Please understand donkeys are not horses with long ears. Donkeys have a unique biological system that needs to be treated by a veterinarian experienced with donkeys. Please be sure and ask your veterinarian to do his/her research before treating a donkey with drugs and surgery. Please ask your veterinarian to check all lumps you find quickly.
What causes sarcoids?
No one knows for sure what causes sarcoids, but we do know that:
they are infectious and linked to a virus called ‘bovine papilloma virus’
flies play a role in their spread so insect control is important, particularly during the summer months.
certain animals are more susceptible than others. All equine can get a sarcoid.
Where are sarcoids found?
Sarcoids are most often found on the head, legs and trunk. Male donkeys sadly can develop sarcoids on their pennis or sheath.
Sarcoids may develop at sites of wounds and areas where trauma or injury has occurred.
Use your hands to check your donkey for any new lumps regularly. Include this in your daily grooming routine.
Drug Metabolism In Donkeys:
Donkeys digest drugs different from a horse. Donkeys process drugs much faster than the horse. As a result, practitioners should prescribe drugs carefully less is more with donkeys to ensure the donkey does not over dose and die from the drug. Each donkey is a unique individual some donkeys need far less drugs for pain or sedation so again its best to treat each donkey with extreme caution to drugs and sedation.
Satellite Adoption Center Mgr, Paulette Quiroga-Jacklin
(509) 322-4995
All of these donkeys have went through the training program at Peaceful Valley Donkey Rescue. Please remember to get two donkeys never one unless you have a lonely donkey needing a buddy. Donkeys need to live with another donkey.
Please remember that even if you get a trained equine, donkey, mule or horse you must do the taming and training yourself. Do not throw out in a pasture and expect the donkey to come when called, halter and get the hooves done. Donkeys are so smart they will train you the owner to do exactly what they want to do and nothing more. The Donkey Whisperer Farm ® teaches the owner how to tame and train donkeys and sells adjustable premium soft yacht rope halter lead combo. Order in our store at Donkeywhisperer.com.
Here are some details of our recent arrival: We received 8 donkeys. 6 geldings (castrated) and 2 jennies.
Of the geldings, we have: A 13.5yo pink roan A 4yo pink roan A 17yo large brown standard A 2yo gray standard A 4.5yo blue roan A 3yo red roan
Of the jennies, we have: An 11yo white standard A 3yo gray standard
Note: *The 17yo large brown gelding (named Clyde) and the 11yo white standard jenny (named Lilly) are a very bonded couple and must be adopted together. Clyde CANNOT be around any animals smaller than a standard sized donkey.
*The 4yo pink roan (named Bodie) is bonded to 3yo Rowan (a standard brown) and MUST be adopted together.
This is all the information I have for you at this time. Denise Christensen will, once again, be coordinating the donkey adoptions this year. Once she has Completed her prior commitments and is able to come in to the facility to tag the donkeys with their names, we will be able to share current photos and basic history of each donkey with you on this Facebook page.
She will, then start working with each individual donkey to get a feel for their personalities, characteristics and idiosyncrasies to better serve you with assisting in finding the best choice for your farm, family and animal residents.
When she is ready, we will open our gates to the public for our official Donkey Adoption Meet & Greet. In all fairness to everyone, we will not allow anybody to personally meet the donkeys ahead of the official adoption meet & greet. This way, everybody will receive the news at the same time. That is only fair. I hope you understand.
Also, PVDR has adopted a policy change on adopting a single donkey as a companion to a single horse. Due to the many returns we have gotten from owner’s whose horse did not like and/or could not get along with the donkey or the donkey being bullied by their horse, we will only adopt out a single donkey if there is another donkey at the farm. If not, the adopter will be required to adopt 2 donkeys (however the adoption fee will be discounted). Feel free to give me a call, text or email if you have questions, concerns or comments about this new policy.
Paulette Quiroga-Jacklin Satellite Adoption Center Mgr (509) 322-4995 wari@pvdr.org
Donkeys can safely carry 20% of their body weight including the saddle and rider. Please be sure your donkey is prepared to work, meaning be an adult and in condition to work. This means that a miniature donkey weighing 300 pounds can carry 60 pounds great for a small child. Donkeys should be full-grown before attempting to do any form of heavy work. Percentage calculator.Donkeys that are sick or geriatric cannot do heavy work without causing serious harm to the animal.
What age is my donkey full-grown?
