What Hay is the best for mini 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!
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?
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. ...
Can a miniature donkey eat goat food?
The first thing we need to make sure of is that the goat feed is NOT medicated. If it is medicated, it should NOT be fed to a donkey. If it is not medicated, feeding small quantities is unlikely to be a problem, but I cannot recommend a goat feed for a donkey without knowing more about the goat feed.
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.
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 do you feed 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.
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.
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 fed grain?
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).
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.
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.
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 is the best feed for 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 pellets to feed donkeys?
You may choose to feed mineral balancer pellets, which is a concentrated and economical pellet shaped feed that provides the donkey with daily minerals that it needs but also balances the ratio of minerals which are needed for most diets.
Do donkeys need worming?
Donkeys are affected by several different parasites or worms, and must be wormed regularly. The interval between routine worming depends on the type of wormer being used. As a general rule, worming is usually recommended approximately every 8 weeks.
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 much hay do you feed a donkey?
So---"How much hay do you feed?" This can vary, but if you are feeding small square bales a bale will normally be around 50 lbs. When you cut the string or wire the bale of hay will naturally fall into sections, which you will hear people refer to as a flake or a wedge. Recently, it was refered to as a taco. One healthy size wedge will be plenty of hay for one miniature donkey for a day. As long as you have some natural grazing.
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.
Can you feed Jenny a protein treat?
If you cannot find that low of protein do not to feed over 14%. ( If your Jenny (Mom) is nursing and needs to make more milk, you can feed her a higher protein treat. Many times this helps her.) Also.... always have a good soft mineral block out for your little minis and a salt block too.
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.
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.
Why are donkeys so overweight?
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. Here are some good tips to follow when feeding donkeys:
How much salt should I give my rescue animal?
Because rescue animals may also be salt starved and also have limited microflora in the gut, I recommend making loose salt available, starting with 2-4 ounces per head per day and working up to free choice and using a probiotic paste when introducing the animals to feed to help get the gut populated. Fresh clean water needs to be available as well.
How to feed a dog with poor body condition?
Unless he is in poor body condition, in which case you can feed at the upper end of the range until he gets up to condition, then back off the feed until you find the amount he maintains condition at.
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.
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.
What do pony feeds need?
Depending on a pony’s condition, size, and workload, he may need to consume a feed to ensure he gets the nutrients he needs for optimal health. This could include something like Fibrenergy, a textured feed with the kind of protein, vitamins, and minerals vital to a working pony.
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 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.
Do donkeys need salt?
In addition, both ponies and donkeys need plenty of fresh, clean water and access to a free-choice, equine salt block.
What Do I Need for a Mini Donkey?
You’ll need a storage area for feed and a trough that can hold plenty of water. A dedicated shelter for your donkey as well as a fenced off area for them outside.
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.
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.
How Long Do Mini Donkeys Live?
Miniature donkeys can live for at least 25 years. World traveler Dena Haines has found ones living as long as 35 years in some communities, and it’s possible that they could even live longer than this if they get sufficient exercise and eat a natural diet that isn’t too heavy on rich grasses.
What is the best feed for donkeys?
If you ask 10 donkey owners or breeders their views on supplemental feeding, you will get 10 different responses and all will, in all probability, work very well for their animals. 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. Donkeys do well with this grain, because it's in a pure form. A second grain that's widely used is called horse & mule feed or sweet feed. This feed comes in 10, 12, and 14 percent protein amounts. We stopped using horse and mule feed for our MATURE donkeys because we found that it was putting weight on our donkeys but not muscle, probably because it contains “sweet" additives such as molasses. Another feed is regular horse pellets that you can get in 10, 12, and 14 percent protein amounts. These feeds can be used for your lactating jennets (gals that are nursing foals) and for foals and yearlings. 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. These products contain protein, but also contain a good balance of vitamins and minerals. Although more expensive than other supplements, these are a complete nutritional package for your donkey. We feed Omaline 200 to our show donkeys, our weanlings, and any donkey in need of weight gain. We find that it gets the youngsters off to a good nutritional start.
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.
Why do donkeys need a shed?
Donkeys need a three-sided loafing shed for protection against the cold north winds of winter and the hot sun of summer. Do not be surprised if your donkey doesn't use it at times when you think he should. He knows when to seek protection and when to just enjoy the rain.
How to teach a donkey to walk?
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. When training your donkey to lead, after they master standing quietly, untie them and take them for a walk. If they pull a lot and resist, tie them back up for 15 more minutes then try walking again. Keep doing this until they decide they need to behave. Don't step out in front of your donkey or get in front of his head. That will engage him in a tug of war in which he will win! It also teaches him to dig his heels in and resist. If he won't lead for you, have someone walk behind him while you are leading him. That moves them forward. That person may also give him a light tap on the rear or the hind legs with a stick or buggy whip just to let them know he is there. Sometimes, it's helpful to walk them along a fence so that the only way they can move is to go forward. There is a lot more to training than what I have given you here. The thing to remember is to have fun in whatever you do with your donkey. A well-behaved donkey is so enjoyable, but one who can't lead and can only love you every time he sees you is still a wonderful creature.
How long after giving epinephrine can a donkey go into shock?
Anaphylactic shock is a severe allergic reaction to some antigen introduced to the body in an injection or bite. This is very dangerous and will constrict the airway and cause death quite quickly. If the donkey is going to go into anaphylactic shock, it will occur within minutes of giving the animal an injection, but can be reversed immediately with Epinephrine. I never give an injection then leave the animal. I stay with them for at least 10 minutes then I check them again within the first hour of giving any injection. Donkeys can have reactions to injections up to an hour after administering the injection. The good news is that although frightening to the owner, reactions are not common.
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.
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.
