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DONKEYS

Just thought I would add a page of my hobby of donkeys for any of you interested with links to the Donkey Society NZ.

I have had donkeys for 7 years and they have never failed to please me with their loyalty, honesty and being true to their reputation. If you know nothing of donkeys they are much like a cat in allowing you to share their space and I get a shiver when they bray it is the most amazing sound.

The original donkeys I bought I named Donquixote and Classic and their offspring to date have been named Sassy Anastassia (Anass for short) and Precious(ass)

Their parents died of ragwort poisoning within nine days of each other in 2001which is what I wish to educate about, what a horrible way to die of liver damage, when it happened I wrote a long POEM which is available if you choose to read it, it broke my heart.

I have 5 donkeys at present three males are for sale. Pictures

Their names are Joey (he is the father of these other two) and already had a name else he would have ass in his.

My Jacks are Jassper and Assassin both are gray. Joey and Assassin are Jerusalem sometimes called Nubian donkey's with a cross over the shoulders and down the back and they have been well handled from birth but they sure can give you a kick if you don't respect them. I am running out of suitable names and as I inherited Joey from a bad owner I hadn't intended to keep breeding after my pair died. So I would like to go back to just having females (Jennys).

Donkeys are very sociable and become part of the family easily, relatively low maintenance except for their feet needing trimming regularly, bull farming is not kind on the donkey although they are as dominant as is their reputation, they are also stubborn and have a low centre of gravity so are hard to pull along if they do not wish to travel. When they are born they are all legs and ears and become quite fluffy.

There are many donkeys that do not have good lives and in New Zealand we have a very good donkey sanctuary in Auckland if you want to adopt one and the Donkey Society NZ. does a lot of good work also.

It has always amazed me how many donkeys are in our literature with Ee-yore in Winnie the Pooh, Pinocchio turning in to one and lets not forget the Bible which is where the cross is thought to have come in as Christ went to the cross and of course they are popular transport in many places around the world.

My donkeys don't like eating clover. I don't know if that is the same with everyone.

Of course donkeys years, stubborn as a donkey etc are all common terms and they can live for a very long time, I know of people who have made provision in their wills for them if they out live them so it can be a lifelong friendship.

I have heard that they are more intelligent than horses, as you could more easily talk a horse into doing something that might kill it than you could a donkey.

A piece of trivia although I am not sure of it's accuracy is that more people are killed by donkeys annually than die in Aeroplanes. Email me with what you think. rachael@asgoodasgold.co.nz