Hi, Nikki here from GutzBusta!!
Often we receive some great emails from our customers telling us information about their own management issues and their solutions, or about their animals.
In this case, Margaret from Australia gave me some fantastic information on Donkeys. Although I was aware that Donkeys are best fed straw, I really appreciated Margarets' further explanation of why this is so critically important.
Margaret informed me that "Donkeys are mostly beloved pets in Australia. Traditionally they have always been working animals under the ownership of humans over the many years they have been around. There are mummified donkeys in Egypt in the pyramids! Often not fed at all, left at the end of a day's work to graze on their own, hobbled to stop them wandering too far.
So now, as mostly pets, they don't need oaten hay, too high protein, too high sugar. Donkeys that are fed too much hay are being "loved:" to death. Their crests collapse, they carry fat pads over their body. They end up dying way too early. Donkeys should be living to at least 30-40 years. If fed too much high protein, high sugar, they end up laminitic and then founder and die.
But they are browsers in the wild. So, the best balance, is to either only feed them barley straw and a good supplement like Kohnke's Donkey Supreme with a little bit of chaff In a bowl (like a small mixing bowl in a kitchen); or, like my miniature donkeys, who are breeding animals, I give them small quantities of meadow hay AM & PM, and then they have access to the barley straw in a slow feed bale the rest of the time, to mimic the browsing. Barley straw has almost no goodness, it is literally fill for their bellies. You can use most grain straw, but barley is the best.
If your donkeys are not working, just pets, we usually only feed barley straw and the slow feed nets are perfect for that. Either smaller individual ones for a few donkeys together, or a round bale net to feed a bigger number, if you can handle a bale. (We have a small tractor.)
The foremost body of knowledge of donkeys in the world is held by the Donkey Sanctuary, Sidmouth UK. These feed recommendations are endorsed by the Sanctuary and available on their website. The bale option is one I have used for several years, that works well for me. Can't remember if I got my first bale net from you guys, but it lived a long life with many repairs! The knotless one will be an improvement, I think!
Margaret said "Donkeys are very popular at the moment , Covid started that. People are discovering that donkeys have an undeserved reputation as being stubborn, and giving kicks! No they don't, not if they have been handled and loved for the amazingly intelligent, easy-to-train animals they are.
They are thinkers, and understand perfectly what you want them to do if you have shown them clearly.
Horses often are frightened at first when they see donkeys; they kind of understand they are equids, but not like themselves. A lone horse and a donkey will