Take a look at our new Free Video “Bringing Your Donkey Home”

The Donkey Whisperer Farm ® trains the owner or caretaker world-wide how to set the farm up, train and care for donkeys via our on-line courses with E-training Video On Demand and E-books.  Select Our Store to enroll in our courses. Take us to the farm via any smart device including your smart cell phone.  Donkeys evolved from the desert, please learn everything you can to set your farm up, train and feed your donkeys. Donkeys are not horses with long ears. “Horses Dream Of Being Trained The Way A Donkey Demands To Be Trained” Melody Johnson, Trainer.

Donkeys come in two’s. After purchasing our donkeys I learned really quickly how limited information is available for the health, care and training of donkeys and mules thus the beginning of the Donkey Whisperer Farm a virtual hot spot of detailed information.

We were going along pretty good with our donkeys and horse until Melody Johnson survived an almost fatal car accident.  Suddenly we could no longer take the donkeys out for long walks.  Rio our mammoth donkey was not old enough to ride. Our donkeys started getting really fat. A fat donkey will suffer serious health issues and eventually death.  Horses need to have their weight monitored too or they will get the same health issues.  Donkeys tend to gain weight much faster than a horse and do not show any sign of illness until they are limping and can’t walk. Donkeys are stoic meaning they will not show pain until it is too late.

Why Share This Information?  Honestly donkeys do not make much money in our world unlike the horse with all the unique professions.  Vet’s really do not have much experience with donkeys in Vet school and the donkey is a left with people guessing what is needed.  Thanks to the horse world the donkeys are starting to benefit from all the equine science medicine.  Please do your part and share information to help a donkey or mule living in your part of the world.

The donkey who is free to eat brush, trees, grazing on green grass will get sick, insulin resistance, laminitis the hoof falls apart, white line, diarrhea, hoof abscesses and colic.  This is all preventable if we understand owning a donkey is like owning an exotic equine we must understand how much hay and what kind of hay to stay healthy.  Donkeys require a low sugar diet with clean water and salt along with exercise.

Donkeys evolved in the desert GOD gave them big ears to hear the predator and to swoosh and cool them down in the hot desert heat.

Donkeys Care:

Please keep two donkeys, never one donkey. Donkeys are intelligent and get lonely and bored very easily.  Additionally, donkeys play different with another donkey than any other animal. Donkeys grab the neck in play and in battle. Donkeys need safe toys, a orange traffic cone, rubber bowl, jolly ball. Donkeys grab the neck and play tag and tug.

Low sugar hay no alfalfa hay ever no need for grain if they are not working hard.  Clean water, some clean loose salt keep dry in the shelter.

Hoof trim on a reg. basis just like the horse, vet checkup at least once a year. Dental at least once a year.

Hooves trimmed every six weeks in the spring and summer and seven weeks in the fall and winter.

Do not leave the halter on – teach the donkey to catch you. Leaving the halter on can cause death or self-mutilation.

Need to see the vet at least once a year, health check, shots, teeth, fecal samples.

Sedation can be tricky – Make sure your vet understands how much and the proper doses as death can occur or allergic reaction such as sweating and sneezing.

Gelding a male donkey is vital to a happy life for a donkey, gelding is tricky  Make sure you have a donkey vet. Donkeys must have the testicles tied off or they can bleed to death some can have serious reactions to drugs. 

Need the human to be have a friendly relationship with donkey before attempting to train – This does not mean letting the donkey boss the human around it’s all about balance and humane leadership

Need fecal test performed with the vet to see if they need to be wormed – I suggest not worming unless they need it have the fecal test confirm they need it. Why? Over worming causes resistant parasites that can never be killed its a dangerous situation and kills the immune system. The vet can tell you how many egg counts for parasites. Tape worms do not show up so we give ivermectrin once a year after the first frost in the fall to all  of our horses and donkeys. 

Shots – Rabbies, Tetanus and west nile is absolutely needed please let the vet help you as each donkey and farm is unique depending on where you are traveling and meeting other equine.

Shelter to get out of the heat, wind, rain and harsh weather. Donkeys that get wet constantly will have adverse health issues. Feed in the shelter, give clean water, warm in the winter and salt with minerals.

Equine Dentist at least once a year – Just like us people equine need the oral part taken care of or great infections, loss of life can occur resulting in a bigger vet bill with more tears

Meals to be on time.  We like to use the slow feeder they are never ever screaming and crying for more food as our current paddock is a dry paddock. We have been using the Hay Pillow locked inside the high country slow feeder for over nine years now.

Donkey Whisperer Farm, E-TRAINING take us to the farm with you. Select Donkey 101 & 102 VIDEO ON DEMAND.

Donkeys need the human to understand they think different and react different from the horse.  Donkeys are smart not stubborn. You can not force a donkey to do anything.  Donkeys are seriously into self-preservation. Feet do not move when scared and if really scared they will not eat or drink. Donkeys can be extroverted and over react. Donkeys can jump, kick and rear.

Stay ON DONKEY TIME ®. Never drill, betray or abuse your donkey.

GOD bless you and your family two and four-legged!

Melody Johnson

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