For those who have been reading my blog for quite some time, you probably don’t remember me ever mentioning donkeys as part of our homesteading plan.  There is a good reason for that.

Donkeys were never a part of our homesteading plan.

But several weeks ago, I learned something about donkeys that I didn’t know.  Donkeys can be used a livestock guard animals.

Guard animals?!!!  Yes!!!  And they are especially good guard animals for sheep, goats and cattle.

I had absolutely no clue that donkeys were used as guard animals, yet it appears they will protect farm animals from coyote, wild dogs, fox, and bobcats.  They rely on sight and sound to detect intruders and will run after them and use their loud bray to run them off.  If the intruder doesn’t back down, the donkey will rear up on its hind legs and strike with both front feet.  A solid single blow from a donkey can severely injure or kill a predator.  Wow!!!

Not all donkeys are created equal, which means that not all donkeys are good at guarding.  For those who want more information on using donkeys as livestock guard animals, you can find some good information at Hobby Farms.com.

I still have no plans for a donkey on our little homestead, but it’s nice to have this information in my back pocket.