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[flowerbug]

Thank you, Henless! Now, this is going to make youin's anti-donkey folks real happy. The donkey garnered strike three this morning of unpredictable and irrational behavior with potentially lethal outcomes and she is currently listed for sale.....tons of responses right away, as donkeys seem to be a hot ticket lately.

That lamb she tried to steal the other day when it was born? She wasn't trying to steal it, she was trying to kill it. We rejoined that ewe and lamb with the rest of the flock(still in with the donkey at that point, along with their lambs...which the donkey completely ignored) and the donkey immediately started stalking that pair and tried to stomp the lamb and the ewe when the ewe tried to defend the baby.

She also tried to stomp into the ground the new LGD pup we had in the same paddock...she wasn't in there for no amount of time before the donkey started to stalk her, then tried to stomp her. The pup I could understand~though I figured a puppy wouldn't be a threat to her~as she is a dog and dogs are the enemy to donkeys. But the lamb was the decider....no reason whatsoever to single out one lamb out of a flock for death.

The lamb and ewe were fine and we hustled to get another paddock portion done to day so as to separate her from the flock...and promptly listed her for sale. A very nice donkey to humans, gentle and polite at all times....but totally unpredictable for all other creatures. Who wants to wait and see if that starts happening our us or the grandchildren?

So, experiment over. Donkeys do not work in our situation. Ya never know until you try it. Dogs I can train, but I'm not even sure anyone can train a donkey not to kill a lamb if it's determined to do so.

Bobm, now you can say "I told you so!"

i wonder if it was the color/pattern of that lamb/ewe that got it upset enough to think it was a predator? like perhaps they looked too much like wolves or something? sorry it didn't work out.

 

[seedcorn]

Too bad. Just glad you recognized it before you had to bury some dead animals. I’m glad I never got a donkey.

 

[ninnymary]

Bee, at least you tried and found out for yourself. Sometimes we have to do that. Glad that no harm was done and that it looks like you may have a buyer soon.

Mary

 

[henless]

Sorry your donkey didn't work out Bee. It was a good idea, just the wrong donkey. I wonder if she had ever been used as a guard donkey? If your still wanting to use a donkey. maybe look for one that has been raised with sheep or is/has guarded them before.

It's just like getting a LGD. Either pay more to get one already trained, or train it yourself. You know how people are. They will tell you anything to get something sold.

I've run into quite a few doozies in my 50+ years of owning horses.

 

[bobm]

Thank you, Henless! Now, this is going to make youin's anti-donkey folks real happy. The donkey garnered strike three this morning of unpredictable and irrational behavior with potentially lethal outcomes and she is currently listed for sale.....tons of responses right away, as donkeys seem to be a hot ticket lately.

That lamb she tried to steal the other day when it was born? She wasn't trying to steal it, she was trying to kill it. We rejoined that ewe and lamb with the rest of the flock(still in with the donkey at that point, along with their lambs...which the donkey completely ignored) and the donkey immediately started stalking that pair and tried to stomp the lamb and the ewe when the ewe tried to defend the baby.

She also tried to stomp into the ground the new LGD pup we had in the same paddock...she wasn't in there for no amount of time before the donkey started to stalk her, then tried to stomp her. The pup I could understand~though I figured a puppy wouldn't be a threat to her~as she is a dog and dogs are the enemy to donkeys. But the lamb was the decider....no reason whatsoever to single out one lamb out of a flock for death.

The lamb and ewe were fine and we hustled to get another paddock portion done to day so as to separate her from the flock...and promptly listed her for sale. A very nice donkey to humans, gentle and polite at all times....but totally unpredictable for all other creatures. Who wants to wait and see if that starts happening our us or the grandchildren?

So, experiment over. Donkeys do not work in our situation. Ya never know until you try it. Dogs I can train, but I'm not even sure anyone can train a donkey not to kill a lamb if it's determined to do so.

Bobm, now you can say "I told you so!"

