Taking care of my donkey is quite a bit of effort, however it’s my pastime. I do not do great deals of the things that other individuals do for enjoyable. I don’t have a mobile phone or cable television. I don’t travel or skydive or go square dancing.
Far from the stubborn cantankerous beasts of burden portrayed throughout history, donkeys are gentle stock who enjoy connecting with individuals. When a donkey’s needs are satisfied and he is correctly cared for, they make outstanding family pets.
Related Articles:
Acana Dog Food Reviews (Updated for 2021)
Contents
Choosing a Pet Donkey
The donkey is a breed of its own; only two pure-blooded donkeys produce a donkey foal. Terms often utilized for donkeys consist of burro, jackass, ass, jennet, massive jackstock and standard. Male donkeys, or jacks, who have not been gelded do not make good pets. Donkey owners suggest having at least two donkeys since they thrive with companionship. Donkeys come in a variety of coat colors with the gray-dun color the most typical. Donkeys can be found in various sizes the smallest being the miniature, which is less than 36 inches, and the largest is the massive jackstock, which is 14 hands or higher.
What Are Donkeys Like?
Donkeys are difficult and rugged and very strong. They are much stronger than horses and very flexible. On the practical side, Ray assists me with my garden by offering manure and by consuming the weeds and yard down around my backyard. If I can discover a little cart and harness for not excessive, I will employ Ray’s help to haul the manure from his lot to my backyard garden and garden compost area. If he succeeds with that, then I may begin driving him as much as the feed store to get his own feed and hay!
I personally think that equines delight in dealing with people who treat them well and manage them correctly. Helping me with these tasks will offer Ray function and something intriguing to do in addition to grazing, going for strolls, and being groomed!
Feeding Habits
Prior to domestication, donkeys walked numerous miles daily to satisfy their nutritional requirements. They typically become overweight in the lazy life of captivity. Family pet donkeys ought to have routine exercise, in addition to their fulfilling diet. An obese donkey might contract laminitis, causing persistent veterinary issues and potentially death. To monitor your animal’s weight, acquire a weigh band from the regional feed shop.
Ray’s food is less expensive than that of my other family pets (crimped oats $12 for 50 pounds + hay $12 a bale). I purchase food for him about every six weeks. I get him a $2 mineral salt block about four times a year. He also gets a carrot every day and occasional apples, oranges, bananas, and other fruits and veggies. Furthermore, I stake him out to graze for 2– 3 hours a day.
In the fall, he consumes horse-apples from naturalized trees in the location. These are a natural wormer, and I mix food grade diatomaceous earth with his feed on an ongoing basis as a routine wormer. This is extremely economical, normally about a dollar a pound. A ten-pound bag lasts about 6 months.
Numerous foods are harmful for donkeys and should be kept out of reach. These deadly foods include chicken feed, bread, decomposing fruit, horse nuts, pellet animal foods and grains. Donkeys require fresh water available and typically consume 6 to 8 gallons a day. Animal owners often utilize a refillable tub or barrel for water. Donkeys require mineral supplements in the form of a mineral-lick, placed near their supply of water.
Shelter and Living Space
Similar to horses, donkeys choose a farm-like setting with fields of yard for grazing. It’s advised to keep one donkey per one acre of land. Donkeys are escape artists; secure fencing is important. Donkeys require a sheltered stall to get out of the weather, feel secured and as a safe place to sleep. Donkeys do not like to get their feet damp and should not be kept in standing water. The flooring of their stall need to be dirt and covered with a layer of insulating straw in the winter. Cleaning is easier with a dirt flooring; only the droppings require daily elimination as urine soaks into the ground.
Ray lives on 2 lots near my home: a one-acre lot that he mows in exchange for being permitted to live there and an adjoining four-acre lot that I lease. Individuals drop in to admire Ray basing on the porch of the empty little home that sits on the one-acre lot. Ray is a popular regional attraction!
Can You Ride a Donkey?
Carrying a medium-height and weight lady would be no stress on Ray at all, and I could ride him if I wished to. I would be more comfortable with a taller pony, donkey, or mule.
Being ridden would assist him stay in shape, and he would get to go on trips and socialize with more people, which he significantly takes pleasure in; however, Ray is not that forward thinking. He doesn’t know how to be ridden or driven, and he has no desire to find out. I did try to teach him, however success was extremely limited, and I eventually got a mule to ride.
Donkey Wellfare
Donkeys need routine grooming, however also frequent farrier and veterinary attention. Your donkey’s hooves grow constantly and his feet need cutting every 12 weeks. Donkeys contract a variety of internal worms from the fecally contaminated lawns they consume and need to be wormed quarterly. Your farrier, or vet, can worm your donkey utilizing worming paste. Your family pet donkey’s teeth require to be analyzed by an equine dental practitioners every two years.
Ray sees his farrier for a hoof trim every 2– 3 months for $25. In the spring and summer, he gets a spot-on fly repellent that costs about $15 every 6 weeks. The veterinarian came out a few days ago and analyzed Ray and provided him all his shots for $140! Quite a deal, specifically considering that he was likewise able to provide rabies vaccines to 2 canines and 2 felines while he was here for an additional $40.
Donkeys are always at risk for a lice problem. Delousing powder must be used every 3 weeks. If lice continue, even after delousing, call your vet quickly. Flies trigger a host of issues for your donkey and equine fly repellent must be used regularly, preventing his eyes. Roll on repellent can be utilized around sensitive locations.
HOW TO CARE FOR A BABY DONKEY
Things You’ll Need
Cautions
Do not help the foal shed its winter season coat too early. Donkeys shed their winter coats late in the spring and can easily get sick if they are shed prior to the weather condition is entirely warm.
Tips
Keep the pasture coarse rather than lush, considering that donkeys gain weight quickly. If you do not know how to trim the donkey’s hooves, discover a farrier who is practiced at trimming donkey hooves.
I look after my animals and read books from the library and watch motion pictures. In the spring and summer season, I garden. Keeping a donkey needs a great deal of work, but it’s worth it.
Further reading:
