Texas Drought's Latest Manifestation - Wave Of Abandoned Donkeys Stressing Rural Animal Shelters [View all]
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Texas, though, is among the worst off, with its abundance of ranches and farms and with drought covering practically the whole state. Earlier this year, the ASPCA launched a $250,000 "bale-out" to buy feed for shelters and owners in Texas and neighboring Oklahoma.
Texas farmers have racked up billions of dollars in drought-related losses, including some $750 million in ruined hay, according to Larry Redmon, a forage expert at Texas A&M University. Hay prices jumped to $250 to $275 a ton from about $120 a ton last year, he said.
Among livestock, donkeys are the most likely to be kicked out first by struggling ranchers, experts say, because they are of little agricultural use. Most of them are oversized pets or serve as flock protectors to fend off predators such as coyotes. (Unlike horses, which flee when threatened, donkeys tend to stand their ground and attack, according to connoisseurs.)
Donkeys, also known as burros, also are harder to sell than other farm animals, and many auctions are turning them down, particularly the males, known as jacks. "You cannot give a jack away," said Beverly Miller, who's been in the equine-auctioning business for decades in Ector, Texas, near the Oklahoma line.
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