Asklemmy

No, I don't think it's a good idea to get a donkey if you plan on leaving it alone for days on end. For one, you should check up on animals daily just to make sure they don't have injuries, tipped over their waterbucket, broke the fence etc. Also, donkeys get lonely without other animals around.

Sounds like you haven't thought this out properly. They're not pets, they're farm animals. They're kind, but only if your treat them well. You can teach them some basic stuff, like walking on a leash, because they are quite smart, but very stubborn, so you probably can't train really. They're expensive in the upkeep (shelter, food, hygiene, medical, etc). They require a lot of space. They don't fair well in solitaire, so you have to get two or more. You should definitely do some more research!

Owning livestock is not for the faint of heart. Also good quality, safe, fencing is expensive. If you have never owned any livestock before I recommend starting with some chickens.

You will need to be up every morning to feed, turn them loose, check them over, muck them out, if needed. Same thing in the evening.

Also Donkeys can be more prone to hoof injuries if you live in a very wet area. They can get hoof rot if they don't have a good area to dry out their feet.

In my area it can a hundred dollars just for the large animal vet to come out to your farm, before they even do anything. And you will have to pay for them to come out unless you have a trailer and something to haul it with.

Get sick? Too bad. If having covid sucks, it sucks even more when your lugging fifty pound feed sacks down to the barn.

I'm writing this before I go clean out my own farm animals so trust me, I know.

I'm a bit confused: you are poor, but also are going to get a house? And before that, you want a donkey?

My advice for poor people (and I'm not rich either, so I abide by this advice as well) is don't get a pet you can't maintain. A donkey sounds like a lot of work. They need space and since they're equines, the vet bill can't be cheap.

If you really need a pet, get a small to medium dog. If instead you are really tight on money, just don't get a pet.

I grew up on farm & we had two donkeys, Honeybun & Buttercup. Buttercup was older & eventually passed away, leaving Honeybun solo amongst the chickens, cows & horses.

Honeybun became ornery as all get out, just mean as hell. He’d started to bite anything close enough to be bitten. These weren’t little nips for attention; he’d draw blood given chance.

It got bad enough my grandfather carried a potato soaked in hot sauce to deter the donkey from biting. Grandpa would try to shove the potato into the donkey’s mouth when Honeybun went in to bite.

I know some donkeys get along well with horses. Honeybun did not. He bit those horses, went after chickens that wandered into his area, & likely would’ve done the same to cows if we’d let him.

I don’t have any specific advice for you, but I do believe donkeys get lonely & need some measure of companionship.

I think you should get a donkey in Minecraft.

It won't get lonely without you, you can tie it to a fencepost with a lead and you don't have to feed it.

You can breed it with a horse to get a mule, and you can put a chest on the mule to carry your excess items.

Is this a shitpost? Some new copypasta I haven't seen before?

They are not an animal you should get based on whimsey, they are animals that take a lot of effort and time to take care of, even if compared to some other farm animals they're considered lower maintenance.

Donkeys are working animals, but I don't know what you mean by farm labour exactly, unless you're referring to draft work? They were primarily pack animals and transportation animals but were also used for draft work too. They usually helped people carry their stuff when travelling because they're actually quite strong, often stronger than horses of comparable size, and they're lower maintenance and less expensive than horses. Even today they're still regularly used for that purpose in countries with less industrial development. They were also often used for pulling plows or milling if that's what you mean by farm labour in particular, but I'm not sure why someone would say that's a myth. You can find plenty of pictures and videos of donkeys doing stuff like pulling plows on google, and the history of their use in this area is pretty well documented.

But even in countries where they aren't used as pack animals donkeys usually still have a job of some sort, often as a comfort companion animal for other species like horses (they're less high strung than horses and have a calming effect on horses that take behavioural queues from herd mates for example) or guardian of a herd of other livestock like sheep or goats. They aren't made to stand around doing nothing in a pen all day. And no, you absolutely shouldn't just leave one alone for 3 days, they're highly social animals who need companionship to be happy. They can get lonely and bored easily, and will not enjoy being alone for long periods of time. They do best with a herd to socialize with or at least another donkey (with some caveats in regards to ungelded donkeys). Companionship is very important for their mental well-being, and no, you will not be enough on your own, especially if you plan on taking 3 day fishing or shopping trips. Donkeys often form pairs and bonds with other animals in their herd and being without their companion or companions is stressful for them.

