Feeds
- Forage Balancers. Donkeys on restricted grazing or simply needing a vitamin and mineral supplement, can benefit from a forage balancer.
- Chaff. Older donkeys with poor dentition can struggle to chew well enough to get sufficient fibre from forage.
- High Fibre Cubes. ...
- Beet Pulp. ...
What treats can I give my donkeys?
Six Homemade Mini Donkey Treats from the Heart
- Popgrain Balls. Our first yummy treat for mini donkeys is these Popgrain balls. ...
- Flax Snax. The sweetness of these Flax Snax can be attributed to ingredients like molasses, cinnamon, and coconut oil.
- Apple and Carrot Treats. ...
- No-Bake Cookies. ...
- Carrot Treats. ...
- Ultimate Donkey Cookie. ...
- Conclusion. ...
What should I Feed my donkey?
- Limited grazing (if available)
- No straw or hay
- UK: 2.25-3kg MolliChaff Donkey fed free-choice or several times a day, 0.5kg Saracen Donkey Diet, soaked and split into two feeds per day and 150g TopSpec Comprehensive Balancer per day. ...
- USA: 2.25-3kg Triple Crown Safe Starch Forage per day, fed free-choice or split into three or four feeds per day. ...
What should you feed your donkeys?
- Hay
- Straw
- Minerals and Vitamins
- Short chop chaff products
- High Fibre Pellets
- Fruits and Vegetables
- Dried Sugar Beet Pulp
- Don’t forget – Your donkey needs plenty of fresh water!
What is the best grain for donkeys?
What should I feed my donkey?
- Basic rules of feeding a donkey. Feed little and often as donkeys are ‘trickle feeders’. ...
- High fibre requirement. Donkeys require a diet high in fibre and low in protein, sugars, starch/carbohydrates and calories. ...
- Common health problems associated with an inappropriate diet. ...
- General. ...
- Elderly donkeys. ...
What kind of grain do you feed a donkey?
The donkey diet should consist of mainly good quality barley straw or oat straw (barley straw is best) and carefully restricted access to grass. Donkeys may require supplemental hay if they are not maintaining good body condition with the straw and restricted grass diet (for e.g. during the winter months).
What do you feed a malnourished donkey?
Good quality hay or high fibre haylage (e.g. Horsehage High Fibre) should be all that is fed initially, fed in small quantities (up to ¼ Kg) every 4-6 hours. If teeth are poor a low energy and low non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) hay replacement product (e.g. Happy Hoof) can be fed instead.
How old do donkeys last if they are healthy?
Prior to getting a donkey, it is important to be aware that owning a donkey is a long-term commitment; the average age for donkeys in the UK is 27 but donkeys can live to over 40 years old! Donkeys are not like horses; they differ physically, mentally and emotionally.
What do underweight donkeys eat?
Fibre pellets, unmolassed beet pulp and/or unmolassed chopped fibre (chaff) products can all be fed to encourage weight gain. Alfalfa, in short chop or pellet form, can be a useful addition to the diet as long as the donkey has good teeth and is not suffering from liver or kidney problems.
What is a donkeys favorite food?
Carrots, apples, bananas, pears, turnips and swedes are all safe and usually very popular with donkeys. Ensure that chopped fruit and vegetables are cut in a way that minimises the risk of choking, such as in sticks.
What is the best feed for donkeys?
Top donkey feeds:Straw. Barley straw is an ideal feed for your donkey. This is because donkeys need high fibre diets with a low amount of protein and carbohydrates. ... Hay and grass. The remainder of your donkey's diet (25-50 per cent) should be grazing on grass, hay or haylage.
What happens to old donkeys?
As donkeys age, painful conditions like arthritis, dental disease, foot problems and breathing problems become more common. These conditions can easily go unnoticed and a donkey's quality of life may deteriorate gradually.
How do donkeys show affection to humans?
Donkeys are very tactile, affectionate animals among themselves and their human companions. They are fond of doing what I call "wrapping" where they cling to you and wrap themselves around you.
What is the average lifespan of a donkey?
27 – 40 yearsDonkey / Lifespan
Are rolled oats good for donkeys?
