We are excited to share our Instagram GIVEAWAY https://www.instagram.com/donkeywhispererfarm/ a donation of four adjustable premium donkey halters with matching lead lines to Oscar’s Place.Please take a look at Oscar’s Place to see all the great work they are doing to save the donkeys.
Freezing Weather With A Horrific Wind Chill Is An Emergency For Most Farm Animals.
“A blanket is like a fire extinguisher, we are prepared before the emergency hits” Melody Johnson. Some equine (donkeys, horses and mules) need a blanket until the freezing temps leave. Shivering, shaking and blowing diarrhea means they need a blanket. As hypothermia begins to set in, the core body temperature begins to drop.
Basic Care Needed:
Provide a slow feeder with hay, clean warm water and free lose salt. If you do not have an electric bucket to plug in bring your equine warm clean water within two hours of each meal.
Shut the door in the shelter if you have high winds with below 0 freezing temperatures. Frost bite can be prevented. Ordering a blanket at the last minute is almost impossible due to shipping and roads etc., plan ahead. Frostbite is also more common in donkeys and mules that have longer ears.
Providing shelter from wind and moisture is the single most important thing you can do.
Watch the footing for ice. Ice accidents can become a serious medical emergency.
Where Can I Find A Blanket for my donkey?
The Donkey Whisperer Farm ® is a dealer for Kensington we can sell any thing they sell using their MAP price always lower than the MSRP. Order Miniature donkey blankets, standard, burro, baby donkeys or Mammoth directly from me. I will help you find the best fitting blanket and weight for the cold with a life time warranty from Kensington. Send me an e-mail at Melody@donkeywhisperer.com asking for support. We have had donkeys in our life since 2007, if you need consulting sign up under Donkey Trainer for anything you need help with.
Mario and Luca came to live with us on the Donkey Whisperer Farm ® two and half weeks after Tuba died. Tuba was bonded to Oboe both standard donkeys. Oboe has been in heavy mourning since loosing his buddy Tuba. Please note; if your donkeys companion dies you must get another donkey same sex and size as quickly as possible as donkeys can go into a deep depression and stop eating and drinking causing death from grief. Read Goodbye To Tuba.
Oboe and Tuba
Mario (4) and Luca (10) began their life as wild donkeys living in Fort Irwin, CA. Peaceful Valley Donkey Rescue(PVDR) humanely captured them, no helicopters, did health checks, shots, worming, gelding, and made sure they were tamed and haltered plus pick up their hooves before sending them to the adoption center. If you are looking to adopt two donkeys I highly recommend PVDR. Donkeys train humans quickly to do exactly what they want to do. If you are thinking about adopting donkeys please get into my program Donkey 101 & 102 video on demandas I teach you how to use words, timing and powerful exercises building a powerful relationship for life with your donkeys. If you do not learn how to become a fair leader for your donkeys they will become the leader of you quickly. Donkeys can act like they know how to absolutely nothing with a human who is inexperienced with donkeys.
burro rescue
MARIO mario lucaluca
We drove to Peaceful Valley Donkey Rescue, Riverside, WA to pick these boys up from Sequim, WA encountered snow and ice it was a road trip to say the least. God is amazing we had favor going over to get them and bringing them home. Thank you Jesus! Did you know donkeys ride lose in the trailer? Yes as donkeys will brace their butt up against the trailer and ride without being tied. These boys spent one week in our miniature donkey barn, paddock and track on the other side of Oboe and our three miniature donkeys. I wanted to be sure we built a connection before moving them into the larger paddock with Oboe and on our large donkey track to run and play. Additionally I began the first exercise in Donkey 101 and they did outstanding. I am happy to report these boys are bonding with me quickly showing no signs of abuse from humans and are now living with Tuba and spending their entire day with Tuba and the miniature donkeys on the large track. Our farrier was scheduled to come to the farm the following week these boys arrived, their hooves needed to be trimmed so we got it done. I can tell you first hand that donkeys need to trust both their owner and the farrier. Mario did the typical donkey freeze for the hoof trims and Luca put up a fight. I ended up having to tie him to do his hooves as they had to be done. I continue to work with both boys in my E-Training Donkey 101 & 102 (pick up the feet) to prepare for the next farrier visit in just five more weeks.
The farm is beginning to feel normal again as we have six donkeys and two horses. We continue to grieve for Rio our Mammoth donkey and Tuba each and every day they are no doubt in heaven together as God brought them home. We know we will see them again. Peace and harmony is slowly coming back to our farm.
