WANT TO BUY OR ADOPT A DONKEY ?

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Our fall sale is now TBA due to a recent health issue. If all goes well we will still reschedule for fall 2025 but shift to October or early November. If you are interested in a purchase PLEASE READ THIS PAGE AND DONKEY 101 FIRST !  Please see our jack,  jennet and foal pages for availability. We will be adding more in the next few weeks and adding additional photos and video links.  We also have 7 MORE FOALS due fall of 2025.  If you would like to schedule a visit and you are READY to have your donkeys delivered, then you must read the following and sign up here .  

ALL SALE PROCEEDS WILL BE DONATED TO

PURPLE DONKEY HUMAN RESCUE a registered 501(c)(3) Please consult your tax professional regarding charitable contributions. 

Always be sure to meet your animal prior to sending a deposit. Do not be fooled by scammers or impersonators. We encourage visits by appoinment. Please note we are a private gated residence and we only make appointments for qualified buyers.  Only those who have successfully processed an adoption or purchase application and are prepared for delivery of their donkeys will be scheduled. If you are not a perspective donkey owner but wish to arrange a visit to the farm, please learn how you can become a donor to Purple Donkey Human Rescue 

• You must have a minimum of 1 acre of safe  (preferably no climb wire )fenced area per donkey with access to a dry lot and 3 sided shelter and fresh water. This area should not contain other species of animals. Donkeys are NOT guardian animals but they are territorial and are not safe pasture mates for other animals such as goats. 
• A barn or shelter. Basically adaquate, dry, safe, 3 sided shelter with a gate or stall to close them in during vet visits or bad weather
• A constant fresh water source
• Shade in the summer. NOTE: please research which trees and shrubs may be toxic such as cherry varieties. It is healthy for donkeys to eat branches such as birch but, given the opportunity, donkeys will skin the bark off any tree. Please plan to protect trees or anything else dangerous to your donkeys in the pasture that they might chew with wire or other fencing.
• You MUST be a registered client of an equine vet PRIOR to bringing your donkey home 
• You MUST be a registered client of a farrier PRIOR to bringing your donkey home. Some farriers are reluctant to take donkey clients, so please tell your farrier that these donkeys have had regular care since birth and all politely lift their feet.  
• You must be stocked with hay and have a source for donkey safe hay PRIOR to bringing your donkeys home. Hay such as coastal, timothy, orchard grass are all excellent low sugar low protein choices. NOTE: donkeys with access to 24/7 lush grass will develop fat pads and eventually founder. Please plan to have a dry lot for your donkey to have room to run somewhere they will not over eat. NOTE: Donkeys are foragers not pasture animals. Unlike horses their natural habitat is desert not grasslands. 
• Make sure you bring your donkeys home when you have time to bond. It may take them several weeks even months to feel completely at home.
• Most of all...you must have appropriately aged and sexed donkey companions. If you do not have donkeys then please plan to bring two donkeys home. We will not sell a single donkey. Please be cautious of any breeder who will. 

There is far more misinformation than accurate information about donkeys floating around in the world. The BIGGEST MISCONCEPTION is that donkeys are GUARDIAN ANIMALS NOT TRUE !! While donkeys are highly territorial, they will unfortunately often harm or even kill goats or other small animals in their area. Jacks should not be placed in cow pastures. Many Jacks are killed by farmers after they attack calves. Sadly this happens all the time. Donkeys can not defend themselves against dog, wolf or coyote attacks. If this is your goal, please acquire guardian dogs. See this link but caution it is graphic Chantelle's Story 

