May want to consider offering a mineral as well. Figure out the correct range of feed according to the directions on the tag for his estimated body weight, and feed at the low end of the range to provide the nutrition he needs. Common equine body measurements The heart girth, height at the withers, and length from the point of the shoulder to the point of the buttock are the most common measurements used to determine an equine's weight. Hi Genia, Thanks for your question, and for rescuing those donkeys! He is a Jack but he is so gentle and loving that even the vet agreed that he should be left intact. Adding a dumbbell to traditional donkey kicks pushes this exercise into overdrive. While he is a fairly active grazer, I’ve just been wondering if he needs extra exercise to get rid of the excess fat. Sorry to hear about this problem you are having with your donkeys. Both donkey’s are used to eating their fill of grass and are not happy to be restricted. The individual that is overweight and has some skin issues may be showing 2 separate issues. Thank you for your interesting question about your 2 mini donkeys with different ailments. Fat weight or Muscle weight? I did put on gloves and lube him and carefully removed 3 dung pellets that he pushed toward my hand. He began running a fever 2 days later for which came down quickly with cooling temps and I would use cool water over him. Some good recommendations would include Nutrena SafeChoice Original https://www.nutrenaworld.com/product/safechoice-original-horse-feed or Nutrena SafeChoice Senior https://www.nutrenaworld.com/product/safechoice-senior-horse-feed. For instance, a donkey 104 cm tall, with a heart girth of 122 cm, should weigh 181 kg. One is a yearling with no known issues other than being like a dog. I couldn’t get him to drink. Hope that this is helpful! I have a seven year old Jenny that I bought three years ago as a companion for my quarter horse. Hi Elaine – Thanks for the question! This is what happened to poor Deenah last week. I took in a donkey about a week ago. Robyn. The only other thing we would recommend is to monitor the body condition as your pasture conditions change. A good diet balancer product might then be appropriate fed based on desired body weight. My standard donkey gets 1/2 cup of ration balancer to maintain. In Nutrena, I would use either SafeChoice Original if it is a mature donkey, SafeChoice Mare & Foal if it is a young growing donkey, Senior if it is an old donkey or equivalent products. We have a donkey who’s about40. A donkey could serve as a good companion for Leo. Thank you for any advice . What would you suggest? Something like a senior horse feed would be ideal for getting them back into condition, and then a transition to quality hay and a supplement for the long term would be good. The donkey has a good shaded area, clean water, and I feed him twice a day, sunrise and sunset. While they are related to horses and considered an equid, the way their digestive system functions is much different – donkeys have actually been compared to small ruminants in their capabilities to digest and utilize fiber. Lack of phosphorus can also create eating behavior problems such as chewing on trees, fences etc. My advise would be work it and give it lots of the normal fare. DO keep (if you are gonna constant feed it) ITS feed bucket isolated from the horses! I feed mine together but with a 12 foot divider across one section of the paddock corner so they are together but the sink can only eat her much smaller ration than my big mule. 2. A fat donkey will develop a "roll"; on the neck, pones of fat on the barrel and over the hips that are quite unsightly. Hi Randy, Hello Larry, Thanks for the question. Great question! If a pen is too small, tough for the less dominant animals to get out of the way. Mule's not like a horse in that respect. Donkeys evolved in fairly harsh environments where food was not always available and are fortunately a bit less prone to digestive disturbances than horses. Thanks for the question! We noticed the very next day the Jack doing the same. According to the Merck Veterinary Manual, Tenth Edition, no other species toxicity has been reported. Additionally coastal hay when grass burned up due to south Texas heat before hurricaine harvey. He will probably put weight on quickly once he is taken out of the bad situation. The donkey eats goat droppings every day. He would not eat or poop. Just make sure you monitor, to make sure they adjust fine upon first using. Hi Nina, There are some very good articles online about training donkeys as guard animals. Horse Breeds, Breeding, Genetics & Conformation, http://www.horseforum.com/general-off-topic-discussion/jack-three-queens-617793/, VerticalScope Inc., 111 Peter, Suite 901, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 2H1, Canada. Hello. Front fore is not good and i want to geld him, worm and innoculate him. We would suggest a high fat, high fiber horse feed, that is also controlled starch. @colorquest a skinny mule needs calories. Add a teaspoon of corn oil to his diet twice a week. Goats are herbivores and tend to have herd tendencies, although they can be escape artists and eat unusual things, so something to consider there. It was moist. The donkey or ass (Equus africanus asinus) is a domesticated member of the horse family, Equidae.The wild ancestor of the donkey is the African wild ass, E. africanus.The donkey has been used as a working animal for at least 5000 years. They typically weigh from 400 to 500 lbs. Feeding less and exercising more is the broad bases solution, easier said than done. We bought a round bale of coastal hay, but aren’t sure how much to feed them. 8 to 12 years of age. Plenty of fresh water. Ma'am; I guess I just took a lotta space sayin' is: you don't have to worry NEAR as much about a Mule's feed as you do a horse's. Donkeys, in