What do you feed a donkey?
Consider feeding your donkey chaff, a mixture of chopped up hay and/or straw. There are many types of chaff on the market. These contain variable amounts of chopped rye, timothy or alfalfa grasses and oat straw. Some have added oil, molasses, minerals, herbs or hoof growth supplements whilst others are high fibre and molasses free.
How much hay do you feed your mammoth donkeys?
We have had mammoth donkeys for six years so we are used to feeding by weight, 1.25% of their body weight a day during the summer and 1.5% in the winter seems to work. The hay we will feed her is Timothy grown at 7,500 ft altitude.
Do donkeys gain weight when they are pregnant?
As with most mammals, donkeys experience significant weight gain when they become pregnant. However, weight gain is not a definitive sign of pregnancy in donkeys. If you notice weight gain in your jennet, it may be because of increased food consumption, not pregnancy.
How do you take care of a baby donkey?
Donkeys exposed to sunlight for at least three hours a day can produce their own vitamin D, which is essential for proper bone development The foal should be kept in a warm, dry place, and sheltered from the wind. A clean, loose box with clean bedding is ideal.
What is the best thing to feed 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 a nursing donkey?
Offer the donkey hay or prepared horse feeds, with a small amount of grain or pasture grass. Cut out the grain when the foal is no longer a baby. Provide both mother and foal with fresh, clean water at all times. Give the donkeys access to a salt lick and loose equine minerals at all times.
What time of day do donkeys give birth?
nightLike most animals, donkey foals are usually born at night. Normal presentation is a 'diving' position with the head between the forelegs. In most cases, it is best to stand back and quietly watch, apart from carefully ensuring that when the foal is born its nostrils are free from any membranes or mucus.
What kind of milk do you feed a baby donkey?
ColostrumColostrum. Colostrum must be given within the first 12 hours of life; the first feed should be within 2-3 hours of birth. The recommended amount is 250 ml every hour for the first six hours, making a total of 1.5 litres.
What grain do you feed 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).
What is the best bedding for donkeys?
Barley strawBarley straw is the preferred bedding for healthy donkeys. Barley straw is lower in feed value than oat straw, but higher than wheat straw. It is comfortable for the donkeys to lie on and drains reasonably well.
How long is a donkey in labor?
THE FOALING PROCESS Once foaling begins it is a fairly rapid process, taking maybe forty minutes from the first signs of the bag of amniotic fluid protruding from the vulva to the point where the foal is free from the mare. Like the majority of animals, donkey foals are usually born at night.
Can you worm a pregnant donkey?
Worming At Foaling Mum should then be wormed 6-12 weeks later depending on products used. But remember, no worming program is complete without proper pasture management. The strategies below can drastically reduce the number of parasites on your property – again safeguarding your foal from their damaging affects.
What is a newborn donkey called?
Foal: A foal is a baby male or female donkey up to one year old. Gelding: A castrated male donkey. Mare: A female donkey.
What do you do after a donkey gives birth?
Young Donkey CareDry the baby with clean towels right after birth. ... Dip the baby donkey's umbilical stump into a five percent iodine solution as soon as possible after the cord breaks. ... Watch the baby until he stands and starts nursing. ... Pay attention to the foal's bowel movements.More items...
How long can foals go without milk?
It's an emergency if: the foal has not stood within two hours and nursed within three to five hours. Failure to do these things may indicate a problem that requires urgent medical care. And time is critical because he needs to ingest colostrum within the first six to eight hours of birth.
How long will a foal live without colostrum?
After the 36-hour mark, these specialized cells are replaced by normal cells. Without colostrum or a colostrum substitute, chances are great that the foal will experience a life-threatening infection within the first month of life. Inadequate intake may result from either mare- or foal-related problems.
What do you do after a donkey gives birth?
Young Donkey CareDry the baby with clean towels right after birth. ... Dip the baby donkey's umbilical stump into a five percent iodine solution as soon as possible after the cord breaks. ... Watch the baby until he stands and starts nursing. ... Pay attention to the foal's bowel movements.More items...
How much beet pulp should I feed my donkey?
*Standards or minis also get soaked beet pulp (no molasses!) if they are looking a little thin or they are working. About 1/2 cup per 100 pounds. Rescue donkeys that are underweight will need additional foods, and so do pregnant jennets.
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!
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.
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.
Can donkeys eat wheat straw?
Wheat straw is very fibrous and has lower energy values, but may be fed to young healthy donkeys with a good set of teeth. Linseed straw is best avoided since the seed is poisonous to donkeys unless it has been boiled, and it is very difficult to ensure that no seed is present in the straw.
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.
Why do donkeys need to be fed?
There are many reasons to feed a donkey well. Good feeding keeps a donkey in good body condition. This makes it less prone to harness and saddle sores when working. Good nutrition can reduce the occurrence of disease, reduce the effects of disease on the donkey and help increase the rate of recovery from a disease.
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).
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.
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 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!
Do donkeys use fiber?
While under a visual inspection the digestive tract of a donkey and horse is the same, the way donkeys ferment and use fiber is unique. Donkeys (descendants of the wild ass) originated as desert animals and are adapted to foraging on coarse plants and grasses.
What is the best food for donkeys?
Concentrate feeds, even in small quantities, will likely exceed the energy requirements of most donkeys. Molasses. Sweet treats.
What is the best supplement for donkeys?
Supplements. A comprehensive vitamin and mineral supplement that is nutrient dense but low in carbohydrates to safely balance the diet. Omega-3 fatty acids , an essential fat with a wide spectrum of health benefits, especially important for donkeys not on pasture.
Why do donkeys die?
Hyperlipidemia —excess fat in the blood—is a health issue in donkeys that can be fatal. It is the main cause of death in donkeys. It can occur when an animal goes off feed and goes into “negative energy balance,” where more energy is being used than what is being consumed.
What is the difference between a donkey and a horse?
The major difference is that they are more efficient animals. For example, donkeys are considered to be browsers and are selective about the forage they consume.
What supplements are good for mules?
Mules in training or heavy exercise may thrive on special dietary attention and supplementation to support athleticism, muscle recovery and longevity including the addition of alfalfa, flax oil, joint-supporting nutrients, probiotics and ulcer support formulas and antioxidants like vitamin E and selenium.
Why do donkeys need more energy?
Winter and cold weather may increase caloric needs and higher hay levels may be used. Some donkeys may require higher energy levels to support growth , pregnancy, lactation, performance or work-load needs.
Why do donkeys need less protein than horses?
Donkeys also require less protein than horses as they have an enhanced ability to recycle nitrogen via the reabsorption of urea —up to 80 percent—created during protein metabolism.
Introduction
Feeding Strategy of The Donkey
The Digestive Tract
Foods Available
Guidelines to Feeding Donkeys For Different Activities
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 r...
General Textbooks on Equine Nutrition