Beaver-like donkey!

[Ann Mary]

This winter my donkey has decided to explore her 'inner beaver' and is chewing her shed down about her ears. Yes, she has a salt/mineral block, and a selininum block...the weather has been bad so she has spent more time in her shed...being bored... and after all these years she has decided to 'sample' it! And, the ever-attentive goats that didn't chew wood before have decided to try it as well! I've been patching with this and that but is there a homeade cribbing remedy that doesn't include motor oil in it???
If not I will keep putting up chicken wire over the areas but if I can just spray or paint on something I will. ( I haven't checked at the feed store to see what the commercial stuff costs yet) Thanks!

[Vonne]

I have successfully used a concoction of powdered laundry det, mixed with cayenne pepper (bulk from co-op),and a little water. This can be rubbed, brushed or wiped on wood surfaces, also bandages that horses will pick at with their teeth. The lady who told me about this says to be very careful touching your face while working with this mixture...so I AM! It works great.

[Ann Mary]

Thanks! Can you give a basic recipe?

[mamahen]

I posted awhile back about my beaver-mule

Penny decided to "eat" throught the barn doors. She chewed 3 out of 4 doors. These were whole 4X8 sheets of plywood! The fourth door that she did NOT chew, was the one that was for HER stall!! The brat! We haven't repaired them yet. But when we do, they will be some sort of sheet metal. You could also line the walls with welded wire fence, we've done that & it worked.

I've tried lots of things - she just gets bored and chews. She loved Uncle Jimmy's Hanging Balls - but that's more like giving a kid a cookie to keep them quiet. It works right now, but doesn't solve the long term problem.

My goats always did chew a bit. They also like to ram down stalls & walls. Gotta love critters!

[Rogo]

Confinement brings problems!

[mamahen]

I should mention, Penny was in the pasture & chewed into the barn!!

[Wolf mom]

Try cayenne peper or hot sauce mixed with toothpaste. Make it very HOT! Brush it on the wood with a small paint brush. The toothpaste adheres to the wood easily. You may have to reapply a couple times but they learn pretty quickly that chewing wood is not what they really want to do.

I'd buy the cheapest tooth paste I could find at the dollar store when I owned a boarding stable.