Thinking of keeping donkeys? - Adam Henson's Farm Diaries - Ep23 

I came here mostly for the donkeys, but the nice gentleman really surprised me. What a loving and calming presence.

My uncle uses them as guard animals on his farm. He's got a few mixed in with the small herd of cattle he has and they "protect" the babies from the coyotes and occasional bobcat. The donkeys won't run from the either and will stand their ground and fight... basicaly making any attempt at getting a meal not worth it to whatever they're fighting off. Their kicking instinct makes them a perfect adversary to coyotes.

Donkeys are the best! I'm a long-time equestrian, so of course I love my horses, but donkeys are hands down the most intelligent equines that I know. They have amazing memory and emotional capacity, more so than most horses. They never forget a face - if you mistreat a donkey, he will remember to hate you even 20 years down the line. But they are fiercely loyal and protective of the people they love, and if you earn a donkey's trust he will go to the ends of the earth for you!

Baby donkeys are severely underrated. They're top tier cute!! Giving kittens a run for their throne!!

It’s 7:15pm and I’m writing you from the northwest of America. I stumbled across this video and I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed it. I enjoyed the animals I enjoyed the interesting facts of donkeys that I knew nothing about and I truly enjoyed listening to you my mother was born and raised in Watford,England as well as my grandparents and they moved to the states . My mother passed away a few weeks ago ……she was my closest friend and I was so comforted listening to you talk using words that I’ve heard my whole life. I have even considered moving to England. she took us there for a month on holiday and I fell in love with it , the people, the beauty. Thank you so much for such a wonderful Friday evening.

Thank you for a lovely and informative video. Can I add for those thinking of getting donkey: be very careful about introducing your dogs (if you have any) to your donkey. They will attack attack unknown dogs which is the very reason they are run with cattle. They are much smarter than horses and have a great sense of humour. Our donkey used to love playing tricks on our horses and on us! They are also quite sensitive creatures so always treat them kindly and train them with positive reinforcement methods. Make sure your blacksmith knows how to file a donkeys hooves and doesn't file them as he would do horses' hooves. Thanks again, your donkeys have a lovely life

Never thought a video about donkeys would be so interesting, thanks for sharing! 😊

What a wonderful video, donkeys finally being valued and loved. Thank you.

This was an excellent video about donkeys. Adam Henson did a superb job of capturing their unique characteristics and temperament. I have owned donkeys my entire life. They are beautiful, intelligent animals who bring great joy to everyone. Thank you, Mr. Henson.

I love that you said they are easy to train. I'm from Hungary where we have a saying 'stubborn as a donkey'. I've always thought though that they're only stubborn if you don't treat them right, give them some love and positive reinforcement and they'll be happy to work for you ❤

I so miss my two jacks 😔. They were wonderful and I loved them very much. God bless you for this video and for loving and caring for God's creatures. 🙌🙌🙌❤❤❤

Here's my Donkey story. My one and only (aside from seeing them occasionally at a fair/carnival). This particular day, back in 2010, I would be shadowing a veterinarian, who made farm calls, for school. I'm a city dweller so visiting any farm was quite an exciting prospect for me, as I had really no experience handling or interacting with farm animals, of any kind. Anyhow, I arrived at this veterinarians practice but he wasn't ready to go just yet, so I had about 30 mins to kill. As I waited outside, I saw that out in their pasture stood 2 beautiful brown adult donkeys. They were inside of a fenced in area. Of course, I excitedly walked over to greet them. The donkeys were just milling about, snacking on grass. I tried to get their attention, waving and gently calling for them to come over to me but much to my dismay, they didn't have the same enthusiasm in meeting me as I did them, lol. It would take some convincing to get them to come closer. I thought an offering of some sort might do the trick. So, I grabbed up a gob of grass trying to bait them. They finally did walk over to me but both of them quickly assessed that what I held in my hand, was nothing to write home about, so they just went back to their grazing, essentially ignoring me. Kneeling down, I stuck my hand through the bottom of the fence, showing them once again, the same, nothing special grass, that they were already eating, trying my darnedest to pet at least one of them but no dice. With a defeated sigh, I go to pull my hand back through the fence and as I did that, I felt the biggest jolt of buzzing pain, that seamed to run right through me. I had never felt something like that before in my entire life. I jumped up and screamed like an idiot for a brief moment. At first, I didn't know what the hell happened. Looking closer though, It became evident that I had failed to notice several live wires, all which ran around the inside of that fence. I felt like such a dope. Thankfully, no one saw me make a fool of myself that day, well, except those stubborn donkeys lol It sure was a learning experience! Thanks for reading :)