Miniature donkey age three.
Standard/burro age four.
Mammoth donkey six or seven depending on the height of the donkey
Donkeys evolved from the desert. Donkeys’ fur and hooves do not like to stay wet.
Donkeys can get bald patches any time of the year. Donkeys love to grab (bite) the neck, hip and nip at the legs sometimes pulling large chunks of fur out. When you see this put a little neosporin on the skin. Then there is lice the most common in donkeys due to the birds pooping, immune system and the long fur coat on the donkey. Check for lice, ticks, and mites. ULTRA BOSS oil based work much better than powders due to the donkey’s thick and long fur coat. Pour down the top of the neck to the end of the tale, (do not get in the eyes) rub in deep with a brush to get past all the thick donkey fur. Repeat in seven days as this will kill the lice but not the lice eggs. The second dose kills the eggs. Please check your donkeys body every day.
Bald patches on donkeys normally develop in the spring, late winter and fall but can occur any time of the year. Donkeys have longer hair than a horse. Donkeys are more susceptible to rain rot than horses. Make sure your donkey has access to shelter as clumps of hair fall out and bald patches develop.
Fungus and rain rot can grow on donkeys, making flakey skin and clumps of hair coming out to raw skin. As soon as the weather is 70 degrees I give all our donkeys and horses a good bath with antiseptic fungus shampoo and cream rinse. Tie up the donkeys next to their donkey buddy. I never spray water in my donkeys or horses’ faces. I wash gently wash their face with a wash cloth. Get the donkeys body wet before adding the medicated shampoo. Select Virbac medicated shampoo leave on for fifteen minutes use conditioner. In severe cases use betadine as a shampoo do not dilute it, will not foam up on the skin, leave on for fifteen minutes before rinsing and add the conditioner.
If after doing all of the above your donkey has not healed and started growing their hair back please call your vet as your donkey may have allergies. Donkeys can have allergies in the spring and summer just like people needing Antihistamines and in some case the dog pill apoquel will work.
Donkeys evolved from the desert. Donkeys’ fur and hooves do not like to stay wet.
Donkeys can get bald patches any time of the year. Donkeys love to grab (bite) the neck, hip and nip at the legs sometimes pulling large chunks of fur out. When you see this put a little neosporin on the skin. Then there is lice the most common in donkeys due to the birds pooping, immune system and the long fur coat on the donkey. Check for lice, ticks, and mites. ULTRA BOSS oil based work much better than powders due to the donkey’s thick and long fur coat. Pour down the top of the neck to the end of the tale, (do not get in the eyes) rub in deep with a brush to get past all the thick donkey fur. Repeat in seven days as this will kill the lice but not the lice eggs. The second dose kills the eggs. Please check your donkeys body every day.
Bald patches on donkeys normally develop in the spring, late winter and fall but can occur any time of the year. Donkeys have longer hair than a horse. Donkeys are more susceptible to rain rot than horses. Make sure your donkey has access to shelter as clumps of hair fall out and bald patches develop. Rain rot give a good anti-fungus bath listed below.
As soon as the weather is 70 degrees give a good bath with antiseptic soap and cream rinse. I never spray water in my donkeys or horses’ faces. I wash gently wash their face with a wash cloth. Select Virbac Medicated Shampoo use conditioner.
If after doing all of the above your donkey has not healed and started growing their hair back please call your vet as your donkey may have allergies. Ask for a full physical and blood test for Cushing’s. Sadly, the immune system is attacked when a donkey, horse, or mules has Cushing’s.
Donkeys have sadly been the beast of burden since the beginning of time. “Here is the sad truth, donkeys are usually cheap and easily replaceable. When the farmer is using the donkey as a beast of burden the job is clearly to benefit the farmer to make a profit.” When the donkey gets sick no veterinarian is called as this would cut into the profit, sadly the donkey dies a painful lonely death. Next, the human repeats the cycle of abuse, hurries, and purchases a replacement donkey to do the job of the beast of burden for $100.00 to $350.00. Yes, this is sadly the price people pay for the unwanted donkey that is forced to work and live a horrible life.
