what to feed wild donkeys

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!

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What human food can donkeys eat?

What human food can donkeys eat? Carrots, apples, bananas, pears, turnips and swedes are all safe and usually very popular with donkeys. Ensure that chopped fruit and vegetables are cut in a way that minimises the risk of choking, such as in sticks.

What is the best grain for 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 to raise a donkey as a pet?

Donkey Housing And Management. When just beginning in raising donkeys the first thing you have to prepare is land and housing. Raising donkeys requires you to build a proper house for them. The housing provides the donkeys with shade from the hot sun and keeps them warm in the winter. Donkey house can be designed using wire, fencing hardware ...

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.

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.

What is the best thing to 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 can you feed wild burros?

The most appropriate food for burros is dry pasture or a low-protein grass hay. If possible, avoid feeding burros alfalfa as the high protein levels can cause obesity.

Can donkeys eat lettuce?

Lettuce is safe to ingest and quite nutritious than other herbs and grasses. Donkeys adore this veggie and enjoy munching on lettuce. They love to feed on this leafy green primarily composed of water.

What do donkeys eat for treats?

TreatsBasic 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.More items...

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.

Do donkeys need to be fed?

Follow these golden rules. Donkeys require specialist feeding, they are not a small horse and should not be fed as such. They require fewer calories to maintain weight than a pony of the same size, and enjoy trickle feeding on highly fibrous feeds.

Is alfalfa 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 do wild donkeys drink?

Wild burros feed on a variety of of plants, including grasses, Mormon tea, palo verde and plantain. Although some moisture is provided by these plant materials, wild burros must have drinking water throughout the year.

What's the difference between a burro and donkey?

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A BURRO AND A DONKEY? Burros are just small donkeys with long hair. Burro is the Spanish, Portuguese or Mexican name for donkey.

Are wild donkeys safe?

Donkeys very rarely attack humans. They don't see them as natural predators or something to be particularly scared of. Most of the time they associate humans with receving food and care.

Can donkeys eat avocados?

“Avocado is primarily a problem for birds, rabbits, donkeys, horses, and ruminants including sheep and goats. The biggest concern is for cardiovascular damage and death in birds. Horses, donkeys and ruminants frequently get swollen, edematous head and neck.”

Can donkeys have celery?

Full of water and fiber, celery is a great treat for donkeys. Celery is a good source of potassium and very low in calories; a 110 gram portion has only 15 calories, so this is a particularly healthy vegetable for donkeys to eat (source).

Can donkeys eat bread?

What do donkeys eat & drink – can I feed them? Donkeys usually eat barley straw, hay, grass (pasture) and various other things like bread, molasses & sugar beet which are mixed in with their feed, as well as carrots, apples, pears, turnip & swede.

Can donkeys eat alfalfa?

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 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.

What is concentrate feed for horses?

Concentrate feeds contain carbohydrates mainly in the simple form whereas roughages are high in fibre, the complex carbohydrates. Concentrate feed usually provides the donkey with the more readily accessible form of energy, which can be readily digested and absorbed in the small intestine. A donkey fed mainly on the complex carbohydrates in roughage relies mainly on the micro-organisms in the large intestine to produce the energy giving substrates in a form it can use. Donkeys and horses cannot be fed on concentrates alone. They must have some fibre in the diet to stimulate muscle contractions in the digestive tract, and to dilute the more readily fermentable simple carbohydrates. This reduces chances of colic or other digestive problems, which can occur when equids are fed high levels of concentrate feed.

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).

What is the digestive system of a donkey?

It consists of the mouth (lips and teeth), the esophagus, the stomach, the small intestine, the large intestine (cecum and colon) and the rectum.

How long does it take for a donkey to change its diet?

The type of food fed determines the types and proportions of the micro-organisms in the hind-gut. It can take up to two weeks for the micro-organisms to adapt to a change in diet, and so it is very important not to change a diet too quickly. Sudden changes in diet can result in colic, diarrhea or laminitis. It is better to change a diet gradually, so as not to upset the micro-organisms and hence upset the donkey. A common time for problems in some countries is at the start of the wet season when new grass suddenly becomes available and people switch their donkeys from a crop residue based diet to a grazing regimen.

What Do Wild Donkeys Eat?

Humans have used the wild ass for work for at least 5,000 years. They are primarily found in desert areas, where their ability to survive poorer diets and disease while masking overt signs of pain and distress has made them indispensable to humans.

What Are Good Treats for Donkeys?

Fruits and veggies are good treats for donkeys. However, don’t feed them too often, as it may lead to overweight. Indeed, you might be surprised at how easily your donkeys can gain weight! This can lead to serious health problems: laminitis, joint problems, liver disease, and metabolic disorders.

