They make great pets, and a little bit of money too.
Easy foaling, hardy, heat tolerant.
Low vet bills.
Many of the babies are sold before they are born.
Does this breed sound to good to be true? In this time of higher feed prices, if you are looking for an easy-keeping animal that’s also a lot of fun, make a trip to the country, to Braying Hills.
It’s probably a good thing all 76 of the donkeys are not all in the same place at the same time. Other than perhaps a squealing pig, a braying donkey, especially a Jack or male, letting another Jack know in no uncertain terms that the Jennies (or Jennets – the females) are his and his alone, a donkey can make an unbelievable noise – even one as small as these miniatures.
For Max and Dee Keithley, the sound of donkeys just means fun. And that’s what got them started with Miniature Donkeys about ten years ago.
Max recalls, “We were driving around one day when we were dating. I saw this little donkey. When we got to her house I said ‘I’d really like to have one of those.’ Then on my birthday she shows up with one in the backseat of a Toyota pick-up. We still have that donkey; one of the oldest on the place.” Miniature Donkeys may live up to 35 years with an average life-span into their 20s.
Braying Hills is 89 acres and holds 76 Miniature Donkeys.
Dee is quick to point out though that miniature is not an accurate term. These donkeys were indigenous to their ancestral homes in the Mediterranean. Most were brought to the U.S. in the 1940s and according to Dee, the famous Busch family in St. Louis, were one of the first breeders in the country.
Unlike a miniature horse, Miniature Donkeys have never been bred down in size. The average height for a Jennie is 34 inches. They are part of the equine family and have long ears. Mature Jennies may get up to 400 pounds. “But they get fat easily,” notes Dee so they don’t feed much grain. “Strategy for the Jacks and oats with no molasses for the girls.” Brome hay in the winter and that pretty much sums up their diet.
The Keithleys went from being just donkey lovers to major breeders. In 2008 they held their first select sale. They handled almost everything and brought together more than 100 buyers from as far away as Canada and Vermont. They start in January lining up the consignors who brought more than 65 donkeys. With the help of one other couple and an auctioneer, the Keithleys pretty much handle it all.
They also manage the Missouri Miniature Donkey Breeders ASSociation with its more than 50 members.
The most common question people ask donkey breeders? “What do you do with them?” Dee quickly fills in the blanks. “You can drive them.” And the Keithleys do, having been at Springfield Cardinal’s games driving a small donkey-driven cart. The list goes on: plowing a garden, small children can ride them; there are shows and even jumping competitions.
These small donkeys are docile and do make good pets for someone with a small acreage. But Dee cautions that you should never have just one. They need companionship. They can be paired well with horses, goats, sheep, just about anything, “But don’t put them with a small dog. The donkey will try to kill it,” cautions Dee. They just don’t like small dogs.
Geldings go for about $500 at Braying Hills. Jacks with the conformation and bloodlines to be herd sires can go for much more. So can the Jennies. At the Keithley’s sale in June, the highest sale was $5,100 and the average about $2,400.
The Keithleys bought two new Jacks this year to improve their herd. They’d like to reach the point where most babies are sold before they hit the ground. Max notes, “We’ve learned that breeding a better class of donkey – you get more return but it takes the same amount of feed. We are buying better-bred, more expensive animals and we are able to sell a better-bred more expensive animal. It takes the same amount of work to raise a cheaper donkey as it does a more expensive one.” “So which one would you choose?” as Dee chimes in to finish his thought.
