If you must feed them in the same spot be sure to provide the donkey with a hay feeder and the horse with a hay net. Donkeys have a more simple digestive system than horses and are not able to digest high-fiber foods as well. They also require less calories and nutrients than horses.
Full Answer
What should I Feed my rescue donkeys?
There are a number of different approaches to feeding rescue horses, mules and donkeys. Part of the decision will depend on the age and condition of the teeth on the rescued donkeys. If the teeth are OK, can use either a good quality grass forage (coastal, timothy, brome, Tifton etc.) or a legume such as alfalfa.
What kind of hay do donkeys eat?
If feeding hay to donkeys, ensure it is grass hay (no alfalfa) and as mature as possible. Late-cut grass hay that horse owners might not desire can be ideal for donkeys when straw is not an option.
Is it bad to feed a donkey like a horse?
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. Here are some good tips to follow when feeding donkeys: DO NOT overfeed!
What can you feed horses and donkeys?
What to feed your donkeysStraw. We recommend feeding donkeys quality barley straw as it is high in fibre and low in sugar, and closely resembles the food that a donkey would eat in the wild. ... Hay. ... Silage. ... High fibre pellets. ... Short chop chaff products. ... Dried sugar beet pulp. ... Succulents. ... Minerals and vitamins.More items...
What do you feed horses in Texas?
In certain situations, horses must be fed hay in the pasture. Again combination hay and grain feeders are ideal for horses on pasture. Feeding hay on the ground is not ideal, but is acceptable if the ground is dry. Feeding round bales is simple and can be economical.
What kind of feed do you give donkeys?
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).
Do horses and donkeys eat the same food?
It is generally accepted that the donkey can exist with less food than a horse. Donkeys and mules can utilize more mature, less digestible, more fibrous plant material than a horse. They are able metabolize their feed very efficiently and can be overfed very easily.
What do you seed horse pasture with in Texas?
These are wheat, oats, barley, cereal rye, triticale and rye grass. All of these annual varieties require seeding each fall. They are, therefore, relatively expensive because of the establishment cost, but they produce the highest quality forage available for horses during the fall, winter and early spring months.
What do you feed horses in cold weather?
In all scenarios, in winter months horses should be given at least 1.5 to 3% of their body weight in some form of forage; it could be in the form of long stem hay, chopped hays, forage based cubes, or combinations thereof. They should also have access to salt at all times and unlimited ice free water.
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.
What foods are toxic to donkeys?
Barley straw is a great option along with Meadow hay or seed hay. However, it's important to avoid feeding donkeys cereal grain, as they may develop gastric ulcers from these. Many other foods can be harmful to donkeys such as bread, rotting fruit, chicken feed, and horse nuts, and should all be avoided.
Do donkeys need salt blocks?
A block of salt is better than nothing at all. The best is loose (granular) salt. Donkeys, mules and horses have smoother tongues than a cow and may not actually get their needed amount of salt from a block. They may end up biting the block in an attempt to get more, which can lead to teeth and jaw or tooth problems.
What do wild donkeys like to eat?
Donkeys are grazers that typically like to eat grass, though they also eat shrubs and desert plants. Instead of tearing at grass with their teeth, donkeys grab the plant with their lips, pull it into their mouth, then rip it with their flat teeth and grind it down for swallowing.
How much hay should a donkey eat per day?
Many donkeys do. These are signs of an overweight donkey and in this case you need to feed them slightly less than a maintenance amount of hay so that they will lose the extra weight slowly. Feed them roughly 3-5 lbs of hay per day each – roughly!
Can donkeys be kept on pasture?
Generally, donkeys and other mammals can live in harmony together. As long as there is enough pasture, space, feed, and water for everyone placed all around the general grazing and sleeping areas, everyone should be happy.
What type of feed is best for horses?
Many pleasure and trail horses don't need grain: good-quality hay or pasture is sufficient. If hay isn't enough, grain can be added, but the bulk of a horse's calories should always come from roughage. Horses are meant to eat roughage, and their digestive system is designed to use the nutrition in grassy stalks.
What kind of food do horses eat?
In simple terms, horses eat grass and hay or haylage, but salt, concentrates and fruits or vegetables can also enhance their diets, depending on the required work regime and available feed.
What is a good horse feed?
Roughage/Forage Roughage, found in hay or grass, is the bulk of the horse's food. Grass or alfalfa hay, or a combination of the two, are good sources of roughage. Grass hay is generally higher in fiber and dry matter than alfalfa, but alfalfa may be higher in protein, energy, vitamins and calcium.
What do you feed a horse daily?
Structural carbohydrates, like hay and grass, are essential to a horse's diet. Horses eat large quantities of hay and grass as their main source of food. In fact, horses should eat about 15-20 pounds or 1-2% of their body weight in hay every day, so make sure that your horse always has plenty of hay to chew on.