Nursery

Ask anyone who's bought one.........A Big Woods Farm donkey is SPECIAL!

No matter how great the pedigree, no matter how wonderful the sire and dam are, the environment during the jennet's pregnancy and all the important weeks following the birth have a lasting, unalterable effect on how your foal will behave upon arrival in his or her new home.  Including his or her Personality, Performance and Intelligence as a grown up miniature donkey.

Our donkeys are foaled in a 12x16 foot foaling stall equipped with heat lamps for warmth and fans for cooling.  We have a monitor with our family on 24-hour watch!  As soon as the foal is born we check to make sure Mom and foal are OK and apply iodine to the foal's navel.  We then leave the Mother and foal alone to get acquainted and bond.  After a few hours we begin our bonding with the foal.  We sit on the stall floor and hold the foal in our laps rubbing every inch of their tiny bodies, sticking our fingers in the ears, nose and mouth. We tap lightly on their hooves and pick up their feet.  We try and do this several times a day.  Usually after 24 hours, weather permitting we like to get the Mom and foal out in the fresh air to explore the new world.  Every evening for the first two weeks we put them up at night.  This is a great lesson in learning to come when called.

In the weeks to follow they will be fitted with a halter and will learn to walk on a lead.  They will have their hooves trimmed and receive their first series of vaccinations at around four months of age.  During this time we will evaluate each foal.  Some will be wonderful pets, many males will gelded.  A few Special Ones will go on to become future herd sires and brood jennets.  And a very Select few will go on to a career in the show ring.

All of our donkeys, young and old are showered daily with hugs and kisses!  Foals are usually available for sale throughout the year.  Let us know if you have a special interest and we will try to keep you posted on any foals that might fit your needs.  We also offer stud service to Motown's Secret, our BLACK Jack who is the 2001 NMDA Eastern National Champion, to a limited number of select jennets.