Donkeys are highly intelligent and highly social animals. Your donkey may love you and they may tolerate and come to bond with other animals over time. Donkeys are herd animals who live in small cherrished family groups. They rely on each other for communication, sound sleep patterns and protection. They have their own language. For a donkey to be truly content, get proper sleep and remain HEALTHY, a donkeys should have an appropriate age and size donkey companion.  A lone donkey will never be completely at ease without a donkey (not just a horse) partner to watch over them. Have you seen those tik tok videos of single donkeys going crazy for toys? Unfortunately that is not a cute donkey but a very neurotic, unhappy donkey living alone unsocialized and desperate for interaction. Responsible breeders will not sell single donkeys into a home without  another appropriate donkey companion.  "I want a male and female foal "  A responsible breeder will not sell this pairing to you unless the jack is old enough to geld. The Male matures at 18 months to 2 years but the female does not mature and should never be bred until she is 3 or 3.5 years old. A young male and female will need to be separated or she can be bred early and risk a fatal situiation due to aggression or premature breeding. 

 JACKS: We only sell intact jacks to established breeding programs. Jacks are NOT PETS and can change drastically and even become dangerous as they mature. Most are very sweet with experienced handlers after they are trained but they are a loaded gun. They must be housed separately from jennets and sometimes even geldings. If a breeding pair is together they should be removed from the jennets area long before her foal is due to avoid tragedy. Jacks will kill calves and goats. THEY ARE NOT PETS OR GUARDIAN ANIMALS this is a misconception. We cannot say this enough. 

 PRICE: Some of our healthier rescues will be rehabilitated and rehomed. The adoption fee starts at $1200. Our registered miniatures range from $1800 - 6500 depending upon age, size, pedigree, color, prgnancy and training. Micro and wooly donkeys can be significantly higher.  We give our donkeys excellent care. They are handled daily, socialized and trained from birth to be good citizens. All proceeds from adoptions and sales of Cypress Farm Regiatered Donkeys support,  Purple Donkey Human Rescue registered 501(c)(3) Please consult your tax professional regarding charitable donations. 

Learn about Donkey Care

https://cypressfarmdonkeys.com/donkey-101 (https://cypressfarmdonkeys.com/donkey-101)

https://donkeyrescue.org/news/pvdr-ears/the-reality-of-donkeys-housed-with-other-livestock/

DONKEYS ARE NOT GUARDIAN ANIMALS  Chantelle's Story / Caution some images are difficult to see

http://www.rollingdfarm.com/summer-1.html

Donkey Care and Welfare / The worldwide experts 

https://www.iowdonkeysanctuary.org/care-and-welfare

 OUR GOAL: We want to place our donkeys in homes that are not only loving but are set up to provide excellent care. We ask buyer's to provide the name and contact for their equine veterinarian and their farrier. We also ask that you have an exit strategy for our donkeys if life should change. DONKEYS CAN LIVE TO BE 50+ YEARS OLD. We ask that owners place their donkeys in their will and living will. Purple Donkey Human Rescue not only offers equine therapy but rescues, rehomes or provides sanctuary for donkeys in need. 

We will not sell or place a single donkey in a home without another appropriate donkey companion.  

Please note that NO responsible breeder will do this and if they do agree to this then consider it "A SIGN " We encourage people looking for horse companions to acquire 2 miniature donkeys as this is by far a more successful situation for you, your horse and the donkeys. We are happy to discuss the benefits of this when we speak to you. Unless you plan to take your donkey with you each time you ride the separation can be tramatic for the donkey. Donkeys are extremly social and highly intelligent but they don't speak horse and they much prefer donkey companions to humas or any other species. Equine require LIKE KIND equine near them to get proper REM sleep. These are just a few reasons we only sell or adopt donkeys in pairs. 

Our donkeys will arrive up to date with shots, worming and come with a vets health certificate and negative coggins. They will be good citizens who are used to handling, pick up their feet and walk on a lead. NOTE: please be patient with donkeys when they arrive at a new home. It generally takes time and patience and care for them to trust you as their new person. Some are quicker than others but plan to spend lots of time with your new donkeys. They are very social animals used to being around a lot of other donkeys and people. It can take a month or more for them to start coming around and enjoying their new environment. Buyers are responsible for transportation but we can suggest and assist you with scheduling transportation. 

