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.
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!
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?
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.
If you would like to hire Melody Johnson as a personal consultant or coach for your farm select DONKEY TRAINER for a Zoom meeting.
The Donkey Whisperer Farm ® is now a dealer for Kensington Blankets. This is the MSRP price as a dealer I can offer you a lower price a MAP price. I love these miniature donkey and pony blankets with velcro under the belly along with the chest. I am working with Kensington to make these blankets for the standard and burro size donkey in the winter of 2022 and 2023. Maybe I can convince them to give it to the mammoth donkeys, horses, and large draft mules. I love not messing with the metal clips under the belly. Order Donkey Miniature Blankethere. If you are looking for a burro, standard, mammoth, mule, or horse blanket let me know as I can get your order started. E-mail me at melody@donkeywhisperer.com.
If you own a donkey or two you understand how hard it is to find a blanket that fits a donkey and provides quality. Kensington has a lifetime warranty.
“I never blanket a donkey in the rain. Why? I provide shelter for my donkeys and horses to go in and out as they choose. The hay, salt, and clean warm water are in the shelter. No blanket is 100% waterproof without changing in severe wet weather day after day. This is why I always have two blankets for all of our donkeys and horses ready to change out a dry blanket as needed.”
How do I measure my donkey for a blanket?
Pull the cloth tape measure snug at the center of the chest to the center of the tale. If the size is not on the chart choose the next size up.
How do I choose the weight of a blanket?
Medium weight is for weather in the ’20s to 0. Living in the Pacific Northwest the medium-weight blanket is always a perfect fit for my donkeys and horses. As soon as the weather breaks above freezing I take the blankets off in the morning while the sun is out giving my donkeys and horses time to pop their fur out before nighttime. Please never leave a blanket on any equine without checking daily. We must change a wet blanket with a dry blanket. Leaving a blanket on while wet can and does cases laminitis and in some cases severe illness. Leaving a blanket on when it is too warm outside can cause serious health issues too. So please use common sense when blanketing.
Heavyweight is 0 and below consistently.
Miniature donkey and pony blankets.
Do all donkeys need blankets in the cold weather?
No. A blanket is like a fire extinguisher we are prepared and ready to use it. Trying to train a donkey to wear a blanket, measure, and order in an emergency is not recommended. It can be very difficult to get orders delivered to the farm in the winter not to mention making sure they are in stock.
Donkeys are stoic meaning they hide the pain from us, humans. Donkeys get arthritis just like people. Donkeys get sick just like people one day everything is fine on the farm and the next day our donkey needs us to help him/her right now. Donkeys’ immune system is unique from donkey to donkey we must be prepared. Donkeys have thick fur and cannot handle staying wet and having icicles hanging off of them without a bit of help. Sadly way too many donkeys die in the severe winter months due to the owner not being prepared and not being able to catch the donkey even to put it in a shelter. It’s really sad for the donkeys. When the weather is hitting the teens and below 0 most donkeys need a bit of help to survive the freezing life-threatening temperatures. All donkeys need a dry shelter during the life-threatening cold weather especially at night with no sunshine. Ice is a huge problem as donkeys, mules, and horses can slip and fall on it so take care of the ice. Donkeys need a blanket when they are shivering, shaking, or have diarrhea without a diet change in the freezing weather. I do not blanket my donkeys when it is raining. I provide shelter, warm clean water, a slow-feeder hay pillow for my donkeys.
Donkeys are stoic meaning they will not show us they are in pain until it is too late in most cases. Colic is preventable for donkeys. I do not use straw for bedding or feed. Why? Straw has no nutritional value and can run high in sugar it must be tested. Not all donkeys can eat straw they must have the vet check the teeth and gums before attempting straw. I use the pine pellet bedding and I add water to the bedding as donkeys are wood eaters they will eat the pellets and they can expand in their tummy.
Please contact me directly at my e-mail Melody@donkeywhisperer.com to get your order started for your donkey, mule, or horse. All orders are shipped directly from Kensington to your farm via FedEx. Kensington provides a lifetime warranty for its products.
God bless you and your family two and four-legged!
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.
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