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.
We are excited to share our Instagram GIVEAWAY https://www.instagram.com/donkeywhispererfarm/ a donation of four adjustable premium donkey halters with matching lead lines to Oscar’s Place.Please take a look at Oscar’s Place to see all the great work they are doing to save the donkeys.
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.
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.
Donkey Training:
Donkey 101 & 102 Video On Demand is sold with lifetime access. OrderDonkey Whisperer Farm ®
Purchase the Donkey Whisperer Farm ® adjustable soft yacht rope halter with matching lead line.
GOD bless you and your family two and four-legged!
Did you know donkeys need to see an equine dentist at least once a year? Yes, it’s true! If we provide dental care once a year we are ahead of serious health issues. Please remember to use an equine dentist who has experience with donkeys. As the donkey ages, the teeth start rounding and erupting out and need to be extracted. The equine vet can prevent colic and choke for your donkey.
Please remember donkeys digest drugs differently from a horse. Please be sure and ask lots of questions before giving your donkey drugs.
GOD bless you and your family two and four-legged!
3-foot stick and string are used for Miniature (MINI) donkeys, mules, and horses.
4-Foot stick and string are used for standard, burro, Mammoth donkeys, horses, and mules. Used to touch the equine in preparation for our hands. STAY AWAY FROM THE KICK ZONE.
Training Stick Color
Choose an option Blue Purple
Training Stick Length
Choose an option 3 ft. 4 ft.
GOD bless you and your family two and four-legged!
Winter is the perfect time to study and learn how to train your donkey.
The Donkey Whisperer Farm trains the owner or caretaker how to train the donkey. Donkeys are not stubborn, donkeys are smart. Kinda like a human who has goals and dreams the donkey is determined.
Visit Our Store to learn how we train the owner or caretaker to train the donkey.
Donkey 101 & Donkey 102 Video Series, take Melody Johnson to the farm via any smart device. The moment you pay for the course you are in the video vault. In addition Melody Johnson has created a PDF (print out sheet) for you to read and study, learn donkey behavior, fear, relaxation and valuable lessons to take to your donkey. Stay ON DONKEY TIME ™ NEVER DRILL, end on a good note. The donkey learns from the release. You own lifetime access to our videos. Check out Our New Fiberglass stick and string to touch your donkey never hit your donkey. 3ft for mini donkeys and 4ft for burro,standard or Mammoth donkeys.
Animal lover Brigitte Bardot adopted this donkey and the dogs while on location for one of her movies. The donkey was quite sick and BB kept the animal in her rented house where she nursed it back to health. BB’s lover told her she had to choose between him and the donkey. Guess whom she chose?
Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra and a friend, photographed by Claude Azoulay for Paris Match magazine, 1958
“The Donkey Whisperer Farm makes the worlds best fitting and quality donkey halter/lead line. No one makes a better donkey halter/lead line than the Donkey Whisperer Farm. Hand-made in the U.S.A.”
Dirty?
Wash in a bucket of warm soapy water and let dry. Yacht rope will never mold.
Donkey Soft Yacht Rope Halter Sizes:
Minature Donkeys – 6ft soft yacht rope lead line, a brass screw on snap, leather end.
Standard or burro donkeys – 9ft soft yacht rope lead line, a brass screw on snap, leather end.
Mammoth donkeys – 12ft soft yacht rope lead line, a brass screw on snap, leather end.
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