I adore them. They are the sweetest little emo's of the equine world.❤

I used to work out in Ethiopia on vocational development projects and I was absolutely appalled by the way donkeys were treated there. I'm a mans man, but I don't mind admitting that I shed a tear or two witnessing some of the abuse and neglect that these great animals suffered there.

I loved this so much!! Little sugar was so hilarious running around in circles! How adorable!! ❤

They are so beautiful, intelligent, and ferocious when they need to be. I wish I had a land big enough for one.

I loved Sugar, reckon it must have had elastic for its meal as it was bouncing around for ages, so funny. You are sooo lucky to live were you do.

The donkey is another animal that is. Very close to my heart. I look forward to seeing more of these videos

I used to have three donkeys. They were the sweetest, smartest and most loving farm animals I have ever had. They were also good alarms any time anybody entered our property.

Thanks for the detailed and lovely info about Jesus and donkeys ❤

Great presentation! Thank you big time, Adam! My dad had a herd of 20 donkeys along with his horses. They were the sweetest. The alpha male was Casanova. Lovely!

Such a joy to watch. I never knew much about donkeys, only horses! Thank you for sharing.😊

Oh my, they're so sweet and wonderful. And Little Sugar wasn't playing about getting her zoomies out lol. Lovely video, thanks so much for making it!

Adam - I'm 65 living in the U.S. Our country is garbage right now. It's so depressing. Your wonderful videos allow me a little educational reprieve. I'd love to raise donkeys, but I live in a city lot. Perhaps one day. In the meantime, I truly enjoy all your videos. You seem like such a kind man who loves animals. Please keep sending us these lovely gifts.

Beautiful animals. Beautiful stories beautifully said!! Thank you!

Thank you for sharing this video about donkeys. I have always loved animals but never had room for a donkey. Now that I live in the country, getting a couple of donkeys might be something to look into. Blessings

Watching this from Germany. Apart from the heartmelting way Adam treats these donkeys, his way of speaking is just superb. It reminds me of english-learning videos I've watched in my childhood. Just the way he pronounces "Neddy" - dunno, it makes me smile.

Such a cute and energetic Baby . Love your donkeys. Excellent informative video. 🐴

Such soft and heart warming animals. So much soul. Love them. They interact so well with humans.

Sugar bouncing around brought tears of joy to my eyes. Thank you for all the info & sharing your beautiful creatures with us.

Lol, I think her ears are back at You, Sir 😂 She seemed more confused than angry about you showing her teeth 😂😂😂

Got shivers down my spine when you mentioned the cross, that's a wonderful nod to the Bible. Thank you.

loved him using the car keys -- and that it was important to him to finish what he had started...

