How old is my rescue donkey? Call in your veterinarian. Yes, it is possible to give an estimated age by having a veterinarian look at the donkey’s teeth. Please remember that a veterinarian should be looking inside the mouth of your donkey, mule, and horse at least once a year. Here on the Donkey Whisperer… Read More How to Determine the Age of Your Rescue Donkey
Thinking about sun protection for your donkey? Sunburn prevention is essential for donkeys in the hot summer, especially for pink-skinned donkeys, white donkeys, and painted donkeys. All colored equines need cool, clean water, salt with minerals, and shelter during extreme heat. Leaving fair or pink-skinned equines out in prolonged UV exposure can trigger sunburn, skin… Read More Prevent Sunburn and Cancer For Donkeys
Donkeys are not horses with long ears; donkeys are donkeys. Donkeys evolved from the desert. Please think about what is in the desert for food, sagebrush, bark, roots, sticks, and dirt, but no green grass or green brush. Yes, even green brush can be high in sugar. Donkeys love to dig for roots. The donkey’s… Read More Understanding Donkey Behavior: Care Tips for Owners
All equines will drink more water when it is clean and warm, even in freezing temperatures: Donkeys are stoic, meaning they hide pain; when our donkey shows signs of colic, sadly, in way too many cases, it is time to dig a hole and bury our precious donkey. For this reason, it is a life-or-death… Read More Importance of Clean Water for Equine Health
Please understand that donkeys evolved from the desert. Their fur coats are not waterproof; wet, freezing temperatures can trigger hypothermia. “A dry blanket is like a fire extinguisher. We have it ready to put on the donkey, mule, or horse and hope we do not need to use it.” Melody Johnson, Donkey Whisperer Farm ®. Please get two blankets… Read More Donkey Survives Hypothermia
Donkey, Horse, and Mule owners must be careful when summer ends and fall begins grazing on green, lush grass. In some cases, the risk of laminitis and hoof abscesses increases more than that of spring grass. Why is fall dangerous? Pastures that are overgrazed and stressed from a lack of water and nitrogen can increase… Read More The Dangers Of Donkeys Grazing In The Fall
Did you know donkeys are exotic equine and evolved from the desert? One of the donkeys’ gifts is the ability to survive in the desert. Donkeys’ metabolism helps them survive and thrive on low-sugar and protein forage; wild horses cannot survive where a wild donkey can thrive. Donkeys gain weight really fast. The first thing… Read More Donkey Pasture Diet and Care
Hello donkey lovers,
Did you know donkeys are deep thinkers? Yes it’s true donkeys are chess players, donkeys stop and think about everything new deeply. Never force a donkey give the donkey the opportunity to think and process all information as this will make the next interaction much easier for the donkey and of course you the human. Donkeys forget nothing ever, good or bad as their brains are one of their gifts to survive. Sadly, this is one of the reasons humans call them stubborn as donkeys can freeze when scared, rear up, fight kick or lay down.… Read More Donkey Are Skeptical Of New Things
Donkeys are the exotic desert equine. Donkeys evolved from the desert. Their metabolism is built to survive on desert forage sticks, sagebrush, roots, and green-rich grass. Please do your homework before committing to bring two donkeys into your life. Donkeys will always do best when living with another donkey, same-sex geldings with geldings, and jennies… Read More Learning the facts about donkeys
Donkeys evolved from the desert. One of their gifts is the ability to survive and thrive on low-sugar and protein forage that grows in the desert. Spring showers make mud, green, high-sugar weeds, and grass. Yes, weeds and fescue grass are extremely high in sugar. Create a dry paddock connected to a paddock paradise track for exercise,… Read More Spring Donkey Care
Donkeys, horses, and mules must sleep to strengthen their immune systems. Deep sleeping creates rapid eye movement (REM), a deep dream state. How can we ensure our equine are getting REM sleep? Ensure your donkey has another donkey to feel safe and that your shelter is big enough for the entire herd to get in… Read More Donkeys Need To Lay Down To Sleep
Rocket Man has been in our lives for the last seventeen years. He is precious and deserves only the best in life, like all donkeys, mules, and horses. Each spring, our veterinarian comes to the farm to give the five-way shots and fecal samples, and to work on the donkeys’ and horses’ teeth that need… Read More Senior Donkeys Need Extra Help
Donkeys evolved from the desert; donkeys need low-sugar/protein hay. Portion control is essential for donkeys as they love to eat and can become obese quickly, leading to serious health issues. Donkey health issues are caused by obesity, laminitis, hoof abscesses, white line disease, hoof crumbling, fat in the blood, and insulin resistance. American donkeys are… Read More Donkey Diet – Consider A Track
Did you know that donkeys are pretty fragile compared to horses? Yes, it’s true. Donkeys evolved from the desert; donkeys seek shelter during extreme heat, cold, wind, and rain. Donkeys cannot tolerate extreme wet with high wind chills. Donkeys are prone to hypothermia and frostbite much faster than horses. Even fat donkeys or obese donkeys… Read More Donkeys Cannot Handle Severe Cold Wet Wind
Donkeys are not horses with long ears; they are donkeys. Donkeys evolved from the desert, and they love to eat wood. Donkeys will seek out roots, dig holes, bark, and leaves. Make sure you keep toxic leaves and trees away from donkeys. Donkeys are stoic and hide pain and sickness. Sometimes, it is too late… Read More Donkeys Are Wood Eaters
Please understand that donkeys are not horses with long ears. They metabolize food and drugs differently from horses, and they need to be treated by a veterinarian experienced with them. Fat lumps can be felt and seen on the donkey’s neck and throughout the body. Please be sure to ask your veterinarian to do his/her… Read More Donkey has a lump
How can I create a track for my equine? Read the book Paradise Paddock by Jaimie Jackson for some ideas. We have three tracks on the Donkey Whisperer Farm ®: one connected to our mares’ (horses) shelter, one to the standard and burro’s shelter, and one to the miniature donkeys’ shelter. Due to the diet of the… Read More Donkey Paradise Paddock Track
Will a donkey make a great livestock guardian? We have had donkeys since 2007 for almost two decades. I am happy to share my experiences with donkeys. Very few donkeys make great livestock guarding donkeys. Donkeys are intelligent and emotional beings that prefer to live with their own species, eat, drink, play, groom, and sleep… Read More Donkey Livestock Guardian
How much weight can a donkey carry? Donkeys, including the saddle and rider, can safely carry 20% of their body weight. 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, which is excellent… Read More Weight Limit To Ride A 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 and hip and nip at the legs, sometimes pulling large chunks of fur out. When you see this, put a little Neosporin on… Read More Donkey Bald Patch
You must be logged in to post a comment.