How do you think they are training these donkeys to walk a cow? Tying the cow up for a few hours to prepare for the donkey. Now attach a harness to the neck of the donkey attached to the cow and place them in a small space. What could possibly go wrong? If the donkey is an extrovert personality the donkey will panic, rear up, bite the cow in the eyes, nose, ears, and lips and kick at the cow trying to escape causing injuries to the donkey and the cow. If the donkey is an introverted personality the donkey will freeze, try to lay down, and will get drug by the cow as he/she freezes. Have you seen people dragging a donkey behind a car? It’s another form of abuse due to the ignorance of humans not understanding the donkey’s need for self-preservation. Now let’s think about what happens if the bull is angry, he is going to attack the donkey that is tethered and tied to the bull. By the time the humans get them untied serious injuries even life-threatening injuries to the donkey. Time to buy another cheap donkey and dispose of the donkey’s body.
Donkey Tethered To A Cow
Donkey Tied To A Bull
Have you ever heard the saying, no animal on the farm gets a free lunch? The donkeys are being used to teach a cow, steer, or bull how to lead on a halter as the human did not take the time to train the cow when the calf was young. Now the donkey is tethered to the cow at the neck of the donkey. The donkey wants to get away from the cow but cannot, as he is tethered creating torture to the cow and the donkey. The donkeys that survive will walk around in a daze trying to get away from the horrible constraints of being tied by the neck to the cow, which in many cases is double or triple the weight of the donkey. This donkey is now sold as a trained donkey to halter break a cow, steer, or bull.
Sadly, donkeys that have been abused by humans and treated unfairly will have a very difficult time trusting humans again. These donkeys will not want to get the halter on, will not want to have their hooves trimmed, and will dream of the day they get to die so the pain and suffering ends.
Donkeys are intelligent, they are as smart as dolphins and have a memory like an elephant. Everything humans due to the donkey is stored for life, everything. When a new human brings home a donkey who has survived physical and emotional trauma the donkey will be standoffish and will not want anything to do with humans. This is why I do what I do to teach the owner or caretaker how to tame and train donkeys. I teach via Donkey 101 & 102 video on demand with my E-book worldwide.
Donkeys evolved from the desert making their metabolism different from the horse. Donkeys thrive on low sugar and protein forage. Donkeys living in the wild walk up to sixteen miles per day searching for food and water. Creating a Paddock Paradisetrack is a game changer for the health and life of donkeys, mules and horses living in domestication on green lush farm land.
What happens if my donkey becomes obese? Insulin resistance, laminitis, colic, fat in the blood, fat pockets on the body, the neck gets so fat the crest breaks over forever, hoof abscesses, white line disease meaning the hoof rots off. Sadly, the donkey dies a slow painful death due to not feeding the correct forage low sugar/protein and not giving portion control. Yes, donkeys need portion control.
The benefits to feeding a healthy balanced diet with exercise is healthy donkeys without the tears and stress of trying to find a veterinarian to save the donkeys life. Please learn how to care for your desert equine the most beautiful and humble of all the equine the donkey.
Looking for personal consulting sign up under Donkey Trainer.
We sell the best quality and fit adjustable miniature orstandard/burropremium soft yacht rope halters with a matching lead line, solid stainless steel twist safety snap and a real black leather end. Order $150.00 or more of tack and receive free shipping in the U.S.A.
Donkeys evolved from the desert meaning one of their gifts is to survive and thrive on low sugar/protein forage. When donkeys are fed the wrong foods and given the ability to graze twenty-four seven on pasture and brush along with fruits, cereal treats, oats and even vitamins they can gain weight quickly and become obese.
What Is Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS) do horses get it?
Equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) is a disorder causing the blood insulin levels to become too high along with fat on the body and in the blood. Making it very difficult for equine (horses, donkeys, ponies) to lose weight. Donkeys with EMS produce higher than normal levels of insulin and are slow to return to a normal value.
Donkey side effects:
A fat donkey, cresty neck, fat pockets on the body, diarrhea, drinking more water, chronic hoof abscesses, laminitis, white line disease, cushing’s, laminitis.
How Can I Prevent EMS?
Watch the diet closely, work with your vet to do preventive care such a blood work and Thyro-Lfor a short amount of time along with diet and exercise.
What Can I Do To Help My Donkey or Horse that has EMS?
Do not starve your equine. Test your hay before you purchase it for the year. A great place to send off hay samples is Equine Analytical Lab. Use a slow feeder we use the Hay Pillow using 1 1/4 holes. Last but most importantly portion control you may need to weigh your hay. If you have a thin donkey needing to gain weight you may have to create another eating arrangement for the obese donkey. Do not let this equine graze on grass or brush ever as the sugar is too high.
Weigh your donkey regularly
Create a track for your equine to walk and run keep moving but not eat fresh grass. A great book is Paddock Paradise.
If you need help selecting a blanket I am here to help you. Order in our store at Donkey Whisperer Farm ®.
We are deeply saddened to share that Tuba our rescue donkey age is estimated to be in his thirties has passed away. God in Jesus Christ precious name has brought home another precious donkey to heaven.
Tuba was healthy no signs of illness and than boom he started to have grand mal seizures. Our veterinarian came quickly and was able to administer medication to help him for a few hours. Early in the morning the grand mal seizures returned with a furry, we made the decision to have our vet humanely euthanize him. No more pain and suffering Tuba you are in heaven now.
Tuba & Oboe playing hours before seizure.
What does donkeys are stoic mean?Donkeys unlike the horse will never show us pain until in most cases it is way too late making keeping donkeys healthy truly more challenging. We had absolutely no warning sign that Tuba was not feeling well, he ate his breakfast and dinner like normal. Tuba went out on the big paradise paddock track and proceeded to run and play with Oboe his bonded companion while the miniature donkeys grazed on the track. That evening Tuba had grand mal seizers, our vet promptly came and tried to stop the seizures within hours we made the decision to euthanize him. Tuba was truly a special donkey and the leader of Oboe his bonded companion. We miss him deeply and thank God he did not suffer.
What We Must Do When A Donkey Dies?
Donkeys are emotional beings and have excellent memories. It is vital that you put the halter/lead line on and walk the living donkeys buddies up to the body to say goodbye. This step is really important to give closure. Next it is vital that this donkey is not living alone get another donkey asap. Donkeys can die from grief and colic stress. Donkeys can go into a depression stop eating and drinking, have a glazed look in their eyes. Spend as much time as you can with your living donkey and help him/her through the grief.
Tuba (3rd donkey) with the mammoth donkeys
I met Tuba and Oboe bonded pair of standard donkeys (Tuba 3rd donkey to the right Oboe butt) for the first time in 2008 as I was called asked to try and help the owners who were not able to halter or catch the donkeys. I went to the farm with the intention of teaching the owners how to tame and train Oboe & Tuba so they could stay in their forever home. Sadly they had tried horse methods on the donkeys that clearly did not work and the owners were frustrated with donkey behavior. I began working with the boys and was making great progress with them but sadly the owners did not want to learn as they had small children and a business leaving no time for the donkeys. I helped to get these two boys into a donkey sanctuary as our farm at the time was not big enough to take more equine. In 2014 we moved to our property in Sequim, WA I promptly brought Oboe and Tuba home to live with us in their forever home with Rio our Mammoth donkey on the Donkey Whisperer Farm ®. I always said God has a sense of humor as their names Oboe and Tuba fit Melody. 🙂
Tuba & Melody 2009
After Tuba passed we moved Oboe in with our miniature donkeys to help him. Luckily the miniature donkeys and our standard donkeys Oboe and Tuba have been spending lots of time together on the paradise paddock track. Please remember when a bonded pair of donkeys lose their companion it is vital to move the donkey in with another donkey quickly. Donkeys are very emotional and can stop eating, drinking and next is colic. Spend as much time with your donkey helping them move past the loss of the beloved companion. It is very important that all of the donkeys in the herd are able to smell the deceased donkey before burying the donkey. Why? Donkeys will cry out for a donkey that disappears if they do not know what happened and can stop eating and drinking. Its truly one of the hardest things to do loose a donkey, mule or horse. We thank God for his peace and strength to handle this pain and suffering. Tuba is in no more pain, we believe he is in heaven with Rio our mammoth donkey.
God bless you and your family two and four-legged!
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is planning on announcing the next roundup of wild horses and wild burro’s for fiscal year 2023. These helicopter roundups are brutal and traumatizing resulting in injury or death to the horses and burro’s. Google BLM Donkey Abuse to watch a horrible YOUTUBE video showing the truth, helicopters chasing the donkeys and the donkey suffering physical abuse from wranglers for not running when scared and tired. Donkeys freeze when scared and tired as donkeys are not horses with long ears.
You can be the voice for the wild horses and burros it only takes a couple of minutes of your time to fill out the forms listed below. Your voice matters!
