Building calm around our donkeys at WhyNot Farm

WhyNot Farm is a family-owned agricultural operation in Chuckey, Tennessee. Alongside pesticide-free hydroponic lettuce, leafy greens, herbs and edible flowers, we raise grass-fed cattle, pasture-raised pigs, cashmere goats, alpacas and donkeys. Our farm visits let guests see how food and animals are produced, while our approach emphasises humane care, thoughtful land management and low-stress handling.

Donkeys are curious, sensitive animals with strong preferences about distance, routine and contact. They may welcome a familiar person while stepping away from an unfamiliar visitor, and their response can change with the weather, noise or activity around them. Socialising our donkeys for safe visitor interaction therefore means preparing them gradually, teaching our handlers to read their signals and giving every animal a genuine choice about whether to participate.

Trust begins with everyday routines

Our donkeys experience far more than they encounter during scheduled visits. They hear vehicles on the farm road, see people walking between pastures and observe the movement of livestock, equipment and delivery traffic. Familiarity with these ordinary features helps them feel settled when families arrive for a farm visit. Preparation happens on quiet days, not just when guests are expected.

Each donkey has an individual handling plan based on temperament, previous experience and current wellbeing. Familiar staff spend time with the animal, speaking quietly and allowing it to notice a person without being crowded. Where useful, we reward calm approaches and cooperative handling with small, approved treats. We do not punish normal donkey behaviour such as braying, expressing uncertainty or declining to stand.

Socialisation supplements the company donkeys receive from one another; it does not replace it. We keep compatible animals together and avoid separating them simply to make a visitor encounter easier. A donkey that walks away is allowed to leave. Ending an interaction early protects its welfare and gives handlers useful information about the animal’s needs.

Reading the signals our donkeys give

Donkeys communicate through posture, position and movement, but no single sign has one fixed meaning. Ears held forward can show interest, while pinned ears may indicate irritation, fear or simply an attempt to hear something behind them. A swishing tail may discourage flies. A raised head, visible tension or the whites of an eye showing usually calls for more space.

Handlers watch combinations of signals over time rather than guessing from one gesture. A donkey with relaxed muscles, a soft expression and a steady approach may be comfortable. Short steps, a stiff neck, repeated backing away or attempts to push past a person tell us to reduce pressure. When signals are uncertain, we assume the animal needs distance until a handler decides otherwise.

Our staff also watch the scene around each donkey. A relaxed animal can become unsettled by a running child, a loud voice or an unfamiliar dog. Handlers position themselves so the donkey has room to move without being cornered, while visitors receive clear instructions before they enter an animal area. Calm handling depends on quiet bodies, predictable movement and avoiding sudden gestures.

Keeping contact calm and controlled

Physical barriers create safer opportunities for visitors and animals. They allow people to observe, ask questions and sometimes offer a supervised scratch without entering the donkey’s personal space. For a donkey meeting visitors for the first time, we use protected contact, with a trained handler present and a barrier between the animal and guests. We also limit group sizes so nobody is pushed or jostled.

Touching follows simple rules. Visitors ask permission before reaching out, stand beside a donkey’s shoulder rather than directly behind it, and keep their hands visible. We encourage gentle scratching on the shoulder or withers when a handler says it is suitable. Faces, ears and mouths are left alone. Hugging, climbing on an animal and reaching over its head are not part of the experience.

Children remain with an adult who can help them understand these boundaries. Running, shouting and climbing on fences create risks around animals that may kick, bite or bolt when frightened. Photographs are welcome when they do not involve flash or sudden movement. Visitors who use wheelchairs or other mobility equipment can discuss suitable viewing arrangements before their visit so staff can provide an accessible route and a safe meeting point.

Feeding and other visitor boundaries

Personal snacks stay in visitors’ pockets or lunch boxes. Donkeys should not receive apples, carrots, bread or other food brought from home, and produce bought at the farm is not automatically suitable as a treat. Only farm-approved treats may be offered, in small portions, under a handler’s direction. When feeding is permitted, the treat rests flat in an open hand with the fingers together, never in a closed fist or near an open mouth.

Feeding can encourage crowding, biting, pushing or sudden movement towards a feed container. It can also disrupt a carefully managed diet. Our handlers reward calm behaviour and redirect animals that become pushy, while visitors are asked not to scold or chase a donkey. Food should never be used to pull an animal away from another person or place it in a position where it feels trapped.

Other rules protect feet, gates and hands. Visitors do not sit on fences, crawl beneath animals or attempt to lift a hoof without a handler. They keep gates closed and stay on marked paths. Hands are washed after animal contact and before eating. If an animal nips, kicks or makes accidental contact with someone, the visitor tells a handler immediately so the situation can be assessed and recorded.

Connecting with Australian expectations

Australian readers will recognise parts of this routine. Around Melbourne and Sydney, families often visit community gardens, small-acreage farms and animal attractions on weekends, while Brisbane has its own network of peri-urban farms and produce markets. Everyday plans are commonly made on a phone: check opening times, reserve a session, watch the weather and share photographs afterwards. Many visitors first learn about animals through markets and farm activities rather than through formal stock-handling experience.

Market shoppers in Australia often ask whether produce is local, how it was grown and whether chemical pesticides were used. Our hydroponic lettuce, leafy greens, herbs and edible flowers give visitors another part of the farm story to explore, but the same care for transparency applies to animal handling. We explain what our donkeys enjoy, where their boundaries lie and why a quiet visitor matters. We do not present every donkey as equally comfortable with strangers.

Animal-welfare legislation in Australia is administered by states and territories rather than through one national code. Examples include the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1979 in New South Wales, the Animal Welfare Act 1999 in Victoria and the Animal Protection Act 1928 in Queensland. Those laws apply within their own jurisdictions and do not govern this Tennessee farm, where the applicable state welfare and visitor-safety requirements apply. The underlying expectations are familiar: suitable care, humane treatment and responsible control of public access.

Plan your visit with the donkeys’ comfort in mind. Check the farm’s visiting schedule, arrive in closed-toe shoes and follow the staff briefing before entering animal areas. Leave personal food in your vehicle, keep children close and give each donkey room to approach. If you would like to meet one, ask a handler which animal is ready and what kind of interaction is appropriate that day.

Schedule a farm visit in Chuckey, Tennessee, and experience our hydroponic produce and humanely raised animals on their terms. A calm, attentive visit gives our donkeys a better experience and provides a genuine picture of life on a working farm.