Youngsters under the age of two and older donkeys that are more than 20-years-old have been found to do well on rolled oats or a 50 per cent rolled oat and 50 per cent rolled barley mix. Adult donkeys over the age of two years do well on good quality, clean whole oats.
Are Timothy pellets good for donkeys?
Donkeys and mules that are not doing any work should be able to meet all of their nutrient requirements from good grass hay (such as timothy or orchard grass offered from Standlee Premium Western Forage) fed at a rate of 1.5% of body weight and a low-intake ration balancer pellet.
Should donkeys eat hay or straw?
Straw should make up the majority of most donkeys' diets, with grazing and hay or haylage being considered a top-up only. Feeding a donkey on grass and hay without providing any straw will end up over-supplying them with calories and energy, causing them to store the excess calories as fat.
How do you put weight on a donkey?
Assuming the donkey has no dental problems, ad lib straw and good quality hay or high fibre haylage (e.g. Horsehage High Fibre) should form the main part of the donkey's diet. the diet for encouraging weight gain and are best fed soaked. bodyweight per day (i.e. 180g per day for a 180kg donkey).
What is barley straw for donkeys?
Barley straw is the best all-rounder for most healthy donkeys, as it makes a good feeding and bedding straw and is readily available. Wheat straw is more fibrous than barley straw and more difficult to chew. We would usually only recommend feeding it to younger donkeys for this reason.
Do donkeys Need grain?
Grain Tolerance Donkeys, on the other hand, don't need this kind of supplementation. In fact, cereal grains should never be fed to a donkey; a donkey's increased metabolism of energy and protein makes cereal grains completely off-limits.
How much grain should I feed my miniature donkey?
For miniature donkeys, all you would need to feed is 10 g (1/3 oz) per day. The buckets are much smaller and have a longer shelf life, so there would be no concern about the product going stale.
What can I feed my donkey?
Donkeys enjoy soaked sugar beet added as a ‘top dressing’ to their normal diet.
What do donkeys eat?
Donkeys have evolved to eat fibrous plant materials in small quantities throughout the day. This is known as trickle feeding and helps to keep the donkey’s digestive system healthy and to keep the donkey occupied. When donkeys have poor teeth and are finding long fibres difficult to chew, it is important to provide them with an alternative source of fibre. There are a number of hay replacement short chop products on the market for example Mollichaff Donkey, Dengie Hi Fi Lite, Hi Fi Senior and Happy Hoof.
What to feed an elderly donkey?
It is important to only offer treats that elderly donkeys can manage. To tempt fussy donkeys, carrots, bananas and apples are invaluable; however, donkeys with poor teeth may struggle with them. Grated carrots and apples are ideal, however if this is not practical mashed, tinned carrots may be used or small amounts of unsweetened apple sauce may be helpful.
How long do donkeys live?
Many donkeys live until 30 years and beyond. Get up to speed on your ageing donkey's dietary needs and health issues. Many donkeys live until 30 years and the accepted classification for a ‘geriatric’ donkey is one that is over 20 years old. This is more the case in donkeys kept as companions rather than as working donkeys, ...
How much food should I feed a 200 kg donkey?
Meals of less than 500 g of supplementary feed are ideal for a 200 kg donkey. Try to avoid feeding as one meal, small frequent meals are best. If you are not feeding a forage balancer, ensure that the donkeys have access to an equine specific non-molassed mineral lick.
How often should I check my donkey's dental health?
Regular checks of the dental function is essential and either a vet or a dental technician should carry out checks every 6 months and appropriate treatment where necessary. Donkeys have specific requirements, which are often very different to those of horses and ponies, and it is important to be aware of these.
How often should you check your dental fibres?
Regular checks of the dental function is essential and either a vet or a dental technician should carry out checks every 6 months ...
What do donkeys eat?
High fibre requirement. Donkeys require a diet high in fibre and low in protein, sugars, starch/carbohydrates and calories. The donkey diet should consist of mainly good quality barley straw or oat straw (barley straw is best) and carefully restricted access to grass. Donkeys may require supplemental hay if they are not maintaining good body ...