general, are more efficient than horses and require less intake to maintain or gain weight, so I would recommend starting at the low end of feeding rates. Nutrena SafeChoice Mare and Foal or Progressive ProAdvantage Grass or Premium Growth/Envision Classic if extra calories are still needed). Depending on the space available, you may want to consider first putting the jenny and foal in a pen/pasture next to your mare that needs the company, with a safe fence in between and watch the behavior. Approximately a week ago he stopped eating grain. Cake and candy don't tempt them much, if you get my meaning. I have 2 donkeys that usually just graze. We would recommend you find an equine-specific mineral for your donkey, or if the animals are living together, then find an “all stock” type mineral that is labelled for both equines and goats. In fact, donkeys have one of the lowest requirements for water among domesticated animals with the exception of the camel. You might want to Google “donkeys as guard animals” and use some of the training/behavior modification to help you train the donkey to understand that the dogs and the goats should be protected, not attacked. We have26 acres for the 5 donks. To correctly care for your donkey, remember that it is not just a “horse with longer ears”. Weight is primarily a matter of excess calories. Hi Jimmy, Thanks for the question. She has some serious arthritis foot problems with what looks like mechanical damage to the hooves, however that occurred. I was just wondering if there’s a feed I can give her to help her gain weight without causing any health issues? Thank you. Donkeys can founder on rich food such as alfalfa and lush spring grass. All changes need to be gradual. Ingestion of macadamia nuts by dogs in relatively small quantities results in a nonfatal syndrome with some dogs showing symptoms with as few as 6 nuts, depending on the size of the dog. Willow (the foal) also had some bone maturity issues and has overcome those very successfully as well and is growing nicely and fully normal. average donkey of approximately 11 hands high or 160 kg can carry up to 50kg (8 stone) on its back or can pull up to twice its bodyweight on level ground. Thanks for the question! New to us. He used live in a barn with other horses but with the move I decided to keep him at my home as it has an acre of land. Just give a little hay. Last fall I had to put my beloved buckskin to sleep so I got a Boer goat that is female and seven months old to keep my mini donkey company. While not designed for equids, there should not be any ingredients in the dog food that would be detrimental. Im scared they will founder with this bounty, so I am considering a grazing muzzle , the question is can they freely drink water from their round troughs with the muzzle on ? After all of that and we get him back to our field, what should we feed him? I have been desperately trying to get my miniature donkey, Lucky, to drop some lbs. BTW!! Dental development is also limited. The main word of caution for donkeys is that they cannot tolerate diets high in sugar and starches. While an average horse will need 1.8 - 2% of body weight in feed, a thinner horse may need 2.3 - 2.5% of its body weight. I just brought a Jerusalem donkey from a owner who did not care for the donkey or train it to be halter or lead trained,the donkey came from poor conditions.her feet are not so good I been applying hoof stuff every other day.I feed her a little grass hay and a very little hand fill of Alfahfa once in the Am and then in the Pm. Best of luck! Most likely, it’s a dominance / pecking order thing, or possibly just a really bad habit she’s picked up along the way. I know I need to put a little wait on her. Although he was untouchable in the beginning he trusted me and had began to allow me to hold him pet him and love him. Best of luck! He’s lucky to have you! We recently inherited a donkey. In regards to the grass, lush pastures can present a problem, however use of a grazing muzzle can help limit time & access while still allowing them to roam and gain exercise. You can't (again w/ the always and never thing) over feed a mule and if you have a skinny one? Well we used to have goats but had to sell them. Sometimes I want lean (Winn Dixie likes their beef leaner than anyone else), sometimes I need the fat. My grandfather owns a min donkey it foundered a few months ago. Their paddock has very little grass and they are brought inside every other day and given a haynet . I rescued a family of Donkeys a few years ago. I clearly understand that we should NOT overfeed and to keep her trim. Keeping your right hand along side the donkey… Donkeys are unique in their nutritional and. Work it more and it will eat more. I would not want the forage to be over 50% of the total diet. I would suggest you consider a good ration balancer product that has guaranteed levels of lysine, methionine, copper, zinc, manganese and biotin. 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. You may find that once the mammoth donkeys are back at desired weight, they maintain fairly well. You’d need to watch them a while to see if he does something just before he gets bit, or if she’s just randomly biting. If they seem to be gaining weight feed less, if they are losing weight… Your assistance is greatly appreciated. This requires: - that the harness should fit well on the donkey and that it is smoothly-shaped or padded so that the loads imposed on the donkey's body are spread over a large area, with the avoidance Once they start getting fat, it's impossible to go back the other way. Nostrils flaring. Interesting question. Hi Karlie, Should I get some Strategy or some other grain for her? Both are weight. We work out - we crave food after. One has skin issues and is definitely overweight. He seems to be doing fine, I am new to donkey ownership and