USA: Triple Crown Safe Starch Forage (11% protein, 7.8% NSC) is fortified with essential vitamins, minerals, probiotics and amino acids and is a grain and molasses-free, low-starch complete hay replacer. endobj
I got a question today from an anonymous user, telling me about how she (I assume she anyway) had asked a guy out and he said he’d only go out with her if she lost twenty pounds first. Regular trims to keep the hoof in shape are usually all that is needed. Any donkey expert out there have any advice? Their method is simple. It can make up the entire feed. The information in this post should only be used in conjunction with professional advice. There are supplements designed to make up for normal deficiencies in forage and others that target specific problems. Feeding rate: approx. What to Feed Your Donkeys The Donkey Sanctuary, Feeding Donkeys TopSpec / Dr. One thing is clear: every owner, farm, pasture and paddock is different. In temperate regions such as the UK, cases of laminitis surge in spring among donkeys feeding on young, fast-growing grass that’s full of sugar. Dried forages are more likely than grass to be lacking in vitamins. To weigh your hay, stand on some bathroom scales holding nothing and then a few different flakes to work out the average weight of your flakes! USA: California Trace is a pelleted non-iron supplement containing vitamins, minerals and probiotics. Dry hay is flaky and not heavy or stuck together. If you have the time to open your farm on weekends to those who need such help, it might be a wonderful new outlet for you and the donkey(s). Faith Burden, The Donkey Santuary, Amazing Minerals Karen Briggs, TheHorse.com, Amino Acids in the Equine Diet The Equine Nutrition Nerd, Probiotics and Prebiotics for Horses Dr. Kellon, ForagePlusTalk.co.uk, Forage Analysis – Understanding Dry Matter Forage Plus, Protein – What are the Best Sources? Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. My donkey seems sick. The first cut is usually stemmy, fibrous, low in protein and good for donkeys. More hay is usually fed in winter, when there is less nutrition in the grass and donkeys use up more energy keeping warm. Whether you know the levels of your forage or not, the most important test is to continually monitor your donkeys’ weight, condition score and eating habits as well as organising regular dental checks with a qualified person and following a worming regime. Public Domain. Unfortunately, as with so many delicious foods, there’s a downside. After a few days, donkeys usually calm down and just take what they need. Testing is the only way to be sure. A bit of extra feed can help, according to Rachel Karneffel, Donkey Trainer at Foghorn Farm: “Another way to help keep your donkey warm is to make sure they can eat many small meals throughout the day and night, the stemmier the hay the better. The Donkey Sanctuary recommends feeding 75% barley straw in summer and 50% in winter, with hay or restricted grazing making up the balance. Effective Donkey Weight Loss Locking them up in a relatively grass-free yard 22 hours a day and letting them graze 2 hours seemed to help shift weight steadily, but meant hand-feeding the non-overweight donkey separately, and lots of boredom for the animals. ( Log Out / However, research has shown that clean, fresh barley straw is an ideal feed for donkeys being high in fibre and low in protein, sugar and starch. The right one for your donkeys will depend on their diet, health, age and condition. - simple questions that require knowledge of your horse's or donkey's weight. I get her to walk around some and trot but she still can't lose weight. Depending on how much space you have, hay can be stored for up to a year. It’s highly poisonous and donkeys are unlikely to notice it dried and mixed in with their feed. In addition to vitamins and minerals, these both contain amino acids and prebiotics which can help when building up the weight of an underweight donkey. If you’re buying from a grower, it may already be cured. And, of course, every donkey is different. This way, you know your donkeys are getting the right quantity. However, the exercise gets the name donkey kick as it mimics the kick of the animal. If your pasture is rich, it’s useful to have a dry area or paddock where there is very little or no grass growing. For help with the correct diet for your individual donkeys, please consult a qualified veterinarian or equine nutritionist. If you want to use heavy saddle bags, have the donkey practice with them at home before setting off on a long trail ride. Some opt for every other day or only at the weekend. Common varieties that suit donkeys include Meadow Hay and Seed Hay such as Timothy, Bermuda, Orchard, Brome and Bluegrass. If you’re lucky enough to have several acres for your donkeys to run around in, you may find that they spend more time exercising, playing and exploring a variety of plants and browse, and less time grazing. Bales of hay vary in density and flakes are not all the same size. If unwanted weight gain occurs, switch to a lower calorie chaff plus a balancer to make a complete diet. Products designed specifically for donkeys, or for laminitis-prone / good-doer / easy-keeper horses are best. 1 0 obj
It can be soaked into a sloppy mash. Nikki Bell at The Donkey Sanctuary, Claudia at Raystede Centre for Animal Welfare, Heidi at Beach Farm Suffolk, Wilderness Expeditions Australia, Pete Melling at Rockies, Steph at Saracen Horse Feeds, Ben Swift, and the amazing Only Donkeys Facebook group. On its own, it is not suitable as a complete hay replacer. Beet pulp must be soaked and is mainly used to tempt old or sick donkeys to eat, or as a carrier for supplements. Ideal forage for donkeys is in the range of: Barley straw matches this profile very well, often falling within 4-7% protein, 1-4% sugar and 5-7 MJ/kg DE, meaning that donkeys can nibble on it all day without gaining weight. Oat straw is easier to digest but tends to be higher in calories. Hard feed is not required for most adult non-working and non-breeding donkeys and can make them obese, but it is useful for feeding young donkeys, old donkeys, in foal or lactating jennies and stud jacks. Drink Donkey Milk to Lose Weight . endobj
Donkeys can get themselves tangled up in empty nets though so it’s best to hang them high enough that they can’t get their feet caught (but at a comfortable eating height) using a quick-release knot, and remove or refill them once empty. For free, expert, tailor-made advice on what to feed your particular donkeys, given what you can find your area, I would contact Peaceful Valley Donkey Rescue, or The Donkey Sanctuary in the UK. It needs to be clean, which involves scrubbing troughs out regularly, and it can’t be too cold. My donkey, Daisy, is eight years old. Don’t lose weight for a donkey. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Second cuts tend to be leafier, softer and higher in protein. For Heart Girth Measurements and Body Condition Checks, see Donkey Check-Ups! As I outline in the article, wheat straw is a good second choice, with even lower nutritional value than barley straw but it requires even more chewing (so not for young donkeys or those with poor teeth). Below is a selection of different feeds currently on the market. Nets with 1″ holes work well for donkeys and come in all shapes and sizes, to fit a single flake right up to large round or square bales. Those with low feeding rates are ideal, so that you can provide sufficient nutrients without adding too many calories to the diet. 2 0 obj
Oat straw is easier to digest but tends to be higher in calories. Donkey Needs To Lose Weight, in the context of medicine, health, or physical fitness, refers to a reduction of the total body mass, due to a mean loss of fluid, body fat or adipose tissue or lean mass, namely bone mineral deposits, muscle, tendon, and other connective tissue. She has been overweight since she was one years old. However, in some areas of the USA, it’s the only hay available. Verify your weight, make a wager, and if you manage to lose or maintain your weight, you win money. They offer free, expert advice to all donkey owners and they will be able to give you suggestions for your particular donkeys, and advice on how to introduce any dietary changes. By definition, high-fibre feeds, chaffs and cubes are easier to eat and require less chewing time than hay and straw. Present in the intestinal tract, improving gut health age and condition is the best possible experience on website... 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