Lulu and Fanny are sweet donkeys; our farrier says they are the nicest donkeys he has ever met. And he refuses to trim the hooves of any other donkeys.
It surprises some people that donkeys are guard animals on many farms, including this one. That is why I got them in the first place – to protect the sheep – even though the relationship has evolved, they are now members of the Bedlam Farm family.
Of the two, Lulu is the donkey who takes the role seriously.
She constantly scans the horizon for predators and dangers – coyotes, stray dogs, and strangers. In the 15 years I’ve lived with Lulu and Fanny, we have never lost a sheep to any predator, not even the coyotes who gather outside our fences almost every night to drool over sheep for dinner.
When Lulu sees anything come near our fences, she puts her ears way back, lowers her head, and charges. Donkeys can do a lot of damage by kicking with their back feet or pawing with their front feet. She is diligent about protecting the sheep.
Lulu uses her ears like radar screens, scanning all around for noise and looking for movement.
Even bears won’t come close to our bird feeders or fenceWhenhen I went out into the past this morning, Lulu was in her guard donkey poise, starting at some creature moving through the brush.
Whatever it was, it didn’t come any closer.
What a surprise a while back, to see nature videos where the donkey picks up an attacking hyena or coyote and just tosses it away like a fun party favor. Donkeys are underestimated, even by other animals. Since reading your blog and Simon book I hope to meet one some day.
We should have one on our farm; of late we have had coyotes in our area. At our age though I don’t think my husband would agree with me.
My Dad had a poorly managed pasture (no time and very little livestock) until the man who owned the local stock pavilion suggested he buy a relocated donkey or two. The broker (for want of a better term) was picking them up from some state or federal animal clearing program in the SW US. It was win all around. 1) the donkeys got off the truck and had never seen so much juicy thistle and burdock in their lives. Heaven! Food!! 2) One of my Dad’s skills was taming skittish animals, and promptly started working his magic. 3) neighbors’ dogs were put on notice, of course. At the end of a year, 1) the pasture was clean and could support more animals. 2) The donkeys were at least bridle trained and very happy to see people they knew. 3) No animals in the pasture had been harassed by neighbors’ dogs in a long, long time. THEN if someone wanted a bridle-trained donkey, they knew where to get one and the process started over.