Donkeys heading out
Donkey Training 101 & 102 Video On Demand, sold with lifetime access and my E-book to print out.
I will be adding Mario and Luca into my E-Training program Donkey 101 & 102 video on demand, trailer loading and sharing how I teach them words, whoa, walk-on, over, foot, back-up and the ground tie whoa. I will be adding them into mylink line walk two donkeys using one lead line.
Hey did you know that there are miniature trailers made to fit right in your truck bed? Yes. These have pull-out ramps for the minis to load and unload with a sturdy ramp. The nice part is if you custom build you can add on most anything you want. Read Miniature Horse Talk Blog for more details.
Now, here’s a look at some pretty ingenious miniature horse trailers that look just like camper shells. The outfit is calledMiniature Horse Trailers By Bob.
Why is it important to have your donkeys teeth checked by a vet once a year?
The role of routine dental care is to improve chewing, relieve pain, to treat and cure infection and to promote the general health, productivity and longevity of the donkey, horse or mule. It is important to remember that dentistry includes not only the teeth and mouth but the sinuses, bones of the jaw and the temporomandibular joint.
Facts:
1. Domesticated donkeys can develop high points on their teeth pushing on the gums making them sore and difficult to chew. Eating hay that is not chewed causes colic and can contribute directly to death in donkeys, mules and horses.
2. The gums can become inflamed and need a vet to do oral surgery. Most of the time these donkeys need to go to a hay mash and can no longer eat hay.
3. Sinus health issues are addressed by annual vet exam of the mouth.
If we do not do regular dental care we risk loosing our donkeys early in life. Eating hay that is not chewed properly will cause colic. Senior donkeys can be moved to a hay mash with restrictions to eating hay or straw 100%, these donkeys can graze on fresh grass for limited amounts of time to avoid obesity.
Please find a veterinarian that has experience with donkeys as donkeys digest drugs differently than a horse. Most vet’s in the U.S.A. give a mild sedative before opening the mouth, as it is safer for the donkey and the human.
Thank you for investing in your donkeys.
donkey dentist
GOD bless you and your family two and four-legged!
• Provide shade with fans located up high in the shelter.
• Lose salt and clean cool water (change out the water several times a day) to prevent heat stress colic.
• Use the Hay Pillow to slow down hay consumption.
• Never work any equine in extreme heat. Avoid surgeries or sedation during extreme heat.
Clip a donkey, horse or mule if medically needed.
Signs of heat stress in a donkey, horse or mule:
• Lethargic
Hot skin to the touch
• Rapid breathing with flared nostrils
• Laying down wont get up
• “Glassy” eyes
• Staggering or weak gait
• High core body temperature. The rectal temperature is the last to increase so internal temperatures of the muscles will be even higher.
For more mild cases:
Call the vet
• Bathe the donkey, horse or mule in cool water and repeat as necessary. Allow to air dry. Do not scrape keep in shade under the fan.
*Check the body temperature using a rectal thermometer.
•For more severe cases:
Call the vet.
• Hose the donkey, mule or horse using cold water for at least 5 minutes. If using a bucket, apply cold water every minute (a person on each side) for at least 5 minutes. After this time the rectal temperature should be near normal but check to make sure. Allow to air dry do not scrape. Put back into a shaded space.
Veterinarian may need to sedate add intravenous fluids to save a life.
For both situations:
• Once your equine is acting more comfortable can walk again, move to a shaded area.
Check the body temperature using a rectal thermometer.
• Give cool clean water. Equine that refuse to drink may require intravenous fluid therapy. Discuss with your veterinarian.
• Bathing may need to be repeated as core temperatures can sometimes increase again as heat stored in muscle is released.
• Monitor your donkey, mule or horse carefully do not leave their side until the vet says you can to ensure they are eating and drinking normally, look for normal urine and manure in both appearance and amount during the next 24 hours. Please talk to your vet for guidance as heat colic can be a life threatening issue for all equine.
Plan ahead to keep pets safe; owning pets is a huge responsibility and for those of us who have equine (donkeys, horses, and mules) living in rural areas, we must be extra careful. The equine is a flight or fight animal when terrified of death. Meaning; they can get scared when the fireworks start, and the smell is in the air. Some horses have been known to run into fences. Locking them in their stalls is the safest when neighbors are shooting off fireworks I turn the radio up and give lots of hay and fresh water. Donkeys have died from fear, yes fear. Colic is a life-threatening matter. Donkeys are stoic will not show pain until it is too late. Do your best to stay calm and keep your donkeys, mules, and horses locked up safe in their stall until the fireworks are over. Long-distance fireworks are not that big of a deal, fireworks right over the farm or barn can kill your equine.
