Feed and Care for Donkeys?

[SweetPea]

Im very familiar with feeding and caring for horses but have no clue about donkeys. I know in alot of ways they are alot alike but they are very different as well. Opinions and advice, is greatly appreciated.

As for feed, I am currently feeding my mini donkey a flake of costal hay at night and he gets to graze our large pasture all day. He always has fresh water and a mineral block. Is that enough? Or to much? Should I cut back to a half a flake? I dont want him to get too fat or unhealthy.

That leads me to the next question - Exercise? Is there anyway to exercise my mini donkey? I free linge my mini mare but my donkey wasent really into that. Any ideas?

As for shots and de-worming - Are donkeys treated the same as horses? I de-worm my horses 6 times a year with paste de-wormer. (Every 2 months) and give them a 6-in-1 shot in the spring and fall. This includes eastern and western, rhino and a few others. Is this okay for my donkey?

I also keep him updated on farrier and vet visits and have a coggins drawn once a year. Is there anything else he needs or that I need to worry about? Is there anything in paticular donkeys are prown too that I need to watch out for?

Thanks so much!

 

[outlawridge]

Again, I am no donkey expert, but I've gotten lots of information about their care including mules, since being members of ADMS. Here is a bit from their site on feeding, and then their link. We really enjoy getting their magazine The Brayer.

http://www.lovelongears.com

Feeding Your Donkeys

Donkeys characteristically get by on less food than a horse of similar size, and need a lower protein content in their feed. Good grass hay and pasture is usually all a donkey needs. If grained, the protein should preferably be lower than 12%. Donkeys can founder on rich food such as alfalfa and lush spring grass. A fat donkey will develop a "roll"; on the neck, pones of fat on the barrel and over the hips that are quite unsightly. Once there, these are usually with the donkey for life. If the neck roll of fat gets too heavy, it will fall or "break over" to one side and never come upright again! Beware overfeeding these hearty creatures!

Your donkey should receive the same hoof care, worming and vaccinations that horses receive. Although some basic research has been done in independent studies on the results of vaccinations in donkeys, there is not enough conclusive proof to show that regular horse medicines, wormers and vaccinations are not effective in donkeys.

The hoof of the donkey is a little more round and upright than that of the horse, although individual hoof shape may vary greatly. Many farriers are nervous about working on donkeys - thinking the hooves are vastly different, or that donkeys are too stubborn and will kick - but a well-trained donkey can be just as easy to trim as any horse. Most donkeys don't need shoes - but if they do lots of work on hard surfaces, they might be needed. Regular trims to keep the hoof in shape are usually all that is needed. The ADMS has a hoof packet available ($6 ppd) that can help farriers with their first donkey trims.