It is imperative that you are sure you can, and want to, take on the responsibility of owning donkeys before you take the plunge into ownership. Donkeys can live for 50 years and require daily care. The routine care of a donkey may cost around £50 a month and take at least an hour a day, but even a simple veterinary call out is likely to cost in excess of £100, so it is essential that you can meet these demands.

Miniature donkeys make excellent predator control for sheep, goats and llamas. They are sold as investment livestock. They are easily trained to carry a pack saddle, or pull a cart. You can show them or take them to fairs. They are an excellent animal to use for therapy in nursing homes or with handicapped people because of their gentle temperament. They make an excellent reason for a school class trip to your farm. They are also good therapy for your soul.

Anywhere out of your neighbor's yard and away from your flower beds. I recommend a fenced enclosure with access to a shed during bad weather.

However, there are not many left in that area, and import restrictions have been applied. Here in North America, there are over 20,000 registered miniature donkeys and an unknown number of unregistered ones. The original miniature donkey is a true breed of it's native land. The heritage of many of todays miniature donkeys can be traced back to the original Mediterranean stock, which measured 38" and under.

The most common color for the miniature donkey is a grey dun with a black "cross" running over their shoulder and down their back. Their underbelly and noses are usually white, although dark noses and points do occur. Donkeys do come in other colours such as spotted, brown, black, sorrel. The brown, black and red, however, are very uncommon colours and highly prized in breeding programs.

In order to register your miniature donkey with the Canadian Donkey and Mule Association, the donkey must be under 36" or less at the shoulder at four years of age. The average height for them is 34", and the smaller they are the more valuable they become. It is important to check the specifications for registration with the different registration organizations, as there are some variations on height restrictions.

Miniature donkeys get along with goats, sheep, horses, cats, dogs, llamas...all it takes is common sense. For example the miniature donkey makes a superior guard animal for sheep goats, and llamas, herding them and protecting them from predators. While they can go in the same pasture or pen with those animals, it is not wise to put them in with larger animals such as horses and cattle, as they may injure your donkey. It is best to let them be in adjacent pastures.

No, miniature donkeys cannot be house pets. They are livestock and as such require a barn or three sided shelter to give them protection from the elements. While they might like to come and visit you on your front steps, they cannot (to our knowledge) be housetrained so you would set yourself up for some very large messes!

Everyone who meets a miniature donkey wants one of their own! Donkey owners come from all walks of life and include doctors, lawyers, executives, housewives, children, farmers, retired people, and investors to name just a few. Because donkeys are easy to care for, they make an ideal animal for anyone to own.

The most important thing is not to overfeed miniatures. You should be able to feel but not see the donkeys ribs. In the summer months access to grass will probably need to be restricted. In the winter months a diet of barley straw and some meadow hay is likely to be sufficient. Access to a mineral lick, or feeding a good-quality general purpose supplement is advisable. Carrots and apples may be fed as treats. Chop into slices that could not choke the donkey.

You are very welcome to visit our stud by prior appointment. If you contact the MMDA (see above) they may be able to give you the name of a breeder or owner near to you who might be happy to show you around their donkeys. You could also try attending a donkey show. The secretary is likely to be able to tell you if miniature donkeys are attending.

Donkeys are very hardy animals and require very little special feeding. During the summer months a donkeys nutritional requirements can be met on a pasture. Donkeys can graze on coarser pastures than horses, and lush pasture is not recommended as donkeys have low energy requirements and can be prone to obesity and foundering. Allow 1/2 to 1 acre of pasture per donkey and if space permits vary the pasture from time to time to allow the eaten down pasture a chance to regenerate.

Miniature donkeys are one of the most affectionate and friendly animals of their kind. They are tame, gentle, loyal, playful, and affectionate. They are very social animals who like to give and receive a great deal of attention. They are very easy to train, learning quickly and wanting to please their owner. If you want a friend for life, a miniature donkey is a wonderful choice.

Miniature donkeys are not solitary animals, so it is always best to keep two together. Two will require around one acre of grassland. A shelter so that the donkeys can get out of the rain is also essential.

we have been getting an alarming number of calls about this. Why someone is trying to say that Miniature Donkeys are an endangered species, we don't know, but here are the plain facts...) ALL DONKEYS - Miniature, Mammoth, Standard, Poitou, Mexican Catalonian, BLM Burro - any donkey regardless of size or color - is Equus assinus. Just DONKEYS. ****Donkeys in the USA are not grouped by "Breed" but rather by TYPE.

For grazing purposes a single miniature donkey needs 1/2 to 1 acre of pasture. Donkeys are very adaptable to their environment, however and will adjust to either more or less space. The only consideration that needs to be taken is in regards to feed. if there isn't enough pasture for grazing you will have to supplement their feed.

There are many factors that contribute to being able to tell a good donkey from a bad donkey. Overall conformation, which is how well the donkey's body is put together, is one of the most important factors. (Check out the Donkey Conformation Form to see what factors are included in grading a donkey. In the Newsletter section of this website, we will be featuring all the aspects of conformation for the next several months.

The simple answer is to give us a call. We are always delighted to discuss what business objectives you are trying to achieve through your sales and marketing programmes and in which areas we could contribute to your efforts.

The most common colors in donkeys are Gray-dun ( Slate Gray), Brown, and black. There is a variation of sorrel, Ivory (blue-eyed white) and a variant of bay. Some donkeys appear to be nearly white with dark skin - these are Frosted Spotted White. (It's like true gray in horses, the frosted/graying covers up the original color. It's a color combination, an overlay over the base color and any other patterns.

Ages 2 through 102. My wife, Jinny, always proclaimed donkeys were specially designed for grandparents and grandchildren.

No. Those negative traits in the donkeys you may have known are a result of feral breeding. In contrast, the Mediterranean Miniature has been treasured and selectively bred for centuries. They are naturally affectionate and will return the love extended to them manyfold. They will not "break" as with a horse and choose to follow you as "Alpha Leader" in a trust relationship. Trust is the key to their training.

Donkeys can be groomed like their equine counterparts. Brush them with a stiff brush, going with the direction that the hair grows. Be gentle around their face and ears. To get rid of the shaggy winter coats, you can purchase a shedding blade, or a kitchen block, much like pumice, that is used to clean out wooden stoves. By rubbing it gently on your donkey, it sheds out the old, shaggy hair, leaving a shiny coat in its place. You can buy these stones at any store specializing in wooden stoves.

The hocks do not mature until the donkey is 4 to 4½ years old, so it should not be subjected to the stress on the hocks of pushing the weight of a cart and driver until after it is physically mature (full mouth of adult teeth).

In North America there are three different registries. In Canada, the miniature donkeys are regulated and registered by the Canadian Donkey and Mule Association. It is the governing body over the miniature donkeys which sets the registration requirements and keeps permanent records on all miniature donkeys that are registered (as well as the standard, and mammoth donkeys and the mules). This organization is regulated by the Canadian Animal Pedigree Act.

It may do if you only have one other animal, but a donkey is unlikely to be accepted into a herd of a different species. It is always better to have two donkeys - perhaps a standard and a miniature if funds are limited.

Miniatures can be trained to be driven and ridden, although close consideration must be given to the weights they are asked to work with. A child of up to 3 to 4 years, depending on height and weight, would be a maximum for riding a miniature, and when driven they will pull a single adult in a lightweight vehicle up to 2 miles on a good, smooth surface comfortably. Miniatures can also be shown in all normal donkey classes, and there are now a few classes specifically for miniature donkeys.