Donkey Effectiveness and Limitations

toward me. So, it's all about low stress animal handling, but it's also about Tammy doing her job. Since I've gotten Tammy, I have not lost a calf to a predator. I've never lost a calf to a predator. I have lost calves to two different things. We had a bumper crop of acorns a couple years back, and you have to be very, very wary of putting your calves or your younger animals in with a bumper crop of acorns. The calves, the acorns have tannins in them, and the calves will consume them. I don't care if the calf is a month old or if it's 6 months old. If it's under about 600 lb and it over consumes the acorns that are on the ground, it will kill the calf. What it does is it causes a problem with their digestive system. A cow has a multi-chambered stomach. They are herbivores. They're not grainores and they're not nuttoores. So, we lost a calf to that. And we also lost a two-day old calf due to some unforeseen health issue that we just could not put our finger on. We still don't know what the heck happened. That calf was born. It seemed to be healthy, but obviously it had a birth defect. That's the only two calves that we've lost on the farm. So, do I recommend you get a guard donkey? Yes. Do people tell me all the time, you need a livestock guardian dog out here for the cows? Yeah, they tell me that. And I tell them, the cows hate dogs. They absolutely hate them. A cat rolls out into this pasture, the cows are on it quick. A coyote rolls out in the pasture, the cows and the donkey are on it quick. A fox runs out in the pasture or even a skunk. The other day we had a skunk in the pasture. They learn real quick not to approach a skunk. But these cows will kick any animal's butt that comes out here in the pasture. I also get people telling me because I've had a coyote problem and a fox problem over here in my chicken coupe. They tell me, "Well, you need a guard donkey for them chickens." No, no, no, no, no, no. Guard donkey and chickens don't go together. Also, livestock guardian dog. You better have them trained as a pup to be around chickens because they get hungry and everything likes chicken. The donkey will kill the chickens. The chicken will walk up behind the donkey. Just one little boop of the back foot and that's the end of the chicken. So, I don't recommend you put a guard donkey with your chickens. And I don't recommend a