How Can I Keep My Donkey Healthy

Hello donkey lovers and friends my name is Melody Johnson I am happy to meet you!

Donkeys evolved from the desert, their diet is serious we cannot let a donkey graze all day on grass, brush and trees without getting sick. If you live in the green and muddy part of the world create a dry paddock connected to the shelter with a gate to a track for exercise. The donkeys long fur coat is used to protect the donkey from insects and sunburn. The donkeys hooves are pointy compared to a horse made to walk on on dry hard ground.

Donkeys are intelligent not stubborn, donkeys are just as smart as dolphins and dogs their memory is comparable to elephants. Donkeys are game players and are seriously into self-preservation. Donkeys deserve to be trained using humane training techniques.

“Horses Dream Of Being Trained The Way A Donkey Demands To Be Trained” Melody Johnson, Donkey Whisperer Farm ® a worldwide trainer.

How can I purchase healthy food for my donkey?

Test all hay or forage before purchasing for the year. I test all of my hay at Equine Analytical Lab in the USA and I purchase enough hay for my six donkeys and two horses for the entire year. The goal is 10% or lower in sugar and protein for the desert equine and the easy keeper horses and mules. Straw is not always low in sugar be sure to test to make sure just because it is barley straw does not mean it is low in sugar. Color of hay is not an indicator of low sugar we must test before feeding to our donkeys.
Use a slow feeder, hay pillow never leave a big round bale out to eat on all day as portion control is very important to the desert equine. Obesity is the number one form of abuse in the USA for donkeys out of the USA it is being underfed and overworked.
Safe treats are a bite of a carrot. Never feed cookies, breads and sugar foods to the donkey.
Clean water, cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Donkeys drink way more water when its clean.
Salt get lose salt with selenium and minerals if your hay has no selenium, remove selenium if your hay has selenium.
Shelter is a must. Make sure your shelter is big enough for all of your donkeys to get out of the weather. Provide food and water in the shelter to help them get over the fear of the shelter.
Provide farrier appointments every six weeks in the spring and summer and seven in the fall and winter as the hoof grows slower in the cold seasons.
Provide dental checkups at least once a year with your vet. Why? Domesticated donkeys get high points and gums can get inflamed needing regular vet care.
Shots, five way is the best for your donkey in the spring of each year. Give your vet fresh poop for a fecal sample spring and fall before worming. Your vet will tell you to worm or not to worm. Over worming creates resistant parasites to wormer that are difficult to remove and in some cases cant be removed. Over worming destroys the donkeys immune system.
Ask your vet to check for insulin resistance (blood work) and cushings as your donkeys ages.

11. Donkeys are wood eaters this is not cribbing. Donkeys seek out wood to chew on and eat. If you use wood pellets bedding add water as the donkey will eat the pellets they will expand in the tummy and can cause colic and death.