All jacks will be GELDED prior to being placed in their new home unless you are an established breeder buying a herd sire. jacks are NOT PETS. We can't say this enough. 

 DEPOSITS: We will NEVER ask for a deposit over the phone or electronically before we encourage you to visit our farm and meet our animals. Scams are rampant and deeply persuasive. We discourage everyone from ever sending deposits on line from photos. Once you have met your donkey and we identify it’s the correct fit then a 50% non refundable deposit (unless we are not able to deliver a healthy animal) will be accepted by Zelle, Venmo, PayPal, certified check ( in person please do not mail certified checks) please note that all proceeds from the sale of donkeys or adoption fees for rescues (when available) go to support our 501c3 Purple Donkey Human Rescue. 

YOU MUST HAVE THE FOLLOWING IN PLACE BEFORE YOU CAN BUY A DONKEY 

PLEASE BE PREPARED TO ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS DURING YOUR PURCHASE OR ADOPTION INQUIRY

Please be prepared to discuss the following before you call or email your inquiry about adopting or purchasing donkeys. We receive 5 and 20 calls a week for donkeys. We really need you to do your homework first and be prepared to answer at least most of these questions before we talk. Thank you!

SHELTER :
Do you have 3 sided shelter for donkeys? What is the size, height and flooring ? Donkeys are not waterproof and must have shelter from the rain. They get pneumonia far more than horses in the winter if wet and cold. Will they have shade in the summer. Note you may need to wrap trees in wire as donkeys will quickly skin the bark off a tree.

WATER:
What is your animals drinking water source and is it protected from freezing in the winter ? Donkeys like horses will only drink clean water. Do you have shade in the summer. Have you removed harmful or toxic trees and shrubs from the area ? We can provide a list.

EQUINE VET:
Who is your registered Equine Veterinarian. We will verify that you are a client of an equine vet prior to transportation. Are your current equine and other animals up to date on vaccines and worming ? Have they ever had a coggins performed ? Do they leave your property? Are they on a worming program ? An equine vet may not come in an emergency if you are not registered as a client.

EXISTING ANIMALS ON YOUR FARM:
What size and sex are your current donkeys? Jacks must be gelded as they are not pets. They can become aggressive as they mature at 15 to 18 months and then begin to breed, while jennets do not mature until they are 3 to 3.5 years old. We do not encourage the breeding of non registered animals. Without a registration history there is no way to know if you are bringing something negative forward.  Our 501c3 Purple Donkey Human Rescue deals constantly with animals discarded after back yard breeders tire of their donkeys or they have health issues or bad behavior. Breeding should only occur to bring forward the very best in the breed and only after a good deal of research. Miniature donkeys are highly intelligent equine who thrive living in the company of appropriatly aged and sexed like species animals. A young male and female is not a good purchase as they will need to be separated before he is two and will then need another companion.

GOATS: unfortunately more often than not the very territorial donkey will harm a goat in its space. Be prepared to separate donkeys. Donkeys are sometimes fine with goats .... until they are not. Fences make good neighbors so there is NO guarantee they will consistently be patient with other animals including the family dog. A guardian dog breed is the only breed that should be considered.

FARRIER:
Who will trim your animals feet ? Sometimes it’s difficult to find a farrier. We want to know you have engaged a farrier prior to shipping your donkeys.

HAY & FEED PREPARATION
What are you currently feeding your donkey and do you have a source of hay, if so what kind ? We feed costal (Bermuda) because it is lower in protein, sugar and starch . Alfalfa and other grasses good for horses are far too rich for most donkeys on a day to day basis. Too much grass, rich feeds or hay and suagary treats will get them fat or worse make them develop laminitis. Orchard grass or timothy hay is another good choice for donkeys. Something low in protein and sugar is key.

Thank you for reviewing this information. Text me AFTER you’ve read this with days and times you might be able to FaceTime or Zoom and then hopefully arrange a visit. We will ask that you answer these questions prior to visiting. We look forward to speaking with you. 704.649.2491 egrillo@purpledonkey.org