Sadly the abuse does not end in the round up its worse when captured and forced to live in holding pens as they become one of 60,000 plus wild horses and burros locked up in jail, held in the BLM’s holding system. Many of these holding pens are full of disease outbreaks, underfeeding, lack of basic care, vet treatment along with seriously ill maintained facilities causing more injuries.
American Wild Horse Campaign AWHC is taking action to address this crisis and break the silence surrounding the beginning of the BLM’s next roundup season. Please fill out all of the forms below now.
3) CALL ON THE BLM TO MANDATE CAMERA INSTALLATIONS Often wild horses and burros are chased for miles before our field representatives see them. And even when the helicopter comes into view, the BLM places the observers as far as a mile away from the operation, making it nearly impossible to really see what’s happening. We’re fighting for the passage of Rep. Titus’ legislation to ban the use of helicopters, but so long as these roundups continue, we’re advocating for the installation of cameras on all helicopters used for these operations! Mandating helicopter cameras to record and document roundups will help the public hold the BLM accountable and establish a record of activities most Americans never see. Send a message to the BLM to advocate for camera installations on helicopters. →
2023 is the year we demand change for the wild horses and burro’s. Tell congress the brutal helicopter roundups should end now. Thank you for taking action.
I have been receiving lots of inquires asking me what to do when fly’s are eating donkeys, face, legs. I really have had a difficult time understanding why this is happening until I saw the photo below showing a donkey rescued needing immediate medical attention.
Remember you chose the equine they did not choose you.
“You are the smart human who took the equine in it is your job to take care of the animal and give him/her a great life.” Shame on people who throw any animal out in a pasture and never ever check on them to make sure they are healthy.
Allergies:
Did you know animals get allergies? YES!
If your equine (donkey, mule or horse) is not getting well you must seek medical attention. Donkeys can have an auto-immune health issue causing them to be allergic to almost anything. Zertech, Bendadryl and Apoquel may work for your donkey. Make sure to check for Cushing’s with a blood work check as many times the immune system is compromised due to Cushing’s. Please work with your vet.
How do I stop Fly’s?
1. We pick up the poop out of the paddock, shelter and track (hot wire) twice a day and compost it away from the equine. Cover the compost pile with a plastic tarp.
3. Each and every day – twice a day I check my equine over for wounds and medicate right away and pick their hooves.
4. Use a fly mask if needed and medicate when they have sores immediately. Please have empathy; think how you would like to be stuck in a place, hot with fly’s and poop every where it is horrible.
5. Create a track using hot wire, this way you are controlling the diet and have an easy way to pick up the poop each day.
A huge bonus to picking up the poop is parasite control. Picking up the poop and composting stops worms dead in their tracks too 🙂 We take fecal samples to the vet and do not worm unless they need it over worming can cause more problems as the worms become drug resistant and it destroys the immune system.
How do I take care of ticks and lice? I use Ultra Boss on the poll of the donkeys due to their thick fur powders do not work. Give a bath with warm water an anti-fungus shampoo and conditioner. Do not spray the face with the hose hand wash the face. Note; donkeys do not like baths until they know for sure it feels good eventually your donkey will learn to enjoy it. Tie the donkeys up together and give a bath together.
GOD bless you and your family two and four-legged!
Donkeys make life better. Owning a couple donkeys is a truly wonderful blessed life but with it, we must learn as much as we can to keep our donkeys healthy and happy. Please never make a donkey live without another donkey. Donkeys have thick fur, slanted long eyes pushing back further into their head enabling the donkey to see behind them without turning their head giving the donkey peripheral vision. Donkeys have pointy hooves made to walk on rocks and dry hard ground. Donkeys are born with unique personalities, introverts, and extroverts just like humans. The extrovert donkey can sing, and bray definitely has more go than whoa, the introvert donkey will never bray or sing, never and has more whoa than go. The introvert donkey is a deep, deep thinker. Donkeys are truly the most sensitive and emotional equine as they become deeply attached to their herd buddies and are one of the most intelligent animals on the planet. Meaning a donkey will never forget any experience good or bad and has a memory that is truly comparable to the elephant.
Preparing for any form of haul into the veterinarian’s office that requires more than one afternoon or night at the vet’s office is truly as important as the surgery. Additionally, we must prepare our farm to keep the donkey healthy while recovering from surgery.
