Donkeys build close bonds with people, animals at the Hee-Haw Hallow in New Germany
NEW GERMANY, Minn. — Did you know that donkeys are fast, smart and can build life-long bonds with other animals and people?
In this week's Finding Minnesota, John Lauritsen takes us on a trip to Hee-Haw Hollow in New Germany.
A visit to Brett and Kelley MacNally's farm is like a visit to a zoo. There are pigs, sheep, goats, cats, and if you want to talk to the MacNallys, you have to get past the cows.
"We have highland cattle. This is Savannah and Sweet Pea," said Brett.
As social as these guys are, the farm really belongs to one animal.
A couple years ago Brett and Kelley left city life for country living. In part, because they wanted to find a place to raise both mammoth donkeys and mini donkeys.
"One day my daughter sent me this video about donkeys, about this girl and this donkey, and I totally fell in love," said Kelley.
"We are very spontaneous people, generally speaking, so we just kind of rolled with it," said Brett.
That meant learning about donkey farming on the fly. They quickly found out the animals build close bonds with people .
Veterinarians even say they become depressed when they're by themselves.
They can also be very protective. Even the mini ones.
"We have bear out here, coyotes, bobcats and you would see the tracks of those all throughout this pasture. Once we got the donkeys, we never saw another track from a predator," said Brett.
It's also believed that donkeys are smarter than most dogs. At the MacNally's they've been known to open up doors on their own and let themselves out of the barn.
"The reason we got into the mammoth donkeys is there are very few people breeding them in the U.S. And we want to help support that breed as well," said Brett.
The MacNally's also want to help increase the number of miniature donkeys- those that are 36 inches tall or shorter. Over the past two months, Bianco and Romeo became the newest members of Hee-Haw Hollow.
"Within in an hour they are walking and wobbling, within two hours they are running up and down the pasture," said Brett.
The little ones are part of the inspiration behind "The Fancy Farmer"- a café that Brett and Kelley are opening in New Germany.
"It will be donkey themed. We will have a small fenced-in area where we will bring the donkeys up so that people can come and see a donkey," said Brett.
The couple hopes their customers get a kick out of their donkeys as much as they do. An animal that comes in all shapes and sizes- with a people-pleasing personality.
"They are so loving, so compassionate, I feel like they are really in tuned with people," said Kelley.
"It's the love. To come down and get a hug from an animal, have them put their head on your shoulder and just be happy to stand there and have you hug them as long as you want to hug them," said Brett.
The MacNally's say a misperception is that donkeys are stubborn, when in fact, they are cautious. They do sell mini donkeys at Hee Haw Hollow, but they say they are careful about who they sell to because they want to make sure the animals are cared for. You can find more information on their Facebook page.
