So next time you see a donkey lazily grazing in the sun, remember, that’s no Eeyore moping around the pasture, it could very well be farm security, in which case you better watch out because you do not want to be on the receiving end of a donkey kick. If we werent running here, wed still be training every day for other races. “There is no reason they cannot be great guardians, but people thinking about getting a donkey for this reason need to do the research.” “Donkeys are loyal, affectionate and great at what they do, but they are not just a piece of equipment,” she says. ‘Donkeys are loyal, affectionate and great at what they do, but they are not just a piece of equipment.’
Running sheep kicks man in barn how to#
Kim Barnes, operations manager at The Donkey Sanctuary of Canada, works with donkeys everyday and cautions that farmers who choose to use donkeys as livestock guardians need to know how to both handle and take proper care of them. Similarly donkeys with no prior contact with livestock may act aggressively when placed in the same pasture. Jacks, or intact male donkeys, are generally too rough with sheep and may harm or even kill livestock. However, not every donkey will make a suitable guardian for your farm.
“For people who aren’t comfortable with big, aggressive guard dogs, donkeys are a good option, they offer more protection against predators than llamas and are better with visitors or customers than dogs.” However, they cannot handle multiple canine attackers or larger predators like mountain lions, wild hogs or bears, and will rarely notify the farmer of any problems in the pasture - although their loud braying may indicate potential invasions.Īlthough not very popular with larger commercial farms, Dohner says donkeys are a good alternative for hobby farms or those who operate their business out of their farm. Photo courtesy of John Genho.ĭohner says donkeys are instinctually aggressive toward canines, and are capable of dishing out crushing blows with both their front and hind legs as well as using their large teeth to bite raiding intruders. Although jennies (female donkeys) or gelded males can be introduced to a herd as grown animals, foals that grow up with their flock will be natural leaders and protectors.įarm security checks on the newest edition to the herd. Like most guardian animals, it is best to raise donkeys with the herd they’ll be protecting while they are young. “Donkeys can’t handle the same predators as dogs and they won’t protect your farm against small pests like raccoons or birds, but they also won’t keep you up all night barking,” she says. ‘Donkeys can’t handle the same predators as dogs, but they also won’t keep you up all night barking.’ Jan Dohner, author of “ Livestock Guardians: Using Dogs, Donkeys and Llamas to Protect Your Herd,” and several other articles about guardian donkeys, says these equines make great livestock protectors but are quite different than your standard farm dog. It was not known if the farm had corrected the issues.Although often portrayed as moody and difficult to work with, donkeys, if trained right, can be loyal and effective farm hands that are naturally inclined to not only herd but also protect sheep and goats from predators such as coyotes and roaming dogs. Agriculture Department said that the farm did not have a barrier separating the camels and the people who were petting and feeding them, adding that there were no employees or attendants around. The camel charged at sheriffs deputies as they tried to help the men it had just attacked at Shirley Farms in Obion, Tenn., the Obion County. In 2017, it offered camel rides.Ī 2019 inspection report by the U.S. On Facebook, Shirley Farms advertises a seasonal pumpkin barn and animal petting areas. It was not clear for what purpose the farm had the camel. That camel was a male in the middle of its rutting season.Ī man who answered the phone at Shirley Farms on Sunday declined to comment. And in 2015, a camel trampled two people to death at a farm in Texas.
There have been other attacks, including one in 2014 in which a Chicago man who owned a wildlife park in Mexico died after a camel kicked him, bit him and sat on him. Faye said that it was unusual to see a camel assault of this scale. “Sometimes they are completely crazy,” he said, adding, “Usually, if the male is correctly managed, there is no problem.” Faye, a chairman of the International Society of Camelid Research and Development. Male camels, however, are known to be aggressive during the rutting season, a time between November and March when they try to mate with females, said Dr.
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