Donkeys as Livestock Guardians - Real threat or one off ?

Foxton123 · #1 05/20/13, 03:05 PM

OAP dragged off scooter and mauled to death by pair of killer donkeys

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage...y-donkeys.html

For American readers, The Sun has a credibility barely above that of the National Enquirer - yet its daily circulation is in the millions.

The question is, is this merely media distortion - or are donkeys potentially a hazard that people should be wary of ?

Bearfootfarm · #2 05/20/13, 04:33 PM

Quote:

are donkeys potentially a hazard that people should be wary of ?

ALL large animals are potentially dangerous, and Equines are notorious for being unpredictable.
They are only used as "guardians" BECAUSE they are agressive.

Maura · #3 05/20/13, 05:01 PM

It does sound far fetched. The donkey in the photo is behind a fence, which brings me to the question of what was the man on a scooter doing in the pasture? If the donkeys were scared of the scooter they would have stared at it, then run away. If the man had abused the donkeys or the donkeys thought their herd was in danger, they may have attacked someone. But, it still sounds fishy.

MO_cows · #4 05/20/13, 05:22 PM

It does sound a little far fetched but then again, especially if they were jacks, they could be dangerously aggressive. Especially if they didn't recognize a person on a scooter as a human.... I came home wearing a hat one time, which I hardly ever wear, my own dog barked aggressively at me until I spoke and he recognized my voice. (I told him he was a good boy for guarding the place!) I carried my toddler DGD out to see her new heifer, the heifer was so spooked by the "two headed human" we could barely hold her with a halter.

I see the moral of the story as, a person who has to use a scooter to get around shouldn't be inside the fence with livestock by themselves. Even a ram or a small billy goat could have injured them.

FarmboyBill · #5 05/20/13, 05:57 PM

My worthless bro swears/swore by Heuy and Louie, 2 donkeys he had/has in his cow pasture

barnyardgal · #6 05/21/13, 05:59 AM

I have had experience with a minature donkey that was uncut & kept him with my goats which he was used to being around all farm animals-
Looked out one day & he had one of my goats by the nap of the neck shaking him like a rag doll-had to go break that up-tied the donkey up so the goats could graze during the day & locked the goats in the barn at night so the donkey could graze-done this about a month then sold the donkey-he was getting mean at 4 yrs old..did not trust him at all-he even tried to jump on my back on evening & scrapped the back of my arm with his hoof.......

I would never own one again~~~!!!!!

BigHenTinyBrain · #7 05/21/13, 06:33 AM

As BearFoot says- all large animals are potentially dangerous. I've been bit by a pig, chased by a regularly friendly cow and my beloved mule used to hate bearded men to the point that we considered not keeping her (she decided to tolerate my bearded father, and that was good enough). If you are a threat- and a scooterized person seems a little threatening to me- an animal will either run away or run to chase you away.

TRAILRIDER · #8 05/21/13, 08:54 AM

Mo Cows, I worked many yrs ago on a Thoroughbred Farm and one stallion was from Pakistan. One day I went out early to check on the horses and had a towel on my head like a turbin and he nearly hit the wall in fright.

maxbetta · #9 05/21/13, 02:01 PM

I know that donkeys are known for being territorial, therefore making great guardians. And I know that an animal is likely to attack if provoked. But I find it hard to believe that the body of a trampled victim would look identical to the body of someone who had been attacked by dogs.

This paper is probably like the other tabloid type ones we have. There's an ounce of truth to the story, but they probably added and added to it to make it more interesting.

jennigrey · #10 05/21/13, 03:10 PM

The picture is probably a stock photo and not the actual perpetrator.

AngieM2 · #11 05/21/13, 03:32 PM

from the first post I've been wondering about it.

If you see where the originating paper is not considered reliable, etc.

First post from a new member, that has not been back.

I hope they come back and explain more.

But, it feels as if somewhere along the line, people legs are being pulled.

Matt73 · #12 05/21/13, 05:41 PM

I have 2 jennies, mother and daughter and sometimes the younger of the two scares me. She will run up on me, full speed in hopes that I have treats for her. She has kicked at me before when I go out to the pasture without anything for her to snack on. Her mama isn't aggressive at all, just a little more weary and doesn't care too much to be around people.

