My Playful Donkeys

February 11, 2022

It's still winter, but here at my Bedford, New York farm, it's feeling a little like spring - and the animals are happy, especially my five fun-loving donkeys - Rufus, Billie, Clive, Jude “JJ” Junior, and Truman “TJ” Junior.

Yesterday, with temperatures rising to 50-degrees Fahrenheit, the donkeys got to spend a little more time in their paddock just outside my stable. This quintet loves the outdoors where they can frolic and bray. In the late afternoon, the five are brought back inside, where they are groomed and fed.

Enjoy these photos.

: The erratic weather in the Northeast continues. We’re expecting temperatures in the 50s for the next couple of days. Yesterday, the donkeys were very playful and ran as soon as someone came near. This is Truman “TJ” Junior – he’s about six years old and very charming.

: Donkeys are herd animals, so they are often seen together in one group. Here are my five donkeys – Jude “JJ” Junior, Billie, Rufus, Clive in the back, and “TJ” on the far right.

: Ideally, the outdoor space should consist of donkey-safe grazing pasture, and at least half an acre of land per donkey – more if possible. My donkeys have a very large paddock where they can run, play, and roll to their hearts’ content.

: Whenever someone comes near, the donkeys start walking over to say hello. Do you know… a donkey is capable of hearing another donkey from up to 60 miles away in the proper conditions? They have a great sense of hearing, in part because of their large ears.

: Here are “TJ” and “JJ” at the fence gate hoping for treats. The donkey’s sense of smell is considered to be similar to the horse. Donkeys greet each other by smelling and blowing in each other’s nose. The smell of breath imparts important information to the donkey.

: Here they are running around the paddock – wherever one goes, the others follow.

: When the weather is wet or windy, donkeys need access to a warm and dry shelter. A run-in is essential for donkeys. Donkeys originated in a desert climate, but are very hardy, provided they are given adequate accommodations.

: And they’re off again – Billie, Rufus, and “TJ” in the distance.

: There is an automatic waterer in every paddock that is checked every day to ensure it is in good working order. During the winter, when the grass is dead, or at other times of year when there’s not enough, we also give them good quality meadow hay in their paddock mangers.

: The important thing is to keep the donkeys from overeating. Eating too much protein and other nutrient-rich foods can make them sick. They also tend to gain weight very easily. I am very glad these donkeys are active and enjoy running in their enclosure.

: The donkey or ass is a domesticated member of the horse family, Equidae. The wild ancestor of the donkey is the African wild ass, E. africanus. The donkey has been used as a working animal for at least 5000 years.

: Here they go around the paddock again. At the fastest, a fit donkey can run up to 15 miles per hour. They are also quite vocal. Donkeys have a two-toned call that sounds pretty comical. In English, the sound is called braying.

: By late afternoon, the donkeys are brought inside to their stalls, where they are groomed and fed. Helen and Dolma walk them in at the same time. Donkeys bond very closely with the others in their herd, so these five are always kept close together.

: One always knows it’s afternoon because the peacocks and peahens are out and about.

: Inside, the donkey stalls are all clean with fresh shavings.

: Billie and “JJ” are in one stall, while the three males are in another. All the donkeys have very different and fun personalities. And look closely, Donkeys usually have a dark stripe of fur down their backs and across their shoulders and can be born with a wide range of colors.

: “TJ” and the others are all eagerly awaiting their dinner. “TJ” hopes it comes soon. Donkeys are generally calm, intelligent, and have a natural inclination to like people. Donkeys show less obvious signs of fear than horses. In fact, “TJ” always seeks attention and interaction.

: Here’s Truman with his front up on a platform looking through the bars of his stall to see what’s going on in the stall next door. He always makes sure “his girls” are okay.

: Yes, “TJ”, they’re just fine. Billie and “JJ” are the only females, or jennies, in my stable. Male donkeys are known as jacks.

: Using a hoof pick, Dolma carefully picks out the dirt and mud from Clive’s hooves. This is done with each donkey and horse every day. Dolma also goes over their coats with a curry brush to remove any debris and dirt.

: And then Dolma wipes all their faces clean with a washcloth. Grooming every day allows Dolma to check for any abnormalities such as cuts, scrapes, or other skin irritations, etc. And, they seem to enjoy it.