Want to read more tips on pet safety and fireworks? Select Blue Cross Pets Fireworksfor more details.
Dogs and cats can get so scared of fireworks they can run off and not be able to find their way home best to keep them locked in the house too. Our doggies get very stressed, turning the radio up helps, some people tranquillize their dogs until the fireworks are over. I say do whatever you have to do to keep your pets safe as they don’t understand fireworks. Please remember animals do not understand fireworks “they are truly scared and think they will die.” It’s our job as the smart human to protect them and take care of them.
What do you do to keep your pet(s) safe during the fireworks? Please leave a comment to help others.
Donkeys evolved from the desert their gift is to survive on low sugar, low protein forage:
Equus asinus (Donkey) evolved in the desert regions of our world. Donkeys have been been given the gift to survive in the desert, a part of our world where very few other creatures can survive. Donkeys can survive and thrive on very low sugar, and protein diet. The donkey has one of the most efficient digestive systems seriously better than the horse helping the donkey metabolize low nutritional value shrubs and trees, grasses for survival. Donkeys digest foods much slower than the horse and this gift helps the donkey to absorb more nutrients from lower-quality forage. Drugs in donkeys are not the same as with a horse. Most vets must learn the hard way about giving far fewer drugs to a donkey as their bodies absorb drugs differently from the horse per weight and size.
Please remember donkeys are healthiest emotionally and physically when getting to live with another donkey. Never make a donkey live without another donkey in isolation. Can a horse work out? It depends, most donkeys prefer another donkey over a horse but will take any animal in lieu of being forced to live in isolation. If you decide to place your donkeys into a pasture environment with cows, horses, sheep, lama, etc. you will have to watch the diet of your donkeys as they cant eat foods the other animals eat without becoming obese. Obesity in donkeys is a life-threatening health concern as laminitis, hoof abscesses, insulin resistance, fat in the blood, and kidney failure are all due to a rich diet. Additionally, donkeys grab the neck in play with their pasture donkey buddy, and in battle, they can kill another small animal quickly.
How Do I Keep My Donkeys Happy and Healthy?
Tested low sugar/protein hay with portion control. Test hay atEquine Analytical Lab before purchasing enough hay for the year. Do not feed free-choice hay twenty-four hours a day or your donkey will become obese. No grain, oats, grazing full-time, eating brush as even brush can be high in sugar in the Pacific Northwest. Create a hot wire track (dry) but safe for exercise and enjoyment.
Geld jacks as jacks (stallions) are never a safe option for the farm. Only experienced donkey breeders should be keeping a jack.
Provide excellent fences, gates, and locks. Donkeys are one of the most intelligent animals on the planet they are capable of opening gates and doors that are not secure.
Shelter, donkeys need to get out of the rain, snow, and sun.
Clean Water and warm clean water in the winter.
Salt with minerals, add selenium if your hay does not have it, and remove if hay has selenium.
Vet care is needed for a donkey; spring shots, fecal samples (spring and fall) health checkups, and dental exams once a year.
Farrier visits schedule every six weeks in the spring and summer and seven in the fall and winter to trim and balance the hooves preventing white line disorder, seedy toe, and more.
Check for lice and rain rot in the winter months and spring.
Watch my free youtube video Bringing Your Donkey Home
GOD bless you and your family two and four-legged!
September in the Pacific Northwest is truly a beautiful time of the year. Hubby Scott has taken care of all of our hay equipment and placed each piece of machinery in its correct place for the fall and winter.
Blankets are ready for another winter, hopefully we will not need to use them.
My garden is winding down and getting ready for a much needed winter rest.
GOD bless you and your family two and four-legged! Melody Johnson, Trainer/Owner
Donkeys are truly emotional beings they truly love their families deeply two and four-legged.
As donkeys become senior citizens their teeth and gums start having some serious issues. The tooth starts turning round not pointy, gums start getting inflamed and the tooth starts pushing out. When the tooth starts wiggling and coming out it does not fall out on its own. The vet needs to extract the tooth and all the roots.