What is trickle feeding?
This is known as trickle feeding and helps to keep the donkey’s digestive system healthy and to keep the donkey occupied. Please note that, while donkeys are a member of the Equidae or horse family, they are a different species to horses and therefore have different needs.
How to keep donkeys indoors?
Donkeys kept indoors require a floor-level feed bin or corner-floor feeder placed so that feed cannot get soiled. Hay nets are not recommended as it is better for donkeys to eat from the floor and empty hay nets can be a hazard. Place enough straw in the feeder so that they can browse through it. There will be no waste as the remainder can be used for bedding. If possible, position the feeder so that the donkey’s feet are not on the bedding while they are eating, so they have a chance to dry out. It is recommended to allow ‘paddock’ time to exercise and for environmental enrichment.#N#Donkeys should always have access to a clean water supply and they may be quite fussy about what they drink. A securely supported bucket or a self-filling trough should be constantly available and should be cleaned out daily after the stable has been mucked out to avoid a build up of dust or dirt in the water.
Why do donkeys need veterinary attention?
These donkeys will require veterinary attention to address the dental issues and special dietary attention to ensure they receive adequate nutrition. They may require supplementary feeding with high fibre products that are more easily eaten e.g. short-chop high fibre products to reduce the need to chew.
How do donkeys survive?
Donkeys have evolved over thousands of years to live in semi-arid environments where the nutritional quality of the food available is very poor. They have adapted to eat fibrous plant material in small quantities throughout the day. This is known as trickle feeding and helps to keep the donkey’s digestive system healthy and to keep ...
Can donkeys have laminitis?
Limit cereal (grain) based diets. In one study, donkeys that had been fed a diet including cereal-based concentrates were more likely to have gastric ulcers when compared to donkeys fed on a fibre concentrate or forage-only diet.
Do donkeys need special diets?
Elderly donkeys. Please note that elderly donkeys may require special dietary attention. Dental disease and/or other health problems may mean that older donkeys have trouble chewing long strands of straw/hay and therefore they may require supplementary feeding to provide an alternative fibre source.
How does a donkey get energy?
Energy is available to the donkey in several different forms. It is supplied in the food as carbohydrate, fat or protein. It is also available from the body reserves of glycogen in the muscles and liver or from fat in the adipose tissue throughout the body. Providing energy from food protein is wasteful. Many working donkeys are in lean condition and so have few body reserves to call on. The main supply of energy to a working animal is therefore the carbohydrate and fat in the diet. Carbohydrate is in two forms:#N#(a) simple carbohydrates, which are broken down to glucose which is absorbed from the small intestine into the bloodstream and#N#(b) complex carbohydrates found in fibrous plant material, which are fermented by the microorganisms in the large intestine to produce volatile fatty acids absorbed through the gut wall into the bloodstream.
How does a donkey regulate its temperature?
One way the donkey regulates its body temperature is by reducing the metabolic heat produced during feeding. Rate of passage of digesta through the intestine can also slow down when the donkey is hot, further reducing food intake.
How much do donkeys eat?
It will then eat about 2.5 kg of dry matter in a day per 100 kg live weight. A donkey allowed access to grazing at will, will spend about 60% of the day in feeding.
How to meet water requirements for donkeys?
The best advice that can be given on how to meet water requirements is - offer water to the donkey at every opportunity and at least 4 times a day, more if it is working in the heat. Contrary to popular belief a donkey, and a horse, does not suffer from water toxicity. Both species can drink large amounts of water in one go without suffering any ill effects. A donkey deprived of water is very good at drinking to its requirements. In a study in Zimbabwe donkeys drinking only every 48 hours, drank the same amount over a three-week period as donkeys allowed to drink as much as they wanted daily. Working donkeys can also be watered during work in the day with no harm. In any short rest periods it is important to make sure the donkey is in the shade and to offer it water. It may not drink straight away so let the donkey spend some time at the trough or with the water bucket (at least 5 minutes) to see if it will drink. When it starts drinking it may pause in drinking and look about, make sure it is allowed to continue until it has finished and turns away of its own accord.
