What Should I Do If My Donkey, Horse or Mule Eats Chicken Feed?

Call the vet asap as your donkey, horse or mule can die from colic!

What happens if my donkey eats chicken feed?

Intestinal upset, diarrhea, colic and laminitis, lung, liver and heart health issues. Feed intended for chickens may be filled with additives that are very toxic for donkeys, mules and horses.

Create excellent storage lockers, gates, fences to keep all food, drugs, donkeys, other animals safe.

Donkeys are visual learners, meaning a donkey can watch you do something and repeat it. Excellent gates, fences and locks are needed when owning donkeys or they will get lose.

Can my donkey kill my chickens?

Yes. Donkeys can grab the neck of the chicken and snap it or stomp, kick the chicken in the head. Please create a place separate from the donkeys for your chickens and donkeys to live.

Can chickens make donkeys sick?

Chickens that roam the pastures can also cause health issues for your equine partner. Lice is a huge problem for donkeys due to their thick fur coat. Sanitation issues from chicken droppings can pose health problems for horses such as infection from Salmonella, botulism, candidiasis and histoplasmosis (fungal infections) and even streptococcus.

What are symptoms of salmonella?

Salmonella usually affects the gut and may cause severe diarrhea in donkeys, horses and mules :

Fever.
Severe watery, foul smelling diarrhea, which can be bloody.
Weakness.
Tiredness.
Loss of appetite.
Can Salmonella cause colic in donkeys?

The clinical signs of Salmonellosis in adult donkeys include diarrhea, lethargy, fever, anorexia, and colic. Affected donkeys, horses and mules will be susceptible to infection. Once recovered, these horses may continue to shed the bacteria in their feces, potentially transmitting it to other equine.

Sadly I have received too many e-mails of people who did not call the vet or waited too long and the equine died. If you love your equine call the vet asap!