What Does It Mean When A Donkey Brays?

Howdy,

This is our sixth summer living with two donkeys and a horse it has been a very blessed journey.  Our donkeys only bray “I say cry” when they are stressed as one donkey is not with the other or dinner is late.  

Donkeys Braying Singing or Distress “Crying For Help”

When I first started reading about donkeys people would say my donkey sings when talking about the donkey braying.  Donkeys can sing and donkeys can bray a distress bray.  I respectfully disagree that braying is all the same as it is not.   Just like dogs can sing along with their human and dogs can bark when stressed so can donkeys.    I do think a high pitched sound like the violin can make a donkey bray and this is singing, similar to a dog who will sing along when we encourage them with high notes.  The donkey has amazing hearing.  I think when the donkey hears another donkey braying with the distress bray they understand the distress sound as it is their language.

Please don’t think a donkey that brays all the time is normal maybe something needs to be corrected to keep the donkey relaxed and calm.

Kinda like a dog that keeps barking in the neighborhood this is not normal for a dog to keep barking and barking frantically.  Most dogs bark when something stresses them out, they are tied and distressed, they hear something or like mine when I come home to greet me.  Some animals are more vocal than other animals just like people have personalities I believe animals have personalities!  Some animals are more vocal and extroverted and some are more introverted and quiet.

Our donkeys have brayed maybe six or eight times in five years I have yet to hear Rio make a complete bray as he is very happy and relaxed.  I have no doubt in my mind whatsoever that he could bray all the time if he was stressed and not being touched, fed, and watered on a regular schedule.  On large donkey farms where many donkeys are living and they can only hear and not see one another it is perfectly normal for donkeys to talk to one another by braying, again this is a different bray than a distress bray.  As the owner and human leader we must learn the different sounds of the donkey braying.

Here is a video of a donkey hearing a violin sound and responding with a bray notice the bray is not the stressed bray.

Select video of donkeys Morning Bray Farm listening to a donkey braying sounds like a distress to me and several of the donkeys act stressed and bray stressed.

Please remember if your donkey is braying all of the time the distress bray something is wrong, it is imortant to learn the difference between a sing and a distress bray.

GOD bless you and your family two and four-legged!

Melody

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