Grew up never giving much thought to donkeys, probably due to all the negative stereotypes we learn about them starting at an early age (that they’re dumb, stubborn, slow, etc). It wasn’t until I got a bit older that I absolutely fell in love with them. They’re not stubborn or dumb, they merely need some time to process situations, the same way humans do. They also, as seen here ^ need proper maintenance so they're not left with discomfort. Understandably, a donkey with aching hooves isn't going to be as receptive to instructions. Unfortunately, they’ve been used for harsh labor throughout history, and so they’ve earned this reputation for being bad creatures. If you’re thinking about adopting a donkey, I highly encourage it! Such thoughtful, special beings. Anyone's life would be richer with a donkey in it ❤

What beautiful animals, such a joy to see them❤❤❤

Thank you for such an interesting , informative video. It was really, really lovely to watch. And my last comment goes to Little Sugar - the absolute star of the show !! : ))

i worked on a mule farm in boulder city nevada called happy ass acres. tho it was a mule farm, i took care of 4 horses instead. the mules were fine, but the donkeys never left me alone. they would follow me and watch almost everything i did. almost creepy how fast they were to latch onto a person, and they protected you as well. if i started to hear the cayotes in the fields they would all run straight to me to make sure i was ok. husbandry is something not everyone gets to experience, but damn is it fun.

Just discovered your videos and I’m loving every single one of them ❤ never knew donkeys to be so sweet

Little Sugar... so sweet and full of energy.😄

This was a charming education. Those little ones look so cozy.

Loved every minute of this, beautiful little animals they really are.

They are such a good animal for any farm. They will protect any livestock from wolves and coyotes.

How lovely! You’re so lucky to have such a life!

Little Sugar is so fluffy…adorable!

I’ve only just realised you had a RU-vid channel Adam. Always enjoy watching Countryfile. I’m hooked on this channel now, so informative and educational as an animal lover. We definitely will be planning a visit to the farm. Hats off to you and your team for your amazing hard work 🚜 x

I love the way donkeys honk. They are so cute.😊

Thank you so much. I truly enjoyed all the information about one of my favourite animals, the donkey. And yeaah you are so good with and for them. They are so lucky to live out their lives at your farm.

Very pleasant, very enjoyable, and very helpful. Thank you Cotwolds.

Iv rescued a few of these little fellers . It was the most rewarding things Iv ever done. My son is into them now. What a different life than the average family ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Love to all the lovely donkeys. You lucky man. Wish I could have 2 donkeys. ❤❤❤❤❤

This man shows a lot of knowledge😊

Sugar have long life batteries, the youth blessing,😍🤝.

Just the sweetest and cutest animal. How I'd love to have a couple of them ,just for fun,not to breed or anything. Attach a cart and enjoy!! A very nice instructional story. Thank you!

I love donkeys, always have, and always will.

Thank you for sharing I have always wanted some donkeys in my old padock

OMG, Sugar is such a little sweetie!

Seem so much like dogs. Lovely creatures!

How beautiful! My horse has two donkeys at the farm he’s on, and they are his best friends. Donkeys are defiantly lovely. Cute, affectionate, smart, and funny! They are truly magnificent animals.

I love donkeys. Very underappreciated!

The pony is beautiful ! Too bad I live in the US :( I'd love to have him ! He looks like a sweetheart.

What a blessed life this gentleman has! Nothing is quite as fulfilling as caring for beautiful creatures such as these. It can tell he absolutely loves it too! Awesome video, Thank you Sir!

Just want to say what a natural you are with those donkeys, we can all pick up on a good soul, we should all be like this to each other no matter the species.

Mr Adam you are a great teacher

Thank you for this wonderful Video. I love Donkeys!!

Beautiful video - thank you so much.

This video is so wholesome and great, thank you for making it!🙏🏻 my brother and i watched it together and we had such a fun time! never smiled this much in a while God Bless You!🙏🏻

Infinite happiness,Donkeys. 👍 💯🐴

Didnt meet a donkey or know anyone, I was 25. Work on a farm an this donkey and I made this bond, so rare bond. And the day I was going away, she knew. And she gave me a hug (head over my shoulder. First time ever) Thought weird and so beautiful that a animal would do that So councius .

HAHAHA! What sweet animals! They didnt want the pony to have treats! How can anyone not want to have a donkey after this? They seem like lovely creatures, and this was very entertaining, and just generally lifted my spirits.

Such a kind fellow and nice clip. I’m in Mississippi🙂

Oh my goodness i couldn't stop laughing watching little Sugar zooming around in and out of frame What boundless energy! ❤❤

Sugar was so cute running around!

I love all their names !

You are such a sweet soul. God bless you.

The one thing you didn’t mention is how dangerous a jack donkey can be, my dad rescues them and we always keep the jacks apart but they will almost kill themselves to get out and fight, they can also be so dangerous to other animals and people.. The foals are so beautiful 😍 we had a Jenny that had twins, we almost died, she reared them both with no trouble 😮

I have burros, Jerusalem donkeys, pets. A lady couldn’t keep them. So they have a forever home here. Now my neighbor has them in his pasture, he lost 5 of 8 sheep, something killing them. One disappeared, no trace-odd. We have coyotes, bobcats, feral dogs. He hasn’t lost any since using our 2. He’s now trying to find donkeys. Good protectors, easy keepers & “watch dogs”. USA Georgia

Wonderful video! So engaging, informative, and entertaining!! Thank you!! 🙏🏼

Thanks so much for this entertaining and informative video. My caregiver has expressed interest in owning a Donkey so I'm forwarding this video to her. If anyone ever suggests that no one appreciates just being alive let them look at little Sugar! She can't stop her excitement about being born into this grand world. Run little Sugar Run! 🕊️💕

Watching sugar's orbiting was worth allot. Thanks

Lovely donkeys! Thank you for the video. Will pass on to show my mum, I’m sure she will love it. Too damn cute

That little sugar was so stink and cute I laughed and laughed!

Precious beautiful animals! Little Sugar running around and around...so CUTE! 🥰

they have the sweetest faces, and cutest babies, and funniest cries. I adore them.

I was feeding a donkey who lives on the farm down the road. He bit me one day due to my holding his treat the wrong way. It hurt like heck but taught me a great lesson. They're amazing animals. The guy I was feeding comes running when I call him by name now. His name is Julio and he loves sweet tarts, I'm not kidding.

I wasn't aware of the cross on their back. This Christmas we will have a full moon and the Christmas Star will be on full display. They are very sweet animals and make me smile. Merry Christmas everyone!

I have taken care of horses since I was 8 (55 now) and dreamed to see a Suffolk Punch one day BUT I have never seen someone just pull out car keys as a replacement hoof pick. I giggled at that one. So cute!

Thank you, I enjoyed everything you said❤ about those sweet and beautiful Donkeys.❤❤

Just found you - delightful video! That sweet, precious, Sugar!!! lololol

This is so much better to watch than another news story about a mass shooter in the US. Thank you for sheltering these animals. It warms my heart.

Omg little sugar 😮😅😊😊😊 can run....she is running running lol 😂😂😂😂

What a great video.

I love most animals... Cats are my favourite... but for some reason I find donkeys fascinating... just love them.. Thanks for this...wish I had more of a farm... I live in a city...

I love donkeys. So smart and so sweet

Delightful! They are lucky to have all the love and great care your provide. Precious video!

What absolutely charming creatures, and such a kind man. I was entranced by the whole thing.

Wonderful tour of your lovely donkeys, always loved them since I was a girl. They have the most soulful eyes ;)

Hi again, Adam ~~ watched this one twice, in time for the holidays and remembering my dad's herd of twenty donkeys. They are good pack animals and many countries still use them to move loads between villages and go about their daily lives.

What a fantastic video,have always loved Donkeys but not happy with the way they are often portrayed as stubborn and stupid which is ridiculous,as you mention they are smart sociable (and obviously)beautiful animals. I loved baby Sugar running around,so adorable,can't wait to watch all your videos,Thank you again for sharing your knowledge of Donkeys and all the other animals on your farm.

This video was the highlight of my day! Thank you for sharing. The are just precious.

Donkeys are simply beautiful animals.