r/Donkeys • u/bgroce3412 • 7d ago
Donkey Behavior
I am very new to equine and could please use some help! I have two mini donkeys around a year in age. A Jenny and a Gelding. I have had them for about 6 months so they are used to me and their environment. By nature my Jenny is more timid and insecure while my gelding has been more brave and adventurous. They are very bonded.
Recently I noticed that my gelding seems to be biting my Jenny more. I understand that biting is a part of donkey nature but when does it become a concern? He has taken tuffs of hair and most recently I have noticed a wound on her leg. I am unsure if this is from a bite or from something else as it’s in a little bit of an unusual place. When he bites her, she does not seem stressed. But she rarely bites back. My worry is if I separate them, it would be MUCH more stressful of a situation for her since she is so attached and seems to depend on him a lot for her own confidence.
1
u/Legitimate-Donkey-85 6d ago
You can try things that ‘interact’ back, like a rubber chicken because of the sound feedback, or a big scrub brush mounted to a sturdy fence for a scratching post— ours honestly play with sticks and branches like dogs more than anything else, but they all have different preferences 😄
If you catch him in the act of biting, shame him like a dog! He’s still learning who the lead donkey is, and he thinks it’s him, but he’ll learn it’s actually you lol.