Thank you, Henless! Now, this is going to make youin's anti-donkey folks real happy. The donkey garnered strike three this morning of unpredictable and irrational behavior with potentially lethal outcomes and she is currently listed for sale.....tons of responses right away, as donkeys seem to be a hot ticket lately.

That lamb she tried to steal the other day when it was born? She wasn't trying to steal it, she was trying to kill it. We rejoined that ewe and lamb with the rest of the flock(still in with the donkey at that point, along with their lambs...which the donkey completely ignored) and the donkey immediately started stalking that pair and tried to stomp the lamb and the ewe when the ewe tried to defend the baby.

She also tried to stomp into the ground the new LGD pup we had in the same paddock...she wasn't in there for no amount of time before the donkey started to stalk her, then tried to stomp her. The pup I could understand~though I figured a puppy wouldn't be a threat to her~as she is a dog and dogs are the enemy to donkeys. But the lamb was the decider....no reason whatsoever to single out one lamb out of a flock for death.

The lamb and ewe were fine and we hustled to get another paddock portion done to day so as to separate her from the flock...and promptly listed her for sale. A very nice donkey to humans, gentle and polite at all times....but totally unpredictable for all other creatures. Who wants to wait and see if that starts happening our us or the grandchildren?

So, experiment over. Donkeys do not work in our situation. Ya never know until you try it. Dogs I can train, but I'm not even sure anyone can train a donkey not to kill a lamb if it's determined to do so.

Bobm, now you can say "I told you so!"

Well Bee ... since you asked, so I must ... " I told you so "

 

[seedcorn]

Now, @bobm You didn’t have to........ sometimes things do work out. Nothing tried, nothing gained.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Now, @bobm You didn’t have to........ sometimes things do work out. Nothing tried, nothing gained.

Yes he did Bee. At least I would have and probably added a different emoji.

But I totally agree with the rest. I've been saying it for years over on the chicken forum. Different circumstances and different individuals can give different results when talking about animal behaviors. Sometimes it goes so smoothly you wonder what all the warnings were about, sometimes it does not go well at all. There is only one way to find out. Then deal with the consequences.

I sometimes talk about you over there. Not by name if your not around to defend yourself but as someone who did or said certain things. Like when you compared the pros and cons of heat lamps and heating pads for brooding chicks. You tried both ways and gave what I consider the benefits and limitations of each in a realistic rational way. That can be pretty rare over there.

 

[Beekissed]

Yes he did Bee. At least I would have and probably added a different emoji.

But I totally agree with the rest. I've been saying it for years over on the chicken forum. Different circumstances and different individuals can give different results when talking about animal behaviors. Sometimes it goes so smoothly you wonder what all the warnings were about, sometimes it does not go well at all. There is only one way to find out. Then deal with the consequences.

I sometimes talk about you over there. Not by name if your not around to defend yourself but as someone who did or said certain things. Like when you compared the pros and cons of heat lamps and heating pads for brooding chicks. You tried both ways and gave what I consider the benefits and limitations of each in a realistic rational way. That can be pretty rare over there.

I don't mind folks saying "I told you so"....I do it often enough. A person can't live entirely on second hand information....as you've seen so many times on BYC~whole slew of folks giving other people advice on things they've never tried on their own but they've read about them in a book, heard about their cousin's wife's preacher's sister-in-law who did it and this happened, and then there are those who got advice on a forum from someone else who tried it once and it didn't work out....but, by golly, if THEY did it and it didn't work out, it simply won't work for anyone else either.

I'm a person who doesn't mind trying things in my own back yard so I can give first hand experience on it and don't mind telling if it worked or if I ended up with egg on my face. That's information I can stand on and it's not heresy. It's mine and I own it, good or bad.

 

[seedcorn]

@Ridgerunner You would have but you are a trouble making, pea picker, bless your heart type........ US Nawtherners, would never cause that type of grief.... we are a peaceable type of people.... once again, my emojis aren’t working....... so use your imagination here.... well, maybe better not..

 

[Cosmo spring garden]

I'm sorry the donkey didnt work out! I'm sure you will find the perfect livestock guardian animal for your farm!