S
Southernjack
Guest
I am looking for a donkey to halter break calves. Is anyone aware of any for sale? We are located in Colorado. Would prefer a donkey that has done breaking.
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buckeye
Well-known member
Yea but I'm located in Ohio
hntwhitetail
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buckeye said:
whats the oldest or biggest female you have broke w/ the donkey?
buckeye
Well-known member
Bought 2 yearling bulls this past spring and both of them got tied to the donkey. As far as females they were younger
obie105
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buckeye said:
I used one this summer to break an 8 and 10 month old bulls. I have seen 1200 lbs steers tied to one as well. My friends have a darn good one that a few hours on her make a world of difference.
hntwhitetail
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I need a 3yr cow broke. So, after your halter brek the yearling bulls, are the calm enough to work, brush etc?
Boot Jack Bulls
Well-known member
In my experience, the donkey teaches stop and go. The donkey will do and do what he wants and the calf just learns it is easier to give in and follow along. We had an excellent jack that broke yearling heifers and bulls, but I would be hesitant to try on anything taller than the donkey. He can make up for a weight difference with sheer stubborn will, but if a cow is tall enough, she might end up hurting the donkey. Each animal is different, but I would start by haltering her in a working chute and go from there. Honestly, most cows that weren't broke as calves hate the halter at first sight, and no donkey will change that.
The donkey dealer in IN is Ty at Little Dude Ranch. He got us a very good jenny, and she helped break our 5 4-H calves when a very busy dad needed a little assistance. He probably knows people with donkeys in CO--Ty Sutherlin's Little Dude Ranch is on the Internet.
Our jenny is super gentle, but I'm still learning donkey behavior. Ours leads like a horse, which may not be common. What I should say, is that she leads like a horse, when she wants to go where she is being led. Donkey often has ideas of her own, and outsmarting her is a challenge. This one (we've had two) is great with the calves (not for sale) and is only as aggressive as necessary.
Some people put their donkey in their calving pasture to protect against predators, so we tried that. I thought it was going well until this week. A large, strong new calf was lying in the sun under an electric fence, one that borders a woven wire fence. The calf was breathing hard on a warm day, but it was still puzzling. I dragged the calf, which seemed listless, into the shade and out from under the fence.
Before I was out of the pasture a commotion got my attention. The donkey was standing over the calf (which had moved maybe 100') and was raising and lowering its front feet--I was too far away to see if it was hitting the calf. Next, I saw the donkey chase the calf on the run and donkey was biting the calf on the back. The calf was running for dear life. I immediately got the donkey out of the pasture. The calf may be blind in one eye, and jenny is a "person of interest." This week someone told me that they once thought they lost a new calf to a donkey. This was the 9th fall calf in the pasture, and the only roan. Why would a jenny with a sweet disposition attack a calf?
Our jenny is super gentle, but I'm still learning donkey behavior. Ours leads like a horse, which may not be common. What I should say, is that she leads like a horse, when she wants to go where she is being led. Donkey often has ideas of her own, and outsmarting her is a challenge. This one (we've had two) is great with the calves (not for sale) and is only as aggressive as necessary.
Some people put their donkey in their calving pasture to protect against predators, so we tried that. I thought it was going well until this week. A large, strong new calf was lying in the sun under an electric fence, one that borders a woven wire fence. The calf was breathing hard on a warm day, but it was still puzzling. I dragged the calf, which seemed listless, into the shade and out from under the fence.
Before I was out of the pasture a commotion got my attention. The donkey was standing over the calf (which had moved maybe 100') and was raising and lowering its front feet--I was too far away to see if it was hitting the calf. Next, I saw the donkey chase the calf on the run and donkey was biting the calf on the back. The calf was running for dear life. I immediately got the donkey out of the pasture. The calf may be blind in one eye, and jenny is a "person of interest." This week someone told me that they once thought they lost a new calf to a donkey. This was the 9th fall calf in the pasture, and the only roan. Why would a jenny with a sweet disposition attack a calf?
Boot Jack Bulls
Well-known member
I have heard that a donkey not raised from a foal with cattle will tend to attack calves. Our Jack had a wonderfull disposition, especially for a stud. He, however, came from a Clydesdale farm and was used for breaking their colts to lead. He had been around cattle, but never pastured with them as a foal. In the end, he had to go because he started chasing 2400# bulls over fences and putting him in with my quarter horse mares and geldings was NOT an option. <deadhorse> They are territorial animals and have a mind of their own!