However, I can't imagine one or both of them chasing someone down and biting them and trampling them. They don't even chas or try to trample my dogs...

Maura · #13 05/22/13, 10:43 AM

Matt, you describe young donkeys. That kicking at you is sass, if she wanted to kick you, you'd be kicked. They will also turn so that their tails are at you, this is to make it easy for you to scratch their hind end.

Jacks are known to be ornery. This is why you almost never see an intact jack unless he is used for breeding. You simply would not use an intact jack as a guardian.

Hollowdweller · #14 05/22/13, 11:17 AM

I have a donkey and he has attacked a few of my goats over time.

His favorite trick with me is to come up to be petted and then push me against a wall or get me leaning over his head and then raise his head really fast and hit me in the head with the bony protrusion above his eye.

Rick · #15 05/22/13, 05:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AngieM2

from the first post I've been wondering about it.

If you see where the originating paper is not considered reliable, etc.

First post from a new member, that has not been back.

I hope they come back and explain more.

But, it feels as if somewhere along the line, people legs are being pulled.

Funny Angie, troll or no, I am convinced I don't need a donkey where before this I thought one might add a nice level of protection.

Rick · #16 05/22/13, 05:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hollowdweller

I have a donkey and he has attacked a few of my goats over time.

His favorite trick with me is to come up to be petted and then push me against a wall or get me leaning over his head and then raise his head really fast and hit me in the head with the bony protrusion above his eye.

You are a very nice person.

Yvonne's hubby · #17 05/23/13, 09:07 AM

I really dont know too much about donkeys, other than mules contain half their genes. Mules will be kind, gentle and well behaved for 20 years patiently waiting for their chance of kicking you in the head killing you.

MOgal · #18 05/24/13, 03:52 PM

My grandfather would never use a mule on his farm for just the reason Yvonne's Hubby mentioned.

joebill · #19 05/25/13, 04:04 PM

I have had a fair number of donkeys, mostly for the kids at one time or another. Raised with kids, they are like big, spoiled puppies with no harm in them unless by accident.

The wild Jenny we got from the BLM, however, was trouble waiting to happen. I coddled her, brushed her, thought she was my good buddy, until I wormed her for the first time and she got a full dose of energy from the good food and lack of parasites.

Took her out of the corral for a walk on the halter, and she froze for perhaps 30 seconds, I guess getting up her nerve, then hit the end of the lead rope running. I knew if she got loose, I had nothing that could catch her, because they run like the wind and can change directions from a full run in only what seems like inches.

With that in mind, I took a wrap or two around my hand and hung on for the ride. Seconds later, I was on the ground and hauling at her head with the lead rope. She dragged me, tried to walk on me with her forefeet etc. As long as I could keep her head down and stay away from her feet, she couldn't get me, but I was fading fast. Apparently so was she, 'cause she stopped spraddle legged for an instant, and not knowing anything else to do, I gave her a roundhouse in the nose/teeth, which like to broke my hand, but did sorta cross her eyes long enough to let me lead her back to the corral. Just as we started through the gate, however, (I was stupidly walking beside her instead of in front) she caught me between her side and the gatepost and leaned on me and started trying to back out of the gate. I took a dally around the gatepost, and like a genius, got my hand in the wrap just as the rope tightened. My daughter grabbed a yucca pole and rattled it against her hocks hard enough to get her to go forwards in to the corral.

I asked my daughter later what she was thinking while "lady" and I were doing battle. She said she figured she was watching the two most stubborn animals on the planet try to kill one another.

They are unbelievably quick and strong, and they do know how to hate very well. They have been known to kill mountain lions and dogs are either their playmates or rugs in short order.

I didn't read the article because I didn't want to accept the cookie on my 'puter, but I'd say the only thing that would prevent a couple of donkies from mauling a man on a scooter to death is they simply might not want to.....That one could have easily killed me with a bit more luck on her side and a loose lead rope..............and I believe she would have been happy to do just that....Joe