MINIATURE DONKEYS BECOME A GROWING BUSINESS FOR CHAFFEE MAN

CHAFFEE -- When Bill Cannon, a retired railroad engineer in Chaffee, was looking for a profitable use of a few acres near town in 1990, he decided on miniature donkeys.

"They're considered exotic animals," Cannon said. "Cannon Farm is in the business of breeding, raising, buying and selling miniature donkeys."

A miniature Mediterranean donkey 31 to 32 inches tall is considered small, Cannon said. The large ones grow 35 to 36 inches tall.

Helping with the donkeys are Cannon's wife, Donna, who works for Southwestern Bell Telephone Co., and their 14-year-old son Wade.

The Cannons bought two bred jennets from Mike Evans at Gordonville to start their herd on 18 acres about a half mile east of Chaffee. The herd has about two dozen animals now with two main jacks.

Each jack has his own herd of 12 to 15 jennets and their offspring. A herd that size works best since the donkeys have a recognized pecking order, Cannon said. The donkeys become confused about the order if there are more animals than that, he said.

"Donkeys are social animals," Cannon said. "It's obvious which ones are the dominant females; they're usually the oldest ones."

Cannon must watch the young males as they mature to keep them from getting hurt in a fight with an older jack. Upon maturity, the young males are usually gelded or sold from the herd.

Cannon gets about one or two calls a month from someone wanting miniature donkeys. He sells donkeys of all ages, primarily to people in the Midwest.

Most of the donkeys will be sold at exotic animal auctions like the one for the 5-H Ranch near Cape Girardeau. A large national market for miniature donkeys exists in Macon, Mo. The Cannons also attend annual sales in Texas and Florida.

The donkeys are sold primarily as pets and breeding stock, Cannon said. In addition, the donkeys can be trained as guard animals for goats and sheep. The miniature donkey is a natural enemy to a coyote.

The donkeys' value as breeding stock is expected to continue, Cannon said. Demand for the animals has outpaced their ability to reproduce only one offspring per year, he said.

Jennets are much more expensive than jacks, unless it happens to be a high-quality breeding jack with known bloodlines. Cannon said the most expensive jack he ever saw sold for $16,000 at one auction.

Jacks are usually worth about $300 while jennets sell for nearly $1,500 at birth and from $2,000 to $4,000 as adults. Cannon said he paid $6,500 for two older, chocolate-colored jennets which were bred to a nationally known sorrel jack.

The donkeys are graded on their size, color, confirmation and disposition, Cannon said. They are good-natured, pleasant around children and can be easily taught a variety of tricks. They can be ridden by youngsters and pull small carts, he said.

"The price has held up because the market is constantly increasing," Cannon said.

The miniature donkeys are hardy animals that don't require much care, Cannon said. He feeds them hay twice a day and one cup of grain in the evenings. There are annual vaccinations and hoof trimming every four months.

Keeping up with the breeding and health records are the biggest jobs in having a registered herd, Cannon said.

AT A GLANCE

Miniature donkeys, originally from Somalia, Africa, were first imported from Sardinia, Europe, into the United States in 1929 by Robert W. Green, a stockbroker with a small New Jersey farm who built his herd from six jennets and one jack.

Green was first to observe miniature donkeys as pets with a gentle temperament. He saw them as exceptionally sensitive, extremely smart animals that could sense their owners' moods. He considered them affectionate and doting mothers.

Lois Forester of Fresno, Calif., has outlined several answers to the question: "What Are Miniature Donkeys Good For?" Writing to donkey lovers, Forester suggested: "My donkey is my friend and playmate. He makes me laugh and listens to my worries. He is sympathetic when I need him to be. My donkey can sing and predict the weather. He helps around the farm and watches for strangers. He enriches my garden and entertains my children, ...but best of all, my donkey is to love."