Why Do I Need To Turn My Jack Into A John?

A Jack is a male donkey intact he can reproduce and thinks about this event over and over in his mind.  A John has been gelded surgically altered, turned into a gelding in the horse world he is called a gelding, a male equine that has no interest in reproduction events at all.   Working with Stallions (horses) and Jacks is no easy matter and should never be taken lightly by a novice donkey owner especially when Jennies (female) donkeys are nearby and in heat.

Why Should I Geld My Jack?

Geldings make excellent pets and can live comfortably with another gelding with no violent issues of fighting, geldings are clownish in behavior. Traits of a couple of happy geldings can be seen in the pasture, playing tug with a jolly ball, rubber grain bowl, grooming, biting the neck, playing leap frog (no sexual actions) just play, tag, eating, drinking and sleeping together. Jacks can be sweet for months and then in one second become violent as they have testosterone they are the king of their world. If you decide to put a gelding in with a jenny (female) the gelding can penetrate and violently grab her neck when the jenny is in estrus.  Females should live with females and geldings with geldings in accordance to size being fair and diet. A jack will breed its mother, sister and any family female donkey available at very young age making deformed babies and in many cases death, deformed limbs and health issues in the immune system. Jacks should become geldings unless you are a professional breeder registering your donkeys and proving the family heritage. Read Long Ears Journal. 

Leaving a donkey as a jack (stallion horse world) should be left to the professional breeders.  Very few donkeys have perfect health, limbs, conformation and personality to become registered breeders. Making sure that the gene poll of a large amount of jacks and jennies to avoid in-line breeding is not only responsible it commands the respect and money of buying a registered donkey. Before you make the decision to become a professional breeder I highly suggest doing your homework. Register donkeys with the American Donkey Association. Last reason jacks are very difficult to re-home if you decide you do not want this donkey anymore. 

What Age Should My Baby Donkey or Horse Be Gelded?

Six or seven months or when the donkey testicles drops is usually the best age, please work with your vet for each individual plan. Read my blog Five Questions To Ask Your Vet Before Drugs and Gelding.  Make sure your vet understands donkeys testicles must be tied off to prevent bleeding to death and the drug interaction weight of the donkey. Avoid gelding when the weather is too hot or too cold. Can I geld an older donkey safely? Yes if your vet has experience gelding donkeys. The best pain medication for a donkey is banamine not bute.   Again, I am not a Vet and I share information as I have experienced over the last seventeen years helping you make the best informative decisions.

Please do not worry about gelding your donkey. This is an easy procedure if the vet has experience and education. A donkey who is forced to live as a jack lives a life in isolation and has a difficult time finding a forever home.

GOD bless you and your family two and four-legged!

Melody Johnson

Donkey Whisperer Farm ®

11 thoughts on “Why Do I Need To Turn My Jack Into A John?”

  1. Dear Melody,

    Thank you so much for posting this! Ligation (tying off ) of the blood vessels when gelding a donkey is vital! With love and respect, I tell you, I learned this the hard way with your beloved Rio. We waited until he was 8 months to geld him; he was a sensitive, quiet and deeply intelligent boy who we felt needed extra time with his mom. When he was gelded, we did not request ligation. Rio almost bled to death! Due to great intuition and support from the ranch owners, we rushed him immeditately to the vet clinic where the vet who gelded him saved his life ( the vet had never gelded a Mammoth donkey). He then recommended Rio stay in a specialty hospital in Everett, Washington for 24 hour watch. Rio is now the amazing, intelligent and sensitive donkey that is the inspiration behind Donkey Whisperer. Please, please have your vet tie off the blood vessels on any donkey being gelded! Thank you, Melody for this life-saving tip.

    Kelly
    Mas Ass Acres

    1. Hi Kelly,

      Thank you for taking the time to read my blog and commenting as your knowledge will help a owner ensure a donkey does not bleed to death. No reason to be afraid of gelding a donkey, just need to be sure the vet has the information needed to not make this mistake, better to be safe than sorry. Galopin will be getting gelded soon in France he is 1 year old so I thought it was best to add a post to help others. I am so happy you added your comment, you have been a wonderful mentor to me with the health and care of our gifts from GOD our donkey boys Rio and Rocket Man, we love them like family. We love you!
      Melody

  2. Love these pictures, Melody! Thank you for posting them! Donkeys seem charming and unique.

    You’re doing a good job getting information out – helping owners who want the best for their animals.

  4. I sure wish I would have read this post prior to last week. Had a yearling Mule gelded last Thursday and lost him this morning due to hemorrhage. He hadn’t even bleed at all the past week and I came home from work today and he had passed away in the pasture and had bleed out

    1. Hello Sheila,

      I am so very sorry tears for the mule and tears for you this is just horrible. I created the Donkey Whisperer Farm website, facebook, twitter and Blog to help spread information and awareness as well the donkey and mule just does not have as much information. I am so very sorry for your deep loss. I am praying for peace for you, tears this is just so sad. Where in the world do you live? We live in the Pacific Northwest, Washington. Donkeys and mules can have fatal occurances with sedation too this is a sad day. Sedation is tricky for donkeys and mules. Tears for the donkeys and mules as we have got to share more information to help them. I am praying for you!

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