Surgery is over, the veterinarian does an outstanding job in surgery and the prognosis is high that your donkey will recover. Day two or three after surgery you will get a call from your vet telling how your donkey is not eating. Most of the time when a donkey stops eating it is directly due to depression and seriously missing his/her heard buddy. Sure sometimes it can be due to the illness and this is a matter the vet can fix but many times the vet is stumped about why the donkey is not eating. After all, the surgery went beautiful and everything looks outstanding.
What does the Donkey Whisperer Farm ® do when a donkey needs surgery that requires more than 24 hours in the vet’s hospital?
I explain to my vet that my donkey needs to go to the vet’s office with his buddy, wake up after surgery and see his donkey buddy in the stall next to his recovery stall. Why? Donkeys will go into surgery less stressed with their buddy in the stall next to them and donkeys will start eating faster and heal faster making the surgery a success. I prepare my farm to have a place for the sick donkey recovering from surgery to be able to see his herd buddies when he arrives home from the vet’s office. Why? Donkeys get depressed when they can’t see their herd buddies and have their life back to the way it was, in fact, they will stop eating and in some cases drinking. It’s truly a form of suicide for the donkey as they simply do not want to live their life like this in insolation. I always put my donkey back into the herd asap as isolation is truly depression for donkeys.
Please feel free to browse in my store Donkey Whisperer Farm ® I sell premium adjustable soft yacht rope halters made to fit a miniature or standard/burro size donkey with a matching lead line, brass, or stainless steel twist-on snap, and a real black leather end. I teach the owner or caretaker worldwide how to tame and train donkeys using words, timing, voice, energy, never pain via my donkey exercises videos and E-book.
Melody, how can I teach my donkey to walk on the halter and lead and not pull back or refuse to move his feet? I am frustrated. Sherry, AL
Hi Sherry,
Donkeys are not horses with long ears. Donkeys are not flight equine, donkeys have personalities just like people extrovert more go than whoa and introvert more whoa the go. Donkeys need to see a reason for each and everything they do and their safety and self-preservation is number one. Learning how to tame and train a donkey is vital to your success as traditional old cowboy horse training will not work on a donkey. Donkeys will lay down when overwhelmed and not get up or they can fight back but all donkeys can stop walking when scared or not understanding what we want them to do.
Why is the donkey refusing to walk on the halter and lead line pulling back? Taking a donkey out for a walk without doing basic training foundation work in Donkey 101 Video On Demand https://donkeywhisperer.com/product/donkey-training-101/ is like driving a motor vehicle with no breaks, steering, or control of acceleration. Please do not feel like you are the only person to encounter this issue with donkeys. This is a common issue and is easy to fix if you are willing to learn using proven short exercises that work. I train the owner or caretaker how to tame and train donkeys worldwide.
Sadly, people get into a hurry when trying to teach anything new to a donkey. Some people think quick tricks are the best like placing a rope around the butt, or another person pushing while the person with the lead line is pulling and adding a chain to the flat halter. This exercise creates a memory of pain and distrust as there is no relationship its simply being a bully while adding pain. In fact, it makes teaching the donkey to lead more difficult as donkeys store everything good and negative in their memories for life. The next time the person takes the donkey out they will have a hard time catching the donkey as the memory is pain. The donkey does not want to feel this pain again. Never use pain or force to teach a donkey as the donkey is one of the most intelligent animals God created, the donkey will never forget you betrayed him or her. Learn how to be a fair leader with a plan and remember you own a donkey.
Donkeys are born with the gift of self-preservation. Horses are flight equine meaning if I am afraid I had better fart, poop, and run to not be killed or hurt. The mule (mom is a horse and dad is a donkey) is used in the Grand Canyon as the mule will not spook and jump off the wall. Self-preservation from the donkey. The donkey will always check at least three times or more anything new to ensure it is safe before moving a step forward.
The relationship is number one between donkeys and humans. If we do not take the time to build a foundation built on trust, timing, and words (walk-on, whoa, over, back-up, foot) along with good experiences the donkey will keep the memory of refusing to follow you as a fair leader. I highly recommend my courses Donkey 101 & 102 Video On Demand with my E-books to print out.
Congratulations you own a donkey! Donkeys evolved from the desert this is why the donkey has pointy hooves to walk on hard ground full-time. Donkeys have been given the gift to survive on low sugar and protein forage. Please understand if you give your donkey the wrong foods or too much food and the opportunity to graze full-time they will become obese get sick and die a slow painful death.
