my place isn't set up for that. Let me see if I can find a link for it.

I wouldn't flush that into my septic system. Clean the box once a day. I don't see the problem :confused:

We had the most wonderful Manx growing up. Those powerful legs can be a handful and he was quite the fighter but so dang sweet. And what a hunter too, we only had one other (A petite siamese female) that brought home more kills. I told my husband my friend has the Littermaid that self cleans and likes it but he isn't budging. Trust me we have been married 6 years, I am fighting a losing battle on the cat. :( Oh and Zen- I have never lived with septic, we always flushed down the commode.

this is it, the Cat Genie. Super pricey, but if you're not into cleaning up after your kitty, this would be good. They say it's environmentally safe.

Save your money! For like $30, you can just get a pet door and let the cat do it out in the yard. No litter box clean up for us! ;)

(if you are going to have a yard anyway - obviously not a good idea if you live in the city, of course)

We live in a suburb neighborhood but I have never had a completely indoor cat. I know, I know it is a big scary would but my cats lived to be older/middle aged. Including Spider, the siamese who hunted and roamed. She suffered the most tragic end, she was sleeping on top of the open garage door and got pinned breaking her back. My mom tearfully had to put my nearly 13 year old cat to sleep in late 2003. Sylvester vanished at 8 years old, he was so beautiful we have always assumed he was stolen because he had actually been taken and recovered once 6 months prior.

My husband's dad had a cat named Skitty that was indoor/outdoor. Lived to be dreadfully old at assumed age of 20.

it probably depends on the savvy-ness of the cat, no? We've always had indoor/outdoor cats and they've all lived to about 15 years. I have one cat that I got from the SPCA after he was hit by a car. He's a tom through and through so he was hit by a car again before I moved into a condo where he's got hardly any outdoor access. I doubt he'd still be alive if I didn't move, he's not the brightest light on the street!

Ours is indoor/outdoor and will probably live to a ripe old age. He's totally a scaredy cat...never goes much futher than our yard (which still gives him plenty of things to get into, of course).

You should have seen how fast he ran under our bed the first night we all heard coyotes. I've never heard a cat make such pathetic noises before! :rolleyes: