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:
What is the best feed for miniature 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 supplements do donkeys need?
Forage that is lacking in certain nutrients can be supplemented with a good forage balancer recommended by your veterinarian. Most healthy adult donkeys only really need to eat straw plus a little hay/haylage or grass and a vitamin and mineral supplement (forage balancer).
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 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.
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.
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.
How do I get my miniature donkey to gain weight?
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.
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.
Why do donkeys need salt?
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Do donkeys need grain everyday?
Do Donkeys Need Grain? Donkeys do not need to be fed regular grain if they are given enough straw along with grass or hay to maintain their normal diet.
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 eat grain?
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.
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.
Is Kelp good for donkeys?
They always have healthy and shiny coats. They grew good hooves and did great on that simple diet. I always offer dried herbs and kelp as mineral supplements and health support too.
How much hay should a donkey eat?
We know, from research conducted here at The Donkey Sanctuary, that donkeys need to eat approximately 1.5% of their own bodyweight per day in dry food. Straw contains very little water and is approximately 90% dry matter.
How do you take care of a donkey?
It is good to be familiar with their feet and pick them up to clean them out regularly. Donkeys should be kept on clean, dry bedding, and well drained fields. Feet should be trimmed once every 8 weeks by a farrier who has some experience with donkeys.
What to feed donkeys in winter?
If you plan to feed your donkeys hay during the winter months, ensure you have enough forage in store to see you through the winter as supplies could run out before the winter is over. Never feed donkeys mouldy hay as they may have potentially fatal allergies to the mould. It is best to try and build up a good relationship with your hay supplier to make sure you have a consistent supply of good, clean hay suitable for feeding to your donkeys. Different types of hay available include:
What do donkeys eat?
In their natural habitat donkeys will browse, eating highly fibrous plant material in small quantities throughout the day. During the spring and summer the donkeys at The Donkey Sanctuary have access to restricted grazing.
Why do donkeys eat straw?
Constant access to straw allows a donkey to eat to appetite without consuming too many calories. Too many additional calories adds a risk that the donkey could put on excess weight, which has associated risks of developing health conditions such as laminitis and hyperlipaemia.
How do donkeys control grass?
The amount of grass donkeys have access to is controlled, either by strip grazing using electric fencing or by co-grazing with other species to prevent them from becoming overweight. During the winter months some of our donkeys are housed in large airy barns with concrete run-out yards, without access to grass.
What is the best grass for donkeys?
Meadow Hay is a natural mix of grasses made from grass grown on old pasture and is suitable for feeding to donkeys. Seed Hay is also good for donkeys. It is a planted crop of specific grasses, such as rye or timothy, which the farmer makes from the stems remaining after the grain has been taken.
When is the best time to cut hay for donkeys?
Weather conditions tend to influence the cutting season - late May to July. Remember late cut hay will have lower energy values, which may suit your donkeys if they are overweight and require forage with a lower energy content, but not if they are elderly/underweight donkeys that need feeding up.
What is the phone number for the welfare of a pasture?
For more information about nutrition and pasture management, please call the welfare advice line on 01395 578222.
