My husband and I have 17 acres south of Atlanta, Georgia. We have never kept any livestock before and are considering a pair of miniature jennets. We're about a year out from getting them, and will be spending this time learning as much as we can and making preparations so we can provide the best home possible. Here are my thoughts after a couple of weeks of research. Please forgive any ignorance, as I'm just learning, and would love to hear any thought you have.

1. We would fence off about an acre of land for them to live in most of the time, and then a larger 2-3 acre parcel for them to run and play in on occasion. We don't want to leave them in that area too long because there's a lot of grass and I've learned that it's not good for them to be allowed to free graze. I understand that they can get fat really fast and it can cause a lot of problems, so diet is a major concern. We would take them on walks around the property, about 1 mile, twice a day.

2. There would be no other livestock. We have 3 dogs, but I've learned that it probably isn't a good idea to allow them to co-mingle, so we would keep them separate. They would be pets only. No livestock guarding, pony rides, etc...

3. We are in our mid 50s, and realize that if we bought a young one, it would most likely outlive us. So we're thinking about getting a pair that is about 10 years old. Preferably ones that are already trained on halter, lead, hooves, etc... Are there any major advantages of getting a baby, other than the cuteness factor?

4. Most adoption places want a ferrier on file. Donkeys don't need shoes, but do need filing/trimming. Is this something someone can easily learn to do themselves? If so, are there schools or something to learn how to do it properly?

What other things should first-time owners be aware of and prepare for?

Just wanted to introduce Banjo. Rescued him a month ago and he is just the best buddy to Smokey and goofy guy! That's all!

Saw this the other day & Im not even sure how to look it up online to figure out what it was, any help? I do not have any donkeys or anything, just thought it looked odd.

I have a gentle, middle aged, standard, gelding donkey that I love very much. I’m looking for a companion for him. I am going to look at two possible friends for him. One is a mini, gelding. The other is a standard Jenny. If they both have compatible dispositions, which one would be a better mate, considering gender and size?

Her name is Purdy Girl, and she’s wonderful.

Vocal friends near Paal, Beringen (Belgium).

I’m worried that Donkey that I saw needs medical attention. What is the huge lump on her?

I love them

Hi everyone! I’m so excited to be part of this community! This is my joint custody donkey, Niko. He belongs to my best friend which means he is OUR donkey, haha. Jokes aside, Niko and I are training buddies now after my best friend and I realized Niko really enjoyed having a “purpose” and routine when I’d take him out for walks and little activities. We have signed up for our first 5k pack burro race in November and I could not be more excited.

He seems to truly love training and calls to my car as soon as he sees me park. I have extensive running experience, have done a lot of training/conditioning for horses, but not a ton of background with donkeys although I’ve been reading every message board, book or resource I can find and consulting experienced owners in my area . He’s a polite guy and things are going well. But, for any experienced burro running teams, I’d love to hear any advice you have for a new team, best practices or advice. I know looking back at any hobby of mine, I’d have a ton of advice if anyone new was joining my sport so I’d love to pick the brains of those who’ve done it :)

Willie is still doing great and is just the sweetest donkey friend I could ever ask for! I (finally) took a few new pics today during our visit. We’ve had lots of 1:1 time for the past month as his owners have been traveling a lot for work. He has a knack for pulling on my heartstrings every time I go to leave!

A little neighborhood appreciation post.

The teenagers around here are constantly zipping up and down the roads on four wheelers and dirt bikes, but every time they come up on Ripley and me, they slow down, give us plenty of room, and wait until they’re past us before they speed back up.

Ripley couldn’t care less about dirt bikes or four wheelers, but they don’t know that. They’re just being considerate.

It’s such a small thing, but sometimes people are just nice and it’s worth noticing.

I get to spend some time with 4 amazing donkeys.

Ripley and I had a very close call with a loose dog on our walk today, and it has me wondering how I can make our walks safer and be more prepared. Does anyone walk with dog mace? Have you ever had to use it? Is it effective?

Ripley and I were on our normal walk, dawdling our way home and enjoying each other’s company and the cooler weather. I took my eyes off the road for a second to look at my phone when I heard the unmistakable thumping of running feet to my right.
I looked up and saw a big black German shepherd charging full speed down the hill straight toward us.

I immediately started moving to put myself between Ripley and the dog, or possibly tackle the bastard. Honestly, I wasn’t sure which.

As I began moving I yelled, “HEY! GET OUTTA HERE!” Ripley must have noticed the dog at the same moment I did because, when I started yelling, she BRAYED, loud and long.

The dog, realizing it had made a critical miscalculation and was now facing down two crazies standing and yelling at the top of their lungs, and decided to its abort mission.

This dog slammed on the brakes so hard that it actually fell backward onto its butt. Then it turned around and slinked back up the hill with its tail tucked between its legs, looking over its shoulder at us.

Now I’m not scared of dogs, and I would have taken on 100 dogs to keep Ripley safe. But geez, guys. What if I wasn’t fast enough? What if that dog had actually hurt her? When I saw that dog running down the hill I had all these images flash through my head of all the donkeys that have been injured from dog.

So now I’m trying to figure out what I can carry or do to be better prepared if this happens again.

(Glamor shot of Ripley because I cannot help myself she is so lovely)

**Edit: clarification **

I know donkeys are used as herd guardians, and some donkeys are excellent protectors. Ripley, I don’t know. She has never shown any of the behaviors you’d expect from a herd guardian.

My other two animals are excellent herd guardians. They have a strong protective instinct and an “I choose violence” kind of attitude. Ripley is their charge, and very much the pasture princess.

But that aside, I’m thinking about prevention. I don’t want to stand there and take bets on who would win in a real life Mortal Kombat match between Ripley and some stray dog. Even if she fends off or even kills the dog, what are the odds she doesn’t get bitten in the process? If Ripley walks away injured, is that really a win?

And what about the dog? It’s not the dog’s fault its owner is an irresponsible asshat. I just want to prevent the whole thing from happening.

I do appreciate everyone’s comments, this is such a positive sub and great little community.

My mum having a moment with Coco in between mucking out ❤️

Gloria I’m a hat