not really sure what I am doing. If size is very different between your horse and donkey, you may want to explore a hay feeder that the horse can eat out of but the donkey can’t – kind of a “reverse creep feeder”. I don’t much experience with donkeys, but I have heard that they are prone to founder, so I don’t want to overfeed them. This will tell you how much hay is appropriate. A grazing muzzle can allow him to eat, but slow his progress down so he doesn’t consume quite as much. In regards to the pasture & hay question – when in doubt, put it out! We walked and walked. He needs weight, and you want him eating as much as he safely can, and hay and pasture are the best ways to do that. If it is lack of flexion, you could have a joint issue. This is not absolute due to the factors I stated before. We just lost her companion a couple months ago due to colic. Hello Cassandra, Thanks for the question. We have found him a companion who is currently alongside rather than in with him as she is young and female. The other has what looks like reverse string hault but no one knows what it is. If your donkey does not maintain hair coat, hoof quality and muscle mass, forage may not be providing adequate essential amino acids. DUH! Since doing that we lost 2 donkeys. Feed them roughly 3-5 lbs of hay per day each – roughly! He recommended Tifton hay but our local feed store does not carry it. There could be a number of reasons that could be causing the problem, so a consultation with your vet would bring great insight. Have been feeding west senior pellets and steamed flaked oats. You could also use a higher quality hay such as an alfalfa grass mixture or straight alfalfa and feed it with a product that is designed for young growing animal. We don’t feel like we are over feeding but there is obviously something going on. If you buy a horse from the Marketplace you can of course ride a horse from the start. While you should always provide plenty of fresh, clean water to your donkeys, it is true that they have a lower requirement for water than horses. It is important that you base the feeding rate on target weight, not current weight, so that you are feeding for weight gain. Is it o.k. There is a LOT of sweet green grass. It sounds like you are on the right track! I have researched what happened and I just want to ensure thus never happens again. He’s really bad. Hello Steffi, Thank you for your question. My boyfriend was given two older and overweight donkey’s, one of whom is severely foundered. Put your right arm around your donkey’s neck so that you can cuddle him and hold him close. Weight loss can occur for a number of reasons and may be related to previous neglect, age, dental problems, health issues, loss of a companion, time of Phosphorus deficiency can trigger unusual eating choices. Is it okay to just give them just pasture to eat off of and have Barley straw or hay to feed them on rainy days in the stalls I have for two? I would not be surprised if your mule is lonesome as mules are social animals. Wed fine Thursday respiration waa high. In Nutrena, I would use either SafeChoice Senior or SafeChoice Mare & Foal or equivalent products. Hi Ginger, 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. He came from sale and was fine the first two weeks before introductions. Make the change over about 7-10 days to avoid digestive upset, and gradually increase her feed. They are not easy keepers as our 3 mares are, and want to make sure they do well this winter without doing them harm. I have a Jack and a Jenny and was just told that they can not eat hay That's the best way to see results without stressing his system. The donkey continues to have regular bowel movements, urination, eating hay, and pasture with no problem. They’ve never seen a donkey before so we would definitely have to slowly introduce him. Also, make sure he’s receiving a good vitamin/mineral supplement – his intake levels need to be balanced for overall health, and that may help his system normalize as well. I just can’t phantom colic on both animals the same week. He is so fat on his neck and side pads. We would suggest introducing them slowly, for short periods of time to start, gradually allowing them to graze for longer and longer periods. Although rather slow, the donkey is your first introduction to the training life skill and will help you level to Beginner: 5 so you can unlock the capture rope to tame your first horse. Is the over abundance of grass something I should be concerned about? Good grass hay and pasture is usually all a donkey needs. I pretty much treat him as my own. Try feeding Progressive Nutrition Foals First Starter and Creep Pellets as she is already 2.5 mos old. that has Giant Foxtail in it. 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. (250 kilograms). Is it okay to feed it to him regularly? Milk comes out of her nose sometimes and she act like she chokes and licks a lot. So please keep your donkeys from eating red maple leaves on the ground. What a great story about your pyrenean jack donkey! Our feed store recommended “Sheep & Goat” grain for my goat buck pen, that includes the mini donk, bc there’s a certain mineral in regular goat feed that’s “toxic to donkeys.” But I have googled and googled and can’t figure out what mineral is toxic to donkeys (similar to how copper is toxic to sheep). We have them in an area (with a goat) where there is little to no grass and are feeding them barley hay. Hello Franci, Thanks for the question. If it is an intact jack, then gelding might be useful. I’m not sure if she is braying cause she’s hungry or lonely? I just rescued a medium sized pregnant jenny last week. Here is a great article that answers several questions about muzzle use: http://www.horsefeedblog.com/2012/09/grazing-muzzles-a-good-tool-for-easy-keepers/. 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