Hi Kelly!  Donkeys in my area (Topsfield, MA) are a little more than your area.  They used to be a LOT more but seem to have come down.  I would say you could find a Jenny for around $800 and a Jack for around $400.  These are the Sicilian donkeys, mind you.  Larger ones would be less.  We had a "small standard" Jenny, once.  She was smaller than a standard donkey but not quite a mini.  She was mean and fat – but she was given to us which was great because we couldn't afford to buy one.  Funny thing was that after a few months I went down to do the morning feeding and lo and behold!  A teeny tiny baby donkey!!  No one knew she was pregnant and apparently that was the reason she was so large and mean!  She turned out to be fine after that and we ended up giving "Buzz Burro" to a friend of our farrier's.  He was adorable.  I didn't mind the noise, I kinda like hearing it – makes me smile.  But then, I like hearing guinnea hens in the neighborhood, ha ha!  I have no idea whether they make good guard animals, but I have heard that they do.  Like BEG says, it could depend on the animal.  Good luck, whatever you do!

Jan

Donkeys in Texas are fairly cheap, most of the time Free, and with the drought last year most Counties are having big problems with donkeys roaming the roads and no room at the County Shelters.  It seems some people buy the cute little animals without checking out what it requires.  The children and adults have no idea how to handle or train farm animals and they usually get rid of it. It doesn't go a week without a phone call from someone wanting to give me an animal or two, donkeys. paint horses, rabbits, cats, dogs, birds, hamsters, white mice, potlbellied pig, and more.  Sometimes I think the people in this area believe I run an animal shelter.  Sometimes it is very difficult to say NO!  But I have learned how to say it.  I wonder if this week someone will call to give me a wonderful milk cow--What I want!

I have a sweet jack donkey that I'm looking for a home for – he's around 6 years old, and gentle around my horses (though I haven't put him in with my goats yet).  I rescued him and one other from an auction – they were both FULL of parasites and the other donkey had to be put down.  Blackjack was also very close to the same fate, but made a rather miraculous recovery and is now  happy and healthy.

I had planned to keep him to put in with my does, but they don't like equines AT ALL, so that idea is out.  Right now he's hanging out with my Quarter Horse stallion, but he needs a home.

He's up to date on shots, had his teeth checked, hooves trimmed, and Coggins done last week. I'll even give him a round of dewormer (3 doses 10 days apart) before he goes to his new home.  I'm in Northern Virginia, and if you're interested in him, message me and we might be able to work something out.