How To Care For Your Miniature Donkey
Please note that whilst I am happy to share my experiences on the care of minature donkeys, I am by no means an expert or a vet - if you have any concerns about the care of your donkey you should speak to a qualified equine veterinarian.
Feeding
A miniature donkeys' diet will mainly consist of grazing. However, during the spring months, you may need to limit grazing, as excessive amounts of lush grass is not good for your donkey and may lead to laminitis. Barley straw, (never oat straw) should be given to your donkey ad lib, as this helps their digestive tract to stay healthy. In the winter months, when grass is sparse, we give our donkeys some additional hay, however it is important to check that it is not musty and is free from ragwort or other poisonous plants. Also in the winter months, and for pregnant or feeding jennets, or foals, we give them a lo-calorie balancer mix, or other simple pasture mix. Clean water should always be available, pay particular attention to this during the winter months as it may freeze up. A salt block should also be available to provide the additional minerals your donkey needs.
We have never fed our donkeys treats by hand, as they can learn to associate hands with treats and this can lead to biting. If you are going to give your donkeys treats or a corn mix, then do so out of a bucket. However, donkeys can easily become overweight and store fat deposits, especially around their neck, so they do not require many additional treats. It is very important to pay attention to your donkey's weight, as it is difficult for them to lose extra weight.
Worming
We worm our donkeys every three months. I always consult my vet as to which wormer is the most appropriate for the time of year, depending on which type of worm is the most prominant. The amount of worrmer will depend on the size of your donkey, our mature donkeys range in weight from 85kg to 125g. It is also important to remove manure from the paddock and stables on a regular basis to prevent worms.
Hoof Care
Your donkeys feet should be cleaned out with a hoof pick regularly to remove any stones which may have become stuck. Our farrier visits several times a year, however frequency depends on how quickly they grow and if they have access to a hard, dry surface they will naturally wear their hooves down. It is also important that your donkey has access to dry, hard ground so that they can escape from mud.
Grooming
Donkeys absolutely love to be groomed, it is certainly my donkey's favourite time of the day. They love the attention and it also helps to keep their coat healthy. They wiill require additional brushing in the spring time when they are losing their winter coat. Also, keep an eye on their coats incase they get lice or mites, if so this can be treated with a treatment from the vet.
Vaccinations
Our donkeys are vaccinated against equine influenza and tetanus. We always consult our vet and they advise how often to administer these.
Shelter/Stabling
Donkeys MUST have access to a shelter at all times. Donkeys do not like the rain, as their coats are not waterproof, and they also like to avoid wind and require somewhere to shelter from hot or cold conditions. Foals can become cold very quickly so it is important to keep an eye on them when it is raining or in the winter months. Donkeys do not need to stabled at night as long as they have access to a shelter so they can come and go as they like throughout the night. However, we do stable new mothers with their foals for the first few weeks at night or in poor weather conditions.
Companionship
Donkeys are herd animals and do not like to be alone, they will not thrive if they are alone. Donkeys can be companions to horses, but there is no better friend for a donkey than another donkey.
Donkeys also love human interaction so it is important to spend plenty of time with your donkeys, however no matter how much time you spend with your donkeys they will still want more attention!
I will not sell single donkeys to anyone who does not have other miniature donkeys.
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