What happens if we do not make mash and keep feeding dry hay? The donkey can choke on the hay, colic and die. As you can see it is vital we have yearly veterinarian do the teeth and provide fecal samples, shots and health checks. Provide our donkeys with a hay pellet mash and feed twice a day. Donkeys can live up to fifty years in domestication. It is vital we learn how to care for our senior donkeys to have the best life possible.
Make sure and choose hay pellets low in sugar, fat and protein. After researching extensively I am using Standlee Orchard Hay Pellets as they are below 10% in sugar and protein and low in fat. Make sure to soak the hay pellets for at least ten minutes before feeding.
Thank you for investing in your donkeys!
GOD bless you and your family two and four-legged!
Did you know donkeys need to see an equine dentist at least once a year? Yes, it’s true! If we provide dental care once a year we are ahead of serious health issues. Please remember to use an equine dentist who has experience with donkeys. As the donkey ages, the teeth start rounding and erupting out and need to be extracted. The equine vet can prevent colic and choke for your donkey.
Please remember donkeys digest drugs differently from a horse. Please be sure and ask lots of questions before giving your donkey drugs.
GOD bless you and your family two and four-legged!
Melody, I have two BLM donkeys that live on five acres and have not been handled. These donkeys are seriously strong and can kick and spin. I get their feet done once a year as it is stressful. Please understand these donkeys do not like to put the halter on and I think were hurt or abused by people. The last time I had their feet done I had the vet sedate them and well now my farrier says he is afraid of them. Even with drugs, they were a bit dangerous. Here is my question, does your training work on donkeys like this? I need to get their feet done more often and no drugs. How long will it take to train these donkeys to pick up the foot and come to me when I call them?Will you train these donkeys for me? Jennifer, Gig Harbor, WA.
Hi Jennifer, Donkeys are intelligent they train humans quickly to do exactly what the donkey wants to do and nothing more. This is why I do what I do, train humans to learn how to tame and train donkeys and stay safe.If I tame and train your donkeys they will follow me as a fair leader and go home to you and act the same way they did before they came to me. The person who cares for the donkeys and feeds the donkeys needs to learn how to tame and train, be a fair leader. You can do this!
An adult burro-size donkey is seriously strong and agile. Donkeys who have peripheral vision can see behind them without turning their heads. Donkeys can kick with accuracy and strength. Your safety is number 1.
Please remember after taking Donkey 101 & 102 if you need personal coaching and consulting I am here to support you. Order donkey training and donkey halters, lead lines, and more in our store.
GOD bless you and your family two and four-legged!
Learn how to train your donkeys to load in the trailer, ride in the trailer and stay safe. Learn how to load multiple donkeys and unload. Learn how to purchase the right trailer and how to have a safety plan in place. Donkey Trailer loading includes twelve teaching videos with over one hour of the training content by trainer Melody Johnson and a 10-page E-book (pdf) outlining key points to trailer loading.
Description
Donkey Trailer Loading Training Video On Demand:
Melody Johnson, introduction walking three miniature donkeys to the trailer.
Preparing the trailer for the donkeys.
Tying miniature donkeys to the outside of the trailer.
Loading three miniature donkeys.
Miniature donkeys lose in the trailer.
Unloading three miniature donkeys.
Providing miniature donkeys balance and consistency.
Tying two standard and a mammoth donkey to the outside of the trailer.
Loading a mammoth and standard donkey.
Mammoth and standard donkey lose in the trailer.
Unloading standard and mammoth donkey.
Providing big donkeys balance and consistency.
How to load the difficult donkey.
Video cameras inside the trailer.
Walking the donkeys back to the barn.
GOD bless you and your family two and four-legged!
Donkey Whisperer Farm ® Gift Card. Looking for a special gift for the donkey lover in your life? Give the Donkey Whisperer Farm ® store E-gift card. The person you designate will receive an email with a link to go directly to the Donkey Whisperer Farm ® Store to redeem their Gift Certificate.
How does the gift card link work? When the gift card link is used in our store the funds are automatically deducted to purchase anything from our store. You can choose to send the e-gift card on any date you specify, simply choose the date ahead of time. You will receive an e-mail alert when the E-Gift Card has been used.
What’s in our store?
Donkey Training Video On Demand or a private lesson with Melody Johnson. Yes, I train the owner or caretaker worldwide. We can skype and meet in person without traveling. It’s a wonderful gift.
God bless you and your family two and four-legged!
GOD bless you and your family two and four-legged!
