Congratulations, you own a donkey! Donkeys evolved from the desert and have pointy hooves to walk on hard ground full-time. Donkeys have been given the gift of surviving on low-sugar and protein forage. Please understand that 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 below, “Bringing Your Donkey Home.”
Donkeys in the desert will browse, eating highly fibrous plant material in small quantities throughout the day. Please think about the environment your farm is in. Do you live in the desert part of the world or in a wet and green area like we do in the Pacific Northwest, Washington?
Living in the green and wet part of the world takes a bit of planning.
- Create a 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, exercising, and not overeating. No grazing muzzle is needed.
How Do I find low-sugar and protein hay or straw for my donkeys?
Healthy young donkeys eat hay, and geriatric donkeys with no working teeth or gingivitis gums eat hay mash. Standlee Hay Pellets: add hot water and make it into an oatmeal consistency.
All forage (hay or straw) must be tested, as the brand of hay or straw and color have 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 locked inside the high country slow feeder inside the shelter.. Two meals a day is ideal. If you have freezing weather, you can put a little extra in the slow feeder before bed. Do not feed vitamins, beet pulp, oats, or sweet feed. Donkeys need loose salt with minerals and warm, clean water in freezing temperatures.
Clean water is a must, warm, clean water in the winter. We use the heated buckets in the barn, cleaning buckets and water every other day.
If you want to hire Melody Johnson as your farm’s personal consultant or coach, select DONKEY TRAINER for a Zoom meeting.
Thank you for investing in your donkeys,
Melody Johnson