Considering switching from pack goats to burros

[Bachto]

I have been running pack goats for about 5 years. I love my goats and probably have another 3 good years with them. There have been times where I wish I had a different type of packstock. Here are my considerations.

2 burros can pack what my 5 goats can pack. Going from 5 animals to worry about to 2 seems like it would make my life a little simpler.
Having to take my goats literally everywhere I go is sometimes really annoying. I make it work and most of the time it's no big deal but sometimes I just wish I had the option to leave them tied up somewhere. Especially bowhunting.
Goats are getting banned in more places and having to worry about if I can take them somewhere is inconvenient.

The pros for my goats are obvious, they can go anywhere I can go for the most part. So trail condition isn't something I take into too much consideration. I also almost never have to worry about food with them.

Any advice or consideration is helpfull.

 

[bisblue]

I have no goat experience, but I've had pack llamas and now mules and a BLM burro.

Bring your patience. I'm guessing a burro would be the opposite of a goat in terms of wanting to please you and follow you on the trail. Everything in a burros life could be a mountain lion in disguise waiting to kill them, and they need time to contemplate the danger while you stand there. Lots of training is mandatory.

Burros will need fed twice a day and will get fat quickly if left to graze on good forage. They have one stomach and will be more temperamental with food.

A good sized BLM burro will weigh 400 pounds or so and pack 25% of their body weight when in shape. There are other big donkeys that would weigh much more, but then you are in mule territory. Supposedly hotter climates have smaller BLM burros, and northern Nevada has the biggest. Picking the right animals is crucial, but there seems to be lots o fgood trainers and lower demand for Packers.

Downfall is a serious consideration and they don't like to jump over things quite like my llamas.

Pedro is also a puppy dog like sweetheart, and if I didn't luck into my mules, I might get all burros of I started over. Check out the link to a great new book on pack burros.

Amazon.com