How much time do donkeys spend feeding?
In natural conditions a donkey would spend 14 - 16 hours a day in feeding. It is important that donkeys kept on grazing land have time to eat. Work in particular takes the donkey away from feeding. The more work it does the less time there is for feeding, but the more food is needed to meet the increased energy requirement. A working donkey therefore needs more concentrated feeds than one that is not working. Donkeys are more susceptible to the time available for eating than cattle. Cattle increase rate of eating if they have been working, donkeys do not, since the initial chewing is more important in processing the food in the donkey than in the ox (a ruminant).
What is the digestive system of a donkey?
It consists of the mouth (lips and teeth), the esophagus, the stomach, the small intestine, the large intestine (cecum and colon) and the rectum.
What does a donkey eat?
The donkey is a herbivore. This means that it eats plants as food. The food provides the energy, protein, minerals and vitamins which the donkey needs for maintenance, for work, for growth, and when appropriate for pregnancy and lactation.
Can a donkey have a ration balancer?
A product like Hallway Feeds Pure & Simple Balancer can support a healthy digestive tract and has the protein, vitamins, and minerals that many equines need to ensure overall health. Note , though, that a donkey would be fed a balancer at a much lower rate than a pony. Consult your vet for appropriate advice.
Is a donkey a pet?
Donkeys are growing in popularity as pets, even here in Kentucky, home of the Horse Capital of the World! Because donkeys look so similar to ponies, their owners may think Hallway Feeds is a good option to ensure they get all the nutrition they need. However, donkeys and ponies are very different—with different digestive systems, ...
Is a donkey a browser?
For example, ponies are grazers, and they can meet a lot of their nutritional needs out in the pasture. Donkeys, however, are both grazers and browsers.
Can donkeys get laminitis?
It also means that if a donkey is let loose in a lush pasture, he’s more likely to put on too much weight. (And yes, overweight donkeys can develop laminitis.) Ideally, a donkey’s year-round diet should include more mature hay than grass, to help keep his condition in check.
Can donkeys eat cereal?
Donkeys, on the other hand, don’t need this kind of supplementation. In fact, cereal grains should never be fed to a donkey; a donkey’s increased metabolism of energy and protein makes cereal grains completely off-limits.
Why do donkeys eat desert?
Due to their typical desert diet, their digestive system is much more efficient than that of a horse, and therefore donkeys require a different feeding strategy. In many parts of the world, donkeys face the issue of malnutrition and starvation.
How to care for a donkey?
To correctly care for your donkey, remember that it is not just a “horse with longer ears”. Donkeys are unique in their nutritional and care requirements, but they will give you endless enjoyment if you manage them properly. Categories. Care and Management, Feeding Management, Horse Nutrition, How To, Weight Control.
What to feed a rescue horse?
If the teeth are OK, can use either a good quality grass forage (coastal, timothy, brome, Tifton etc.) or a legume such as alfalfa.
Can you feed a donkey hay?
Then you can feed the donkey his correct amount of hay where he can get to it. This may help your older horse as well, since she won’t be competing for her feed and though he may not think so, your donkey will benefit from a more appropriate diet. Thanks for the question!
Do donkeys need energy?
In countries like the United States we present donkeys with energy rich food and usually don’t require them to work very hard for it. People tend to feed these animals just like horses – but a diet that may be perfectly fine for a maintenance horse could cause the average donkey to become grossly overweight.
Do donkeys eat horses?
Donkeys have a little different feeding behavior in some cases than horses. You might try a different feed just to give the donkey a different taste/feel. Old timers used to say that donkeys are very responsive to anything that made them uncomfortable and learn to graze very selectively, more so than horses.
Is donkey feed better than horse feed?
Hello Larry, Thanks for the question. Donkeys are typically more efficient digesters, and thus easier to put weight on than horses. We would suggest a high fat, high fiber horse feed, that is also controlled starch. SafeChoice Original or Special Care would both be excellent options for you. Good luck!
