Portable field shelter - Donkey Breed Society

Home

Member List

Faq

Caring For your Donkey

Portable field shelter

Thread Starter: posy Started: 06-03-2010 12:27 PM Replies: 20

Donkey Breed Society » Public Forums » Caring For your Donkey » Portable field shelter

Printable Version

« Previous Thread Next Thread »

03 Jun 2010, 12:27 PM

posy

Joined on 05-27-2010
Posts 13

Portable field shelter

I wondered if anyone has a good economical solution to providing a shelter for my new donks. I have two and they are being turned out with horses on a livery yard which is also a mixed farm. I need to start looking for a shelter for them, but it will have to be portable because we will have to move into another field at some point when the farmer wants to rest or rotate the grazing. There are means to move it (tractor/Manitou) as long as it fits through the gate. The other thing is that I don't want the horses to hog it so it should be low, or have a low entrance that they can't get in. Though this shouldn't be too much of a problem as the horses are upwards of 15.2 so I could just put a limbo rail in the doorway. Any tips or pointers would be welcome Smile

03 Jun 2010, 3:55 PM

irish donks is not online. Last active: 9/5/2010 4:39:32 PM

irish donks

Top 10 Posts

Joined on 04-19-2007
Posts 379

Re: Portable field shelter

We have an old trailer in the field. This works well as it can be moved as I move the electric fence.
I leave the side ramp down, so if you had a rail across it would stop horses using it.

I have laughed when watching 5 donkeys walk out of the trailer...they are happy to cram themselves in... but mostly shelter at the side.

We have put rubber mats down outside so that it doesnt get boggy in the wet where they stand.

Would have to be an old trailer tho as they have stripped any thing chewable from the inside.

04 Jun 2010, 12:38 PM

Tingaling

Joined on 03-20-2007
Essex
Posts 254

Re: Portable field shelter

Good idea Irish donks. If (or should that be 'when') the little dears start chewing, the best thing is to cover the wood in 'weldmesh' as they can't get thru that nor tear it off.

On his subject, as anyone got any experience of portable field shelters on skids? I have one on wheels, but the skids ones are cheaper, I just wonder how easy they are to move, especially when it is wet and very muddy, or do they 'plough in' to the mud? ............ and I am planning to put an anti-horse 'limbo bar' in.

05 Jun 2010, 10:30 AM

bumblebee

Joined on 05-01-2008
Surrey
Posts 81

Re: Portable field shelter

We used a trailer once when the shelter was out of action. Afterwards, we had to replace the matting because they chewed it.

What's "weldmesh?"

We're about to buy a shelter on skids, so this time next year I can let you know! But we're not planning to try to move it when it's wet.

05 Jun 2010, 5:44 PM

Tingaling

Joined on 03-20-2007
Essex
Posts 254

Re: Portable field shelter

Weldmesh is sort of very tough chicken wire, it is pretty rigid but you can bend it wtih a hammer..... not quite as rigid as the stuff they make dog runs out of but nearly - and is chew proof!!!!!!!!!!!!

06 Jun 2010, 9:47 PM

pammy

Joined on 06-26-2007
New Forest
Posts 1,853

Re: Portable field shelter

Someone I know with lots of donkeys uses sow pig arcs - easy to move with a tractor, tall enough for donks but low enough to keep horses out.

09 Jun 2010, 2:37 PM

posy

Joined on 05-27-2010
Posts 13

Re: Portable field shelter

Thanks for all the ideas folks. I looked into the pig ark idea, which led me onto 'calf hutches' which appear to be ideal - and cost about the same as an old worn out horse trailer but with a 10 year warranty. I think I'm going to go for it. What do you think?

09 Jun 2010, 4:08 PM

riffhams

Joined on 06-20-2006
Essex
Posts 989

Re: Portable field shelter

The calf hutches will not be big enough unless your donkeys are minitures Check the size and hight before you buy as your donkey will need head room for ventilation

www.riffhamsdonkeys.co.uk

09 Jun 2010, 5:40 PM

Admin_RH is not online. Last active: 9/7/2010 7:00:28 PM

Admin_RH

Top 10 Posts

Joined on 02-06-2007
Posts 19

Re: Portable field shelter

I have seen the calf hutches and they are plenty big enough for standard donkeys, unlike pig arcs.

09 Jun 2010, 7:06 PM

dianecarrie

Joined on 01-24-2006
Bedfordshire
Posts 220

Re: Portable field shelter

Are they the muti calf hutches the single one's look quite small? What sort of price are they? Sorry for all the questions, thinking of getting another shelter myself Smile

09 Jun 2010, 11:08 PM

posy

Joined on 05-27-2010
Posts 13

Re: Portable field shelter

sorry I meant to put the link on - http://www.intershape.com/group%20hutches.htm it's the multi one I'm looking at, which is 6 foot high with 9x7' ish floor space. Cost is £490 plus VAT & delivery. dianecarrie if you email the link at the bottom of the page they'll email you a brochure back. I also phoned and they were very helpful.

10 Jun 2010, 12:02 AM

anvildonks is not online. Last active: 9/5/2010 7:35:41 PM

anvildonks

Top 10 Posts

Joined on 02-20-2008
dorset
Posts 174

Re: Portable field shelter

I have just been to Frome to collect a field shelter/stable 10' x 12' with a stable door for £450 they are very well made only problem buyer collects, going back for another on Friday

10 Jun 2010, 11:57 AM

pammy

Joined on 06-26-2007
New Forest
Posts 1,853

Re: Portable field shelter

I don't mean a "normal" pig ark but a sow pig arc - they are plenty big enough for a standard donkey.

Anvildonks - I'm going to email you about your shelter from Frome!

10 Jun 2010, 3:08 PM

riffhams

Joined on 06-20-2006
Essex
Posts 989

Re: Portable field shelter

The Frome shelter sound good With the calf hutches even the multi ones I would worry about when it snowed and not enough room for two donkeys to get inside and out of it .

www.riffhamsdonkeys.co.uk

10 Jun 2010, 11:21 PM

posy

Joined on 05-27-2010
Posts 13

Re: Portable field shelter

the Frome one does indeed sound a good price, I have seen very few mobile shelters for under a grand, trouble is I'm in Leicester so it's a long way to go, and I think the shelter would be far too big to be moved through the field gate when we change grazing, so not for me but it sounds like a really good find.

I have a 12x12' stable for the donkeys in an indoor barn so they will be coming into that at night in the winter and also if it snows or there are floods, so they just need some cover to dive under when there's a shower. I'm sure they'd get in and out OK, the doorway is 5' wide, they often bring themselves in and out of my 3' stable doorway side by side Smile

Page 1 of 2 (21 items)

1 2 »

Donkey Breed Society » Public Forums » Caring For your Donkey » Portable field shelter

You can add attachments
You can post new topics
You can reply to topics
You can delete your posts
You can edit your posts
You can create polls
You can vote in polls
Forum statistics are enabled
Forum is unmoderated