DonkeyCharmz

There are so many benefits to sharing a pasture between species or rotating pastures completely. These include parasite control, weed control, and also enrichment opportunities, not to mention the mental health benefits you’ll reap if you choose to spend time out there as well!

Parasite control: Many parasites are species-specific so any parasites that are shed by an equine that are consumed by a ruminant will perish and their life cycle will be broken, often referred to as a dead-end host. Less parasites are always a win, especially when it comes to camelids as they can be very sensitive to parasites.

Weed control: My donkeys do eat a lot of brush, but I notice that the camels will eat a lot of woody stemmed weeds that even the donkeys find unpalatable. This makes even less competition for the better grasses to grow & allows me to use less chemicals to control the weeds. That’s always a good thing!

Tasty daisies

Enrichment: Animals can develop behavioral issues and other bad habits from boredom. Who doesn’t love going on adventures? Especially if you have a great friend or two to explore with! Camels and equine both can begin to pace, self-harm, destroy fences, among other things if they are stressed or bored. Having new areas to explore keeps their minds occupied and gives them much-needed exercise.

If you choose to spend time with your animals out in nature, you can observe their natural behaviors and strengthen your bond with them. You will get exercise and possibly reap some health benefits of your own as I find walking along with my animals to be very relaxing and is a great way to reduce stress! I even mow paths to make it more enjoyable because let’s be honest, if you return covered in ticks and chiggers, that kind of defeats the purpose.

So go turn your critters loose and enjoy them!