Freezing Weather With A Horrific Wind Chill Is An Emergency For Most Farm Animals.
“A blanket is like a fire extinguisher; we are prepared before the emergency hits,” Melody Johnson. Some equines (donkeys, horses, and mules) need a blanket until freezing temperatures leave. Shivering, shaking, and blowing diarrhea means they need a blanket. As hypothermia begins to set in, the core body temperature drops.
Basic Care Needed:
Provide a slow feeder with hay, clean, warm water, and free-lose salt with minerals. If you do not have an electric bucket to plug in, bring your equine warm, clean water within two hours of each meal. Remember, it is essential to purchase an excellent slow feeder; cheaper ones can cause injury when the equine gets his/her hoof stuck in it, feeding on the ground. I attach the slow feeder to the High Country Plastics metal grate as we live in the Pacific Northwest; I do not want the hay pillow drug out into the wet and cold. Always feed at ground level and in a regular eating position.
Shut the door in the shelter at night if you have high winds with below teens and 0 or below. Frostbite can be prevented. Ordering a blanket at the last minute is almost impossible due to shipping, roads, etc., so plan ahead. Frostbite is also more common in donkeys and mules that have longer ears.
Providing shelter from wind and moisture is the most critical thing you can do.
Watch the footing for ice. Ice accidents can become a severe medical emergency.
Where Can I Find A Blanket for My Donkey?
The Donkey Whisperer Farm ® is a dealer for Kensington. We can sell anything they sell using their MAP price, which is always lower than the MSRP. Order Miniature donkey blankets, standard, burro, baby donkeys, or Mammoth directly from me. I will help you find the best-fitting blanket and weight for the cold with a lifetime warranty from Kensington. Send me an e-mail at Melody@donkeywhisperer.com asking for support. We have had donkeys since 2007; if you need consulting, sign up under Donkey Trainer for anything you need help with.
Thank you for investing in your donkeys,
Melody Johnson,
[…] Donkeys evolved from the desert the diet is one of the most important considerations in owning 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. Please remember all hay must be tested to come in at ten percent or lower in sugar and protein along with portion control. 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. […]