
What to feed mini donkeys who are underweight?
- 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!
How do you care for a miniature donkey?
- CARE OF THE MINIATURE DONKEY. The following are some tips and procedures we use at Quarter Moon Ranch to care for our donkeys. ...
- WATER. Your donkey should have access to good, clean water 24 hours a day at all times. ...
- HAY. ...
- SUPPLEMENTAL FEEDING. ...
- MINERALS. ...
- WORMING. ...
- VACCINATIONS. ...
- HOOF CARE. ...
- TOXIC PLANTS. ...
- GENERAL CARE. ...
What treats can I give my donkeys?
Treats
- Basic treats like carrots, apples, peppermints, bananas, watermelon, oranges, pears, grapes, celery, strawberries, and pumpkin are all safe for donkeys. ...
- Donkeys like sweet flavors, like raspberry. ...
- You can add fruit to a bucket of water to make it more challenging to grab—think bobbing for apples, but with donkeys!
What do you feed miniature donkeys?
🌟1. All donkeys, no matter the size, still get mixed grass hay in the winter free choice and they still get lots of forage from the land in the summer. BUT, standard and especially miniature donkeys need to be fed in slow feeder hay bags. For more on those check here:

Do miniature donkeys Need grain?
Answer. I agree with your vet that the donkeys do not need any grain, although historically that is what horse owners have used to balance their horse's diet. Fortunately, there are other options these days for stock owners who wish to balance the diets of their horses and donkeys.
What do dwarf donkeys eat?
Miniature donkeys require good quality hay and fresh, clean water. Their primary food is grass, but they also graze other shrubs and desert plants. If only poor quality hay is available, it should be supplemented with a commercial feed. Because donkeys are prone to weight gain, their feed should be closely monitored.
How much hay should a mini donkey eat per day?
Ideally your hay selection should be in the range of 10% to 12% protein. We like to feed two times per day. We use a fish scale hanging in the barn to weigh the hay. Allow for the weight of your bucket and make sure each donkey is getting 1 ½ to 2 pounds of hay per feeding.
What grain should I feed my donkey?
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.
Can mini donkeys eat sweet feed?
You should never feed Longears (donkeys, or mules) any pre-mixed sweet feeds, or products high in alfalfa. Equines in general should never be turned out in a pasture with Fescue grass.
Do mini donkeys need salt blocks?
Donkeys need salt and, if suffering from a salt deficiency, they may eat dirt or lick/chew objects. To avoid this, pour some loose salt into a separate container to other food or give a little at night. You can also buy equine salt lick blocks, but make sure you do not buy a cattle salt block by mistake.
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.
Should donkeys be stabled at night?
Most donkeys normally need to drink more water in winter than in Summer as they are consuming more dried food. We recommend miniatures are stabled at night, especially in winter. Additionally for security purposes a stable with security lights is the safest place for such friendly animals all year round after dark.
Do donkeys need worming?
Controlling worms in donkeys is fundamental to their health and welfare. Following a suitable worm control programme can keep the number of worms to a minimum. Donkeys usually acquire worms (internal parasites) by grazing contaminated pasture.
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.
Is alfalfa hay good for donkeys?
Straw is also far lower in protein than a typical grass hay and, certainly, donkeys should not be fed alfalfa due to its significantly higher protein content .
What fruits can mini donkeys eat?
Our donkeys all love carrots, bananas, apples, pears, and turnips – which are all safe and usually very popular with donkeys. Be careful to cut fruit or vegetables in a size that allows the donkey to safely eat them and prevent any choking hazard.
Can donkeys just eat grass?
Because food availability in their native settings is sparse donkeys in such environments don't only eat grass. They happily eat browse (woody shrubs, trees, and broadleaf plants) and forbs (flowing plants) as well.
Do mini donkeys eat weeds?
ANSWER: Donkeys eat meadow grasses and "weeds", but they also will eat tree leaves and even tree bark. They also love things like carrots and apples and, as you have learned, your ornamental lawn plants.
Can donkeys eat dog food?
Nevertheless, dog food is not suitable for donkeys. Although a few bites probably won't hurt a donkey, you certainly don't want to make it part of their regular diet. After all, a lot of dog foods can contain different types of meat, which has no place in equine nutrition.
What do donkeys eat?
Your first care question might be," What do they eat and how much do they eat?". Miniature Donkeys are grazers. So, they will be eating your pasture grass. Coastal Bermuda seems to be the best , but there are many other native grasses in your area of the country ,that will be a good food supply.