Owning donkeys is truly a beautiful and blessed experience I highly recommend you do your homework before bringing two donkeys into your life. Please watch my free youtube video “Bringing Your Donkey Home.”
Donkeys living in the desert will browse, eating highly fibrous plant material in small quantities throughout the day. Please think about the environment your farm is on. Do you live in the desert part of the world or the wet and green like we do in the Pacific Northwest, Washington?
Living in the green and wet part of the world takes a bit of planning.
Create shelter big enough for all the donkeys to get out of the rain, snow and heat.
Create hot wire tracks to keep your donkeys moving and exercising and not overeating. No grazing muzzle needed.
How Do I find low-sugar and protein hay or straw for my donkeys?
Healthy young donkeys eat hay. Geriatric donkeys eat hay mash Standlee Hay Pellets add hot water and make into an oatmeal consistency.
All forage (hay or straw) must be tested as the brand of hay or straw and color has nothing to do with the sugar content. Ideally, we want 10% or lower in sugar and protein for the donkey and portion control. Test hay in the USA at Equine Analytical Lab I use the slow feeder Hay Pillow to feed my donkeys and horses in tested low sugar and protein hay. Two meals a day is ideal. If you have extremely cold weather you can give a little extra in the slow feeder before bed. Do not feed vitamins, beet pulp, oats, or sweet feed. Donkeys need minerals Salt, clean water, and warm clean water in freezing temperatures.
Provide salt with minerals add selenium if your hay does not have it and remove it your hay has selenium. We use lose salt add as needed for our donkeys and horses.
Clean water is a must, warm clean water in the winter.
If you would like to hire Melody Johnson as a personal consultant or coach for your farm select DONKEY TRAINER for a Zoom meeting.
It’s almost Christmas on the Donkey Whisperer Farm ®. Life is really great, all the donkeys, horses and doggies are doing great. God bless you and your family two and four-legged!
2021 has become a new year for donkeys and weddings, in fact, more and more couples are bringing a little bit of Jesus into their wedding. Yes, I said Jesus, did you know that donkeys have a cross on their back? Yes, all donkeys have a cross on their back even the black donkeys. Trained donkeys are now carrying the drinks, flowers, food video cameras and are totally bringing a blessing to each wedding.
Passing by a farm is truly a treat for city folks, as it can bring back some really special memories. Please look and enjoy the equine or any farm animal but never feed the equine. As tempting as this may be for you please stop and think about the health of the equine (horse, donkey, mule, pony) as most domesticated equines are on serious diets. Before you throw the apples, pears, bread, grass clippings over the fence at the equine stop and think. Will my food make the animal sick or kill this animal? Most domesticated equines are on a strict diet to avoid colic, laminitis, insulin resistance, hoof abscesses, fat in the blood, high sugar, and well the list goes on. Just like humans have to watch what they eat so do the equine.
Some equine can choke on a whole apple fast, the acid in the apples makes the tummy sick and soon the equine has colic. Colic can be life-threatening to equines. The hooves start rotting off, white line separation seriously turning to mush as insulin overload from sugar makes it so painful to stand, the owners will be stuck trying to save this equine’s life.
MAA Rio Grande was his registered Mammoth donkey name.
God has brought another donkey home to heaven. Rio was the ambassador for the Mammoth donkey as he was truly a gentle giant. Standing at 16’2 hands tall he was a magnificent donkey. Rio helped train the owner and caretakers of donkeys worldwide in our E-training videos and E-book.
Rio was an introverted donkey personality, he never let out a complete bray ever. Rio suffered from an immune disorder that helped to create a fungus deep inside his hooves. Sadly after two years of working with our veterinarian and farrier, we lost the battle to save his life. Rio came into our life as a baby mammoth donkey he was nine months old. We euthanized and buried Rio on a warm summer evening the summer of 2021 facing the Olympic mountains and our hayfield as this was truly one of his favorite places on our farm.
When donkeys pass to heaven it’s important to remember a few things for the surviving donkey’s health and wellbeing.
Make sure each donkey gets the opportunity to walk up to the the deceased donkey. Closure for donkeys is very important as donkeys can enter depression and anxiety wondering what happened to their buddy.
Watch for depression, is your donkey eating, pooping and drinking? Sadly, donkeys can collic and die from a broken heart and the stress of the death of their buddy.
Please get another donkey for your donkey if your donkey is now living alone. Donkeys are physically, mentally and emotionally healthier when getting to live with their own species.
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