In a message dated 3/6/2005 12:08:34 AM Central Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: Cecil, I have a guard donkey, also, and she has never been anywhere near the birthing ewes. In fact, she's never near the sheep in general unless there's a threat. Might your area just have been too small so they were forced to be close together? It's too bad you didn't get rid of just one donkey. Rick
I was having some trouble with this ewe since she had diarrhea, and I was not aware she was that close to having lambs. I usually put my birth ready ewes in the birthing pens. However only a week ago, I had 3 sets of twins born in one night in the large pen that the ewes and donkeys stay in at night. This was the same area that I found the stomped lambs. I have observed both donkeys standing over a ewe that was just cleaning up a newborn and assumed that they were protecting her. The newborn was really making a lot of noise and it was nightime. However I have observed either one or both donkeys running the lambs and ewes. I have also had 3 instances in the last 6 months of dogs chasing the entire flock while the donkeys stood by... I understand now that there is a lot of training that goes into having one for a gaurd donkey. I did not have the time or resources for that. After this experience with donkeys, I will not have another one. I bought the donkey at a local sale and the "auctioneer" said she had been with sheep and goats. A month later she had a ginny foal. She was never really gentle, very skittish and would really go nuts whenever an engine was running. I did not try to make a pet out of her, but I fed her with the sheep and tried to "make friends". She snorted whenever anything new was in the area, and I thought she was "standing gaurd". I got the donkey for protection due to the dogs running in this area. I was trying not to have to shoot the dogs chasing the sheep, but let them have a "natural" fate when chasing sheep.. 2 weeks ago I had 6 dogs come thru here chasing the flock. None of the dogs were less than 100#!!! The donkeys were watching..... My horses came toward this problem as they were in another pasture... As I may have said before, I never had a dog or coyote problem when my horses were with the sheep. My 20 year old gelding is a registered Morgan that is 16 hands tall and weighs about 1600 lbs. He has had 2 day old lambs running at his feet and never been a problem. My 31 year old Morgan mare is his mother.... They are truly gentle horses. I trust them. Dogs and coyotes seem to give them a wide berth. Maybe it is due to their size. Just my experience, but after finding 2 lambs broken up and definite hoof prints in the carcass, they are gone from here. =============================================== This message is from the Blackbelly Sheep mailing list (http://www.awrittenword.com/listserv/index.html). To respond to this message, send e-mail to [email protected] To unsubscribe or change your membership options, go to http://lists.coyotenet.net/mailman/listinfo/blackbelly To search the archives, go to http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/