How far is San Antonio from the mini donkey farm?
San Antonio is three hours South of our mini farm. ... Houston is five hours South East. Odessa Midland about 3 and a half hours West of our miniature donkey farm ...El Paso is West from our miniature donkey farm.
Where is the mini donkey farm in Texas?
Stephenville , Texas where our mini donkey farm is located , is a short drive from cities like Weatherford, Granbury, Mineral Wells, Glen Rose, Cleburne, Brownwood , and Hico. Our miniature donkey farm is about an hour to an hour and a half South West of Ft. Worth and Dallas.
How much protein should I feed my horse?
If you think you fall into that category limit the amount of horse and mule feed you give as treat and be sure it is a lower protein mix---10 % to 12%. If you cannot find that low of protein do not to feed over 14%.
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.
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.
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 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.
Are Miniature Donkeys Good Pets?
As their name suggests, miniature donkeys take up less space than full-sized ones and they might also need less feed. They’re every bit as intelligent as full-sized donkeys and can be taught to get along with other pets.
How Much Do Miniature Donkeys Cost?
True miniature donkeys that are less than 9 hands tall can cost anywhere from around $500-2,000. You can find ones that are slightly larger at much lower prices.
How Big Do Dwarf Donkeys Get?
In general, the term dwarf donkey isn’t specifically defined by any breeders. As a result, there’s no concrete definition as to how big they get.
What are Miniature Donkeys Good for?
While they’re usually kept as companion animals at this point, miniature donkeys have historically been used for a number of farm-related tasks. They’re safer than full-sized donkeys and can be used for pasture as well as yard maintenance.
Can You Keep a Miniature Donkey in Your House?
Some people do keep miniature donkeys in their house, but you’ll want to make sure that you either raise them as an indoor animal or introduce them to your house over time. An outdoor miniature donkey who has never been inside of a home before will otherwise be likely to start wrecking things.
Do Miniature Donkeys Keep Coyotes Away?
Coyotes don’t usually like the presence of donkeys or the noise they make, so miniature ones can in fact keep them away. You don’t want to solely rely on them as the only way to keep coyotes away, however, since there are numerous reports of instances where coyotes successfully killed an unprotected miniature donkey.
Are Donkeys Expensive to Keep?
Outside of the initial costs, miniature donkeys can live on high-grade alfalfa-based feed that costs around $140-165 each ton. Regular hay is less than this, so miniature donkeys might not cost anywhere near as much to take care of as some might think.
What is graining in donkeys?
The key is to observe how your graining (supplemental feeding) is effecting your donkey's body condition. There are several types of supplemental feeds. One grain that is used frequently is crimped oats (must be “crimped" oats not whole oats). Crimped oats is usually 10% protein with some crude fat.
How to teach a donkey to load in a trailer?
If you want to teach your donkey to load easily in a trailer, take your donkey the edge of the trailer and keep constant pressure on the lead rope. He will resist, but will give an inch or so at a time in order to relieve the pressure. When he does, keep the pressure on and just BE PATIENT.
Why do donkeys stand tied?
Our donkeys have learned how to stand tied and be quiet because we tie them all to post when the farrier comes. When hooves are trimmed, they are left there while the rest of the herd gets their hooves trimmed. This teaches them patience. Some get to where they just go to sleep tied to the fence.
What is the third type of supplemental feed?
The third type of supplemental feed comes in various brand names, but are commonly referred to as a total or balanced nutritional supplement. Products such as Strategy, Omaline 100, 200, and 300 are examples of this feed. All are by Purina.
When do donkeys get rhinopneumonitis?
Pregnant jennies receive a rhinopneumonitis injection (commonly Rhino-Pneumabort K) in the 5th, 7th, and 9th months of pregnancy to prevent abortion. Our show donkeys are given a Rhino-flu booster 3 weeks prior to attending a show and are isolated from the rest of the herd for at least 2 weeks following a show.
Do donkeys need to be body clipped?
Body clipping makes it cooler for them in the summer, but exposes the skin to flies. Also, spotted donkeys are more susceptible to sunburn when body clipped. Do not body clip late in the year as it takes several months to grow out and winter winds may arrive before your donkey's winter coat does.
Can donkeys eat salt?
We think it is easier for the donkey, especially foals, to eat the granular minerals. Since a donkey does not have all of its permanent teeth until age five, they may not be able to use the block very well if teeth are missing. A salt block may also be made available to them. WORMING.
