Donkey Care & Nutrition
Healthy donkeys are happy donkeys! Overwhelmed owners are generally not happy. Find the balance that keeps everyone well and enjoying one another’s company in heath and happiness. Please read over this and see where you can make changes for the health of your donkeys. Donkeys should not be overweight - it isn’t healthy for them. However, it can be very hard for us to keep them from gaining with our richer-than-the desert hays and forages. Be kind to your donkeys and don’t over feed them. Sometimes simple is best and changes to one key thing (such as diet) can make all the difference!
Keys to health for equines - in my researched opinion & not necessarily in order:
Low sugar, high fiber forage-based diet, essential minerals supplemented, friend(s), movement, footing/environment and appropriate hoof care.
Donkey forage: Donkeys are browsers and not grazers - consider what they would be eating in the deserts of the Sudan (or the American Southwest). Megan Hensley of Holistic Hooves along with the Donkey Sanctuary recommend free choice barley straw (wheat straw as a second choice, oat-less oat straw as a distant third choice), fed along with a small amount of low sugar grass hay. Mixing some grass hay together with the straw and feeding in a slow feeder is a good option to extend eating time. I’ve found that low sugar grass hay fed in appropriate amounts works for our two burros. Donkeys also enjoy nibbling and chewing on safe woods (branches, logs, sticks etc). Our donkeys like Willow, Aspen, Ash, and evergreen trees (avoid Ponderosa Pine, cherry, apple for equines!). - Check safety of any tree/plant given. Keeping them busy chewing and active helps to avoid ulcers and stress from “starving” which is how they feel if they go more than six hours without access to forage. Equines produce stomach acid 24/7, so producing saliva, which happens only when eating and chewing, neutralizes the acid. Their stomachs are not lined completely like ours, and acid splashing higher up in the stomach causes painful ulcers. In the wild they would be browsing the vast majority of the day while standing or laying down to rest only a short portion of the day. In our domestic situations we often have this flipped. Try to think not in terms of “meals” but in terms of forage access. Read more “How Long Can A Horse (or Donkey) Safely Go Without Food?”
Slow Feeders:
There are tons of options and we have tried a good number of them. Our favorite BY FAR to date is making our own slow feeder bins (can be mobile or fixed in a stall or paddock). Here are more details. Eating lower to the ground is healthier and more natural. I am always looking for good systems that don’t require too much finagaling and are good for the animals. Filling a couple hay nets with a straw/grass hay mixture is also a great option. Some people also really love slow feeder hay balls but just don’t feed them on sandy ground (sand colic concerns).
Donkey supplements: It is important that major and trace mineral needs are met for donkeys. In some areas, selenium is low in hays and soil and is necessary to supplement. Oregon hays and pasture are generally deficient in Selenium, while in Colorado our hays generally have sufficient levels. However it is necessary to test hay and do blood tests to determine exact levels. In the wild they can get a wide base of different forages but in captivity there is often less to choose from.
I like California Trace Plus (for all equines) based on the nutrition profile, and have heard it is a decent to great supplement for most areas of the country from many mentors/experts. CAL Trace Plus has good base levels of Selenium, Vitamin E and A, biotin, amino acids, probiotics, and essential trace minerals (zinc and copper especially for hooves). Vitamin E and A are especially important for non-grazing animals or when hay is older than 6 months old. This supplement does not include any Omega 3/6 which are also lacking in a non-grazing diet. Ground flax or flax oil can be added to the diet but I am not certain on this for donkeys specifically, and have found ground flax to not sit as well with my mustangs. Ground chia seeds also fit a natural forage Omega ratio. I also like MAD Barn’s Omeity supplement.
Magnesium is not included in CA Trace and may need to be supplemented (they sell a bulk Mg on the same site). Magnesium is an essential major mineral and is chronically low in Colorado hays, however it may be sufficient in Oregon and other hays. The California Trace people may be best to answer your questions- they are very knowledgeable. There are other supplements like Arizona Copper Complete or KIS Trace that are a better fit for some other areas.
Remember to make changes slowly. Proper supplementation and nutrition doesn’t usually cause an immediate change in overall healthy donkeys. Compare hooves, coat quality, and general health after about three months. The key with minerals is balanced ratios (too much of one can block absorption of another) and correct amounts (example: insufficient copper and zinc is common in animals with poor hoof growth/quality). It is normal to see a line in hooves delineating when the new supplementation was added, with healthier growth above that, growing down from the coronary band. Multiple and repeating lines in the hoof generally indicate subclinical laminitis and are a warning sign that the diet is too high in sugars for the donkey. The more pronounced the repeating lines are the greater the “emergency signals”.
Basic supplementation idea for a donkey on a forage-based diet based on my learning and about a couple years of donkey care. I am not an expert!
1. California Trace Plus
2. Half to 2 teaspoons of plain white salt (work up to this slowly, probably 1/2- 1 tsp for mini donkeys)
3. Soaked Timothy or Teff hay pellets (as little as possible) as a base.
4. Added Magnesium (around 5 grams) if needed - best known by testing hay (I like the bulk Mg from CA Trace)
I also add some flax oil for the lack of Omega 3s and 6s for our dry-lotted herd.
