We have had donkeys in our life since 2007. Select Donkey Whisperer Farm ®
First and most importantly, understanding the personality of our donkey is imperative to learning donkey communication and behavior traits. Rio, our Mammoth donkey, is an introvert. He has never let out a complete bray. Rio is fifteen years old. He has been in our life since he was nine months old. He came with Rocket Man, our Miniature Donkey, and our horse, Miss Lily.
Tuba, Oboe, Rocket Man, Maximus, and Roy are all extroverts. Miss Lily and Miss Trophy are extroverted mares on our horses. Donkeys bray to say hello when playing tag and grabbing the neck and to let us know something is wrong distress bray. Donkeys that bray always are not living healthy and happy lives; something is wrong. Learning how to give the donkey a balanced and fair life is essential. Another donkey of the same sex and size is always the best. Jacks should be gelded by a vet with experience with gelding donkeys and the digestion of drugs. Forcing a donkey to live alone in isolation is not only wrong, it is abuse as donkeys need to live with another donkey preferably and should never live in isolation day after day. Donkeys eat, sleep, play, grab the neck, play tug with an orange traffic cone, or jolly ball with another donkey. Donkeys become book ends with their pasture buddy. Donkeys bond for life with other donkeys and with their special human who cares for them. Never betray a donkey, as donkeys have excellent memories. Donkeys are truly special.
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Donkeys Braying Singing or Distress “Crying For Help”
When I first started reading about donkeys, people would say my donkey sings when talking about the donkey braying. Donkeys can sing and bray a distress bray. I respectfully disagree that braying is all the same as it is not. Just like dogs can sing along with their humans, dogs can bark when stressed, and so can donkeys. A high-pitched sound like the violin can make a donkey bray, similar to a dog that barks along when we encourage them with high notes. The donkey has fantastic hearing. When the donkey hears another donkey braying with the distress bray, they understand the distress sound as if it were their language.
Five sounds a donkey can Make:
Bray, Sing, Grunts, Growl, Woofs, Snorts. Read our blog post.
Please don’t think a donkey that always brays is normal behavior. Something needs to be corrected to keep the donkey relaxed and calm.
Like a dog that keeps barking in the neighborhood, it is not normal for a dog to keep barking and barking frantically. Most dogs bark when something stresses them out, they are tied and distressed, they hear something or like mine when I come home to greet me. Some animals are more vocal than other animals just like people have personalities I believe animals have personalities! Some animals are more vocal and extroverted, and some are more introverted and quiet.
When I step out into the barn, all the extroverts say good morning, then stop; it is brief and very inviting. We have one introverted donkey out of six on the farm. Mr. Rio, our Mammoth donkey. Rio stands back and waits patiently at the door for his morning kiss. Some mornings, he kicks the door. Introverted donkeys communicate differently than extroverted donkeys. I clean the gunk out of all the donkey’s eyes and scan for any sores as donkeys play rough.
Listen to Rocket Man, our miniature Donkey Sing. Please subscribe to our YouTube channel at Donkeywhisperer.
Video of donkeys Morning Bray Farm listening to a donkey braying sounds like distress to me, and several of the donkeys act stressed and bray stressed.
Please remember that if your donkey is constantly braying the distress bray, something is wrong; learning the difference between a normal bray and a distress bray is essential.
“Bringing Your Donkey Home” Free Educational Video
GOD bless you and your family, two and four-legged!
Melody Johnson, Trainer/Owner
Donkey Whisperer Farm ®