WHICH SEX TO KEEP
Firstly, if you don't plan on breeding with donkeys, it's best not to keep stallions. They can be very unpredictable and get aggressive, especially if there is a mare in season nearby. Geldings and mares are safer options when you want to keep donkeys for other reasons. Even better is keeping donkeys of the same sex.
SHELTER AND SPACE NEEDS
Unlike a horse, donkeys do not have a natural build-up of grease to make their coat waterproof, and they originate from hotter climates. For this reason, they should always have access to a shelter or stable where they can hide from the elements.
WHAT DO DONKEYS EAT?
They are natural browsers and enjoy grass, bushes, berries, and fallen fruit that they may find in their natural habitat.
COMPANIONSHIP
Donkeys need a friend. It is vital to their health and well-being. They will often pair up for life with one donkey or other equines such as horses, mules, and goats. They can get very stressed when removed from their companion or even when the companion has died.
HEALTH AND WELLNESS
Donkeys are desert country animals engineered to endure rugged, dry terrains. So when they live in environments far removed from this, hoof care is also critical. Find a farrier who can check and trim their hooves often.
Long Fibre Replacement
Other Supplementary Feeds
- Some donkeys may require more calories than those that can be provided by a fibrous diet alone and may need additional feeds. There are a number of high energy alfalfa based chop products such as Alfa A, that may be used to supplement part of the fibre ration. Alfalfa products are not suitable for older donkeys with poor liver function; a vet can take blood samples to check liver fu…
Appetizing Additions
- Although donkeys are generally good eaters and enjoy most feeds given to them some elderly donkeys may need the addition of some extra ‘goodies’ to tempt them. It is important to only offer treats that elderly donkeys can manage. To tempt fussy donkeys, carrots, bananas and apples are invaluable; however, donkeys with poor teeth may struggle with t...
Feeding Hints and Tips
- The following hints and tips are important to remember when feeding your donkey: 1. Continually assess your donkey’s body condition, using the donkey specific body condition scoring chart, and make changes to their diet accordingly. 2. Make sure that fresh, clean water is available at all times. It is important to ensure your donkey is drinking enough, sometimes in the winter donkey…
Introduction
Feeding Strategy of The Donkey
- To feed a donkey well does not require a large amount of money or feed, it is easier to feed a working donkey well than for example a working ox. The donkey is smaller and so needs less actual feed than most cattle. However, the way in which the donkey processes the food and what it gets from it are different from an ox. It is important to remember this when feeding donkeys - t…
The Digestive Tract
- The anatomy of the digestive system of the donkey is similar to that of the horse (Figure 1). It consists of the mouth (lips and teeth), the esophagus, the stomach, the small intestine, the large intestine (cecum and colon) and the rectum.
Foods Available
- Most donkeys are fed on roughages for most of their life, supplemented with grazing of natural grassland, roadsides, bush and scrubland if they are kept in the rural areas. Many working donkeys are found in urban and peri-urban areas of the world where opportunities for grazing are few and people feed their animals entirely on purchased feeds. In t...
Guidelines to Feeding Donkeys For Different Activities
- These are guidelines, since the exact amounts and proportions will be affected by how much production is expected from the donkey, its body condition and the food available. A thin donkey has few body reserves of energy, whereas a donkey in good condition does have something in reserve for a short period. Table 1shows how to assess the feeding value of roughage in terms …
Conclusions
- The final test of a ration is to try feeding it to some donkeys and see if it is palatable, maintains weight and keeps the animals healthy. Feed a range of feedstuffs - if possible a mixture of dry forage, green forage and some concentrate - and then you can rarely go wrong. Feed the young donkey on the best possible feeds available, good quality roughage and high protein, energy con…
General Textbooks on Equine Nutrition
- 1. Allison K, Day C. A Guide to Equine Nutrition. UK: JA Allen Ltd, 1995. 2. Cuddeford D. Equine Nutrition. UK: The Crowood Press, 1997. - Available from amazon.com- 3. Frape D. Equine Nutrition and Feeding. UK: Blackwell Sciences, 1998. - Available from amazon.com- 4. Kohnke J, Kelleher F and Trevor-Jones P. Feeding Horses in Australia. A Guide for Horse Owners and Man…