Donkey hoof care: Donkeys have similar internal structures to horses in their feet and distal limbs, but their hooves have some important and significant differences. Correct hoof care is essential for healthy donkeys. Their hooves generally have a much more robust and upright structure than horses, with hoof walls 2-3x as thick and a much stronger back half of the foot (frog and digital cushion). Trimming to correct frog and healthy sole plane is generally the best for these guys but hooves with pathologies may require a different tact. A lack of trimming is often more the case than over trimming with donkeys.
I highly recommend listening to these two podcasts from The Humble Hoof:
-Ross Keller, Donkey Farrier “The Difference with Donkeys”
-Megan Hensley, The Donkey Farrier “Everything Donkey”
Donkey shelter: donkeys don’t have the oils in their coats that horses have, so even though they may seem wooly, shelter from the rain and snow are essential. Providing shade and an escape from the insects in the summer is also important. Older or infirm donkeys benefit from blanketing as do donkeys in colder climates. Read more at The Donkey Sanctuary’s website.
Salt Blocks:
-Provide only white (plain) salt blocks for Equines. Red or Trace mineral blocks, even the pink Himalayan salt blocks and Redmond blocks have iron in them. Iron is almost always in excess in equine diets (from the hay, forage and often the water) so avoid any added iron. Iron competes for absorption with Zinc and Copper, which are almost always lacking in the diet. Iron has also been linked to metabolic issues. Minerals in the water are more bio-actively available and absorbed more readily (I believe around 5x more according to Dr. Eleanor Kellon DVM). So- if all the changes you make still aren’t solving some underlying issues, doing a water test and/or using a simple RV water filter on your hose can help reduce iron intake. I have used a pretty simple water test, purchased online, to check basic levels of some minerals and substances in the water.
I was corrected - they can lick salt blocks just fine with their smooth tongues. I like the 5lb plain white salt blocks at ground level for equines (and our goats love them too although goats also love the Redmond licks on a rope so I put those in goat only areas). Keep salt blocks clean for enhanced use.
Footing:
Dry, rocky footing (if they are comfortable walking on it) is great for maintaining healthy donkey hooves, including pea gravel and decomposed granite. I like to create an area (say 10 x10 or larger) of 4-5” of 3/8” pea gravel which is nice to stand in and super beneficial for hooves. A slow feeder can be placed in the middle to encourage use. I also like to provide a deep sand area for rolling, sunbathing etc. Our goats and horses also love this. Areas with good drainage are healthy for hooves. Eliminating areas where short, stressed grass grows is beneficial as well - that can be too much sugar for overweight or insulin resistant equines.
Grass Sugars: Stressed grass is MUCH higher in sugar than longer, mature and unstressed, well watered grass (in general). This is why some areas get nibbled to the stubs while long grass remains. Eliminating this stressed grass in the paddock can go a long way in improving things for an equine struggling with laminitis. Visit SaferGrass.org for more info…. But in short: when temps overnight are below freezing and day temps are sunny and over 45 deg. F, grass sugars skyrocket. This can cause winter laminitis well before spring when we think the grass is at its most dangerous. Spring grass is also a concern. Grazing overnight or in the early morning or late evening is generally safer because the grass isn’t photosynthesizing sugars at that time. The same goes for hay cut after several cloudy days or from a well-watered, less stressed field. The only way to really know is to test the hay (or grass) - I like Equi-Analytical in New York and you can send in a sample for a $30 test. Be sure to get sugars and minerals tested. I can help you understand the test. In short: you want the ESC + Starch (use the “As Sampled” column”) to be less than 10% total for a “low sugar hay”. Protein should be in the 7-11% range. Higher proteins could indicate high nitrates the hay. The hay test also shows you iron levels. If the hay is too high in sugar and donkeys are showing crusty necks or sore feet or weight gain, soak hay for an hour and then drain to greatly reduce the sugars.
Track Systems and Movement:
We dream of someday having space for an extensive track system, but a small one can be of great benefit! Essentially you create a narrow path (4-15’ wide depending on who and how many are using it) and surface it to avoid stressed grass grazing. The track encourages movement and you make some wider places where slow feeders or water can be placed at opposite ends to encourage further movement. Hot wire is often used with horses for more economical fencing. It can get speedy. Just creating some narrow paths in a smaller area improves movement too. Originally inspired by Jaime Jackson’s “Paddock Paradise” Book. (There are lots of Facebook groups as well discussing and supporting this - I have found those more helpful than the book though I own if you want to borrow). Sometimes just a 15-30 minute walk can make all the difference too - building up to some longer hikes perhaps as they are ready. Don’t be surprised by the mighty minis: “Buttercup”.
Links to Learn More!
Holistic Hooves (Megan Hensley, The Donkey Farrier) - great youtube videos and online courses too!
Donkey Enrichment Ideas from The Donkey Sanctuary
LongHopes Donkey Sanctuary in Colorado is also super!
Burro Racing - exercise all around! Also a fun book is “Running With Sherman”
Another great podcast with the Donkey Sanctuary: “Donkeys Need Us Too”
Friends and low-sugar treats go a long way in helping donkeys learn. Donkeys should always have a buddy - for most that needs to be another donkey. August (on the right) was SO happy when we brought him home a friend, Atlas. “You got me a donkey!” In some cases, 1 + 1 is even better than 2.
Treats ideas: celery, small carrot pieces, graham crackers, low sugar processed treats, all in moderation :)