And they may be easier to care for than horses, but that doesn't mean they're maintenance free, or expense free. They are high maintenance and expensive animals to keep, just like any larger animal. Their hooves need to be clipped regularly, they need constant shelter available since they have less protection from the elements due to the fact that they were bred for arid environments. They need proper access to grass hay for grazing but not enough to cause founder and obesity since they're prone to over-eating if food is available in too much abundance. They need a certain amount of grazing hours per day, and constant water available. And those are just the very basics, not even including stuff like vet costs and vaccinations and grooming. I could go on for much longer on this topic, but this comment is already getting long so I'll just say there's a lot involved in their upkeep.

Donkeys are also not easy to train like horses tend to be, and they can exhibit a lot of stubbornness. There's a reason they aren't exactly known for their obedience. They also need a lot of enrichment via toys and activities because they're intelligent animals who require regular mental stimulation.

I wouldn't consider donkeys to have almost human lifespans. They live to about 30-35 years on average, which is a larger lifespan than some pet species, but isn't comparable to humans. The only animals with comparable lifespans that aren't obscenely high maintenance are like, tortoises. Anything else is more akin to raising a human child except they stay a toddler forever (macaws for example), or just ridiculously expensive to keep (like certain species of fish).

If you want a lower maintenance companion animal with lots of personality then tbh just getting a regular dog or cat would probably fit your intended lifestyle more. You can even leash train them and bring them on your trips if you want. Or if you want a longer living animal, then get a tortoise or something, they can have plenty of personality if you learn how to read their behaviour. In all honesty I don't think a donkey is a good match for you or your intended lifestyle. Only people who have significant experience working on farms and with farm animals should ever consider getting something like a donkey. They aren't a beginner animal by any stretch of the imagination.

i don’t have experience with donkeys, however I grew up on a farm with mostly cattle, but we also had pigs, sheep, horses, chickens, etc on occasion. I wouldn’t recommend leaving any farm animal on its own if it can be avoided. Especially if you’re going to be gone for days on end. Get 2 donkeys if you can, or another animal companion for it, and make sure there is someone who can check in once or twice a day when you’re gone

There are so many factors to consider and questions you have to answer for yourself.

You cannot have just one donkey. They're herd animals and need companions. Other animals like a goat or cow might be good enough companionship but I would never suggest that. You will find stories about donkeys living alone happily but they're a rare exception to the rule. I would question if the people claiming such have a good understanding is equid behavior.

Donkeys don't need a ton of food but they do need it constantly. A few acres of land with edible plants is more than enough for a donkey to eat. It's harder to keep a donkey thin and healthy than fat. However that depends on where you live. Will you have year round edible plants or will you need to buy hay in the winter? What is the price of hay in your local area and where would you buy and store it?

Donkeys need to have their feet cared for regularly. It's entirely possible to learn how to do that yourself but what is the availability if it's something you can't handle? This depends very much on your local area.

Medical care is a very complicated issue. There are regular vaccines and care that every equid needs. Those aren't very expensive and usually easy to access. Emergency care depends on your local area. If you are very remote then emergency care is whatever you can do personally. Getting outside care will be very expensive and a long wait. You have to consider what level of medical care you are able to provide and decide if that is acceptable to you.

As the donkeys get older their care will become more complicated and expensive. What level of care are you comfortable and capable of providing? How will you deal with serious issues that arise?

Living a rugged individualist lifestyle in a remote place is a totally viable strategy for some people. Donkeys do very well in rugged remote places. Millions of people around the world depend on donkeys to survive.

It sounds like you are looking for a pet and not working livestock though. That means you have to decide if the lifestyle you can provide a donkey is acceptable to you or not. What happens when something expensive comes up and you simply can't afford it? What happens if your circumstances change suddenly? What are you capable and willing to do when there is a medical emergency and help is seven hours (or seven days depending on how remote you are) away?

If you have more specific questions I'm sure someone or myself can answer them.

Will you at least take the donkey on your trip to rescue Fiona? In my experience, donkeys make great traveling companions, and can be quite humorous!