At Carrick Hill Farm in Onarga, Iroquois County, a 27-year-old donkey named Molly gave birth to twins — a boy and girl — named Biden and Harris, respectively, to honor the iconic day on which they were born.
While farm owner Mike Willis is used to welcoming twins from his black angus cattle — the farm’s primary function — twin donkeys is something that is not seen very often.
Build A Donkey, Horse, Mule, or Pony Halter With Matching Lead Line, Brass Screw-On Snap, Black Leather End. Colors; black, forest green, coral pink, neon orange, neon green, blue, purple, red, turquoise, burgundy, brown, white, gray, and black with blue dots. Choose two or four knots on the nose.
GOD bless you and your family two and four-legged!
Donkeys have been the beast of a burden far too long. “Please when you see any form of neglect or abuse of donkeys speak up. Please become the voice for the donkey. Never fight with people educate and do what you can to help the donkey. Please never ever tie a donkey to another animal to train.” Melody Johnson, Donkey Whisperer Farm ®.
Donkeys deserve only the best in life!
Melody, Good morning!
We are looking into purchasing a necking donkey for our ranch.
We breed, raise and show horses but, are getting to the age where we need help with those young foals that get weaned from mothers and need to learn to lead away from mother, respect, etc. and would like to develop a more gentle approach to getting results, not to mention our bodies are getting where handling the young is tough and we pay for it many days after. Do you know of anyone who specializes in training donkeys for that purpose? Tanya
Tanya, I do not sell donkeys. I do not agree with using a donkey to train a young horse. I personally would never do this to any donkey or the foal. Since you more than likely will do this to a donkey here is my advice; Use a surcingle on the donkey, not a halter on the head or a rope around the neck. I would never ever leave the donkey connected to a foal for longer than 1/2 an hour. I would never ever leave these two unattended.
Donkeys are not stubborn donkeys are intelligent. Depending on the donkey you get this may or may not work. Donkeys grab the neck of another donkey or another animal in play and in battle. Extroverted donkeys will not always stand still and freeze when scared they will fight back. Introverted donkeys will lay down and not get up when terrified or stressed. Sadly, one person says this works and everyone jumps on thinking it is less work for the breeder of horses.
Donkeys need their diet to be tested forage hay 10% or lower in sugar and protein. Donkeys need the farrier on a regular schedule, shots, and teeth just like a horse.
Hello, it’s nice to meet you. My name is Melody Johnson, Donkey Trainer, and a coach and teacher for humans who own and care for donkeys.I teach worldwide via Donkey 101 & 102 video on demand. Donkeys are a bit different from a horse as well the donkey is super intelligent so much that the donkey usually has the owner trained before the human has the donkey trained. If you have never been around a donkey let me share my favorite quote to help you understand,“Horses dream of being trained the way a donkey demands to be trained” Melody Johnson.If you would like to see what I do for a living come on over to the Donkey Whisperer Farm ® store.
2020 is the year of sitting down and re-thinking how to keep our families and business healthy. How to adapt to our new way of life. For most of us, the pandemic created a dramatic change or shift in thinking and behavior. Jesus brings peace.“Submit to God and be at peace with him; in this way, prosperity will come to you.” JOB 22:21 NIV
Are you a city person or a farm person?
Living on a farm seems to be a simpler way of life in so many ways living with covid our farm is truly a blessing. For us, the Covid was not much different than our normal life. You see, we have so much to do on the farm, each day the donkeys and horses and doggies need to be fed and cared for. Last spring my husband Scott planted the seed (hay) in the field during the beginning of the pandemic. While city folks were trying to find ways to adapt we were just living our natural way of life. The sad part was we could not have visitors on the farm, we look forward to having our most fragile world return to normal.
If you are having a hard time finding anything positive in 2020 let’s think outside the box. It’s easy to get caught up in what’s wrong in our lives and miss what’s positive or going well. If you have lost a loved one in 2020, I am deeply sorry for your pain I pray GOD gives you peace. I truly understand suffering and pain and my heart breaks for your pain. Please know this too shall pass. Jesus will bring peace “Start each day in prayer, meditating on the good things in your life.” Thank Jesus for something good in your life every day, God loves all of his children deeply.
God bless you and your family two and four-legged!
Melody & Scott Johnson
GOD bless you and your family two and four-legged!
Melody Johnson, Trainer/Owner
Donkey Whisperer Farm ®
GOD bless you and your family two and four-legged!
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