The Donkey Whisperer Farm ® has had donkeys and horses in our life since 2007, all of our donkeys and horses live in their forever home. We have experienced bringing home a baby donkey to sadly caring for the elderly donkeys and burying donkeys humanely. I am going to explain the truth about donkeys not the myth or the incorrect information shared on the internet and social media.
Watch my Free Youtube Video Bringing Your Donkey Home
Donkeys evolved from the desert the diet is one of the most important considerations in owning donkeys. Why? Donkeys were given the git to survive in the desert, over grazing, feeding the wrong foods will cause life threatening health issues for donkeys. Donkeys hooves are pointy unlike the horse as they were created to live in the desert. Donkeys cannot stand in urine, feces and mud without having hoof issues their thick fur coat needs to stay dry you must have a shelter. Think about what the donkey has to eat in the desert and you will have a clear understanding of why the donkey cannot graze on brush and grass and eat human breads, cookies, grains and oats without becoming obese and dying a painful death. Give lose free salt with minerals never vitamins. Please remember all hay or straw must be tested to come in at ten percent or lower in sugar and protein along with portion control. We can not look at hay by the color or the brand i.e., orchard, timothy or teff and know it is low in sugar and protein. Do not feed beet pulp or Alfalfa to a donkey. Low sugar/protein hay starts with the farmer making sure his soil has all the nutrients needed nitrogen and more. Cutting the field when the hay seeds have popped, and cutting on a gray day or early in the morning helps to ensure low Sugar and protein.
How can I find low sugar/protein hay?
Send hay samples off to Equine Analytical Lab before purchasing hay for the year. We use a slow feeder Hay Pillow fed inside the shelter locked inside of the High Country Plastic Slow Feeder. Feed two two meals a day morning and night is sufficient. When winter comes donkeys will need more meals to keep warm. Provide warm clean water using a heated bucket or bring warm water to your donkeys within 2 hours of feeding during freezing temperatures. Read Donkey Winter Care.
Donkey Shelter Big Enough For All Of Your Donkeys:
Donkeys need shelter to get out of the hot sun, wind, rain and snow. Make sure your shelter has a door that can open and close. Donkeys love to go in and out of the shelter when their food, water and lose salt is inside the shelter. Closing the door during fireworks, high winds and for teaching Donkey 101 & 102 video on demand is needed.
Quality fences and gates:
Donkeys are smart, they can watch us do something and repeat it. We use electro-braid hot wire for the paddocks and hot wire tracks. The exterior of our farm to keep neighborhood dogs and coyotes etc., out is Red Brand horse woven fence.
Storage for hay for one year:
After you test and find low sugar/protein hay testing 10% or lower in sugar and protein purchase enough hay to last one year.
Donkey Training:
I train the owner or caretaker how to tame and train the donkey via Donkey 101 & 102 Video On Demand with my E-book to print out. Sold with lifetime access. If you require personal consulting and coaching hire me under Donkey Trainer.
Hoof Care:
Hooves need to be trimmed by a farrier or trimmer every six weeks in the spring and summer and seven weeks in the fall and winter.
Shots and Veterinarian Care Required:
All donkeys need a veterinarian to come to the farm at least once a year. If you do not have a vet doing preventative care you will not be able to call a vet in an emergency. Vets do not come to farms that are not their customers. In the spring the vet will come to give shots and dental care. The minimum shots given to our donkeys as they do not travel to shows or other farms are Rabies, West Nile and Tetanus. All donkeys need the vet to check their teeth, jaw and gums once a year. Do not skip this as this is one of the most important preventive care medical procedures needed. Why? Donkeys are stoic they will not show us pain or suffering until in most cases it is too late. Colic is preventable.
Worming Donkeys, Mules and Horses:
I collect poop samples from all of my equine and give them to my vet twice a year spring and fall. My vet tells me which wormer to give my donkeys based on the fecal count and the part of the world we each live in. Over worming causes resistant parasites and can make the immune system suffer. Do not over worm your equine.
Exercise is vital to your donkeys health. Create a track made out of hot wire connected back to the shelter and sacrifice paddock. Donkeys love to run and play on their track browsing and exploring.
Melody Johnson