What Should You NEVER Feed Your Donkeys?

They also have difficulty digesting potatoes, onions, eggplant, tomato, garlic, and peppers. In addition, donkeys need a simple and healthy diet, which is why you should not give them bread, cookies, or cakes. In any case, strictly avoid giving them processed foods, chocolate, dairy products, meat, or even horse feed.

How old is the oldest donkey?

According to the BBC, the oldest living pet donkey is Bubbles, who has lived to 60 years old, while the normal range for pet donkeys is around 30. So, what has Bubbles eaten all these years to keep him healthy and thriving? And do wild donkeys eat the same?

What happens if you feed your dog treats too often?

In addition, if you feed your pet treats too often, he could develop behavioral problems; in fact, if you get him used to receive a carrot every time he sees you, he will associate you with this reward. So, if you decide not to give more to him, he might get restless and frustrated.

Do donkeys need water?

Finally, always provide your donkey with clean, fresh water. Ensure it doesn’t run onto the barn floor, as donkeys need completely dry soil for their hooves. Remember to check in winter that the water has not frozen. If so, you need to remove the ice and install a water heater on the drinker. Older donkeys will appreciate some warm water during the winter.

Can you give cubes to donkeys?

Cubes rich in fiber: You can give it to donkeys that need to gain a little weight, but try to find some specially made for donkeys or made for animals that eat little or for ponies.

What do burros eat?

What do burros eat? Besides the crackers as previously mentioned, some tourists bring healthier snacks like apples and carrots. They’re not exactly the pickiest of animals when it comes to their diet. The burro population here is small, usually numbering less than 10.

Why were mountain goats imported from Utah?

Update: More mountain goats were imported from Utah to diversify the bloodlines, and that seems to have helped the goats rebound.

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 you feed a donkey?

Feed donkeys lower-quality forages, such as barley straw or stemmy, mature grass hay, than you would feed a horse.

How much sugar should I feed my donkey?

Nonstructural carbohydrates (e.g., sugar and starch) should be less than 12%, similar to forages for horses and ponies with metabolic issues. Donkeys can develop insulin dysregulation, and often the higher the sugar, the higher the calorie content. Once donkeys get fat, it can be very difficult to remove weight, and they are not only at risk of laminitis but also hyperlipidemia—both of which can lead to death. Therefore, I can’t stressed enough the importance of careful weight management for donkey well-being.

What is the best hay for horses?

Neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) are measures of structural carbohydrates. If I were to select forages for horses, I would look for hays with an NDF range of 40% to 65% and an ADF of 30% to 40%. Horses typically will not eat forages with an NDF over 65% or an ADF over 45%. However, these are the forages that are ideal for donkeys. Therefore, a very stemmy, mature timothy hay (assuming the sugar content is not too high) might be a good option. Try to find forages with an NDF content in the low 70% range.

Do donkeys need hay?

In fact, donkeys given access to pasture most of the year will not need much hay, even in the winter. And pastures should be grazed very carefully. Ideally, most of your donkey’s diet should be made up of straw, with grazing as a supplemental nutrient source. The Donkey Sanctuary, a world-leading authority in donkey care and management, recommends barley straw as the preferred type of straw, as it is high in fiber and low in sugar. It also most closely resembles the type of food a donkey would consume in the wild.

Can you feed hay to donkeys?

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. If looking at an analysis to determine whether a specific hay would be good for a donkey, look at the levels of fiber, sugars, protein, and calories.

Do donkeys have nutritional needs?

A. Donkeys can be such a joy to own, and while like horses they are part of the genus Equus, they have unique nutritional needs. Donkeys evolved in the hot, arid climates of Africa and Asia, where forage options are poor most of the year. Thus, they survived browsing highly fibrous plant materials. Much of the forage grown for horses is, therefore, too lush to safely make up the majority of the donkey’s diet.

Can you feed a donkey straw?

Wheat straw is best suited to donkeys with good dental health, as it is very fibrous and lower in calories. Any straw fed to donkeys should be clean and dust- and mold-free, which can be challenging to find in the United States where straw is rarely grown with feeding in mind.

Introduction

Feeding Strategy of The Donkey

The Digestive Tract

Foods Available

• Most donkeys are fed on roughages for most of their life, supplemented with grazing of natural grassland, roadsides, bush and scrubland if they are kept in the rural areas. Many working donkeys are found in urban and peri-urban areas of the world where opportunities for grazing are few and people feed their animals entirely on purchased feeds. In t...

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Guidelines to Feeding Donkeys For Different Activities

Conclusions

General Textbooks on Equine Nutrition