Who's who
Midnight and Scooter
Meet Midnight and Scooter, the Mediterranean miniature donkeys. Though they are not biologically related, Midnight and Scooter are brothers in spirit, having both arrived at the farm together in 2020. They are inseparable and love to play with each other. Scooter is the white donkey and is a year older (born 2018) and Midnight is the dark brown donkey (born 2019).
Learn more
- What do they weigh?
Miniature donkeys are a breed of donkey that weigh about the same as an average human (80kg)
- What do they eat?
Donkeys are herbivores, eating only plant material. Donkeys, like ponies, have a singular stomach with no chambers. Instead of chewing their cud like cows and sheep, they rely on bacteria from an organ called a "caecum" to help breakdown tough grass and hay.
- Why are they used on farms?
Miniature donkeys are native to islands in the Mediterranean and are newcomers to Australia, having only been imported in the 1990's. They were originally domesticated and used for their strength to pull carts, but today they are mostly kept as pets thanks to their intelligence, easy-going personalities and small size.
- How are donkeys and horses different?
Donkeys and horses are different species and, as such, have different characteristics that make them unique.
Donkeys generally have larger ears than horses, they have tails that are shorter and less hairy than horses (could just have visual diagram to show this) and, of course, instead of neighing, donkeys make a wheezy 'hee-haw' noise.
Donkeys prefer warmer, drier weather compared to horses and will be more likely to seek shelter when it is raining. They also tend to be more territorial compared to horses.
- Fun facts
Donkeys have a reputation for being stubborn, but this is mainly because they can be quite cautious animals. Instead of running from threats, they tend to freeze and investigate, but will refuse to do anything that might put them at risk.
Sustainability fact: Many communities across the world don't have access to modern machines and tractors either because they are too costly or because the terrain is too mountainous! In such places Donkey's can be very useful in farming, for example by pulling ploughs or carts. With the added bonus of not needing fossil fuels to run, Donkey's can empower vulnerable communities by helping them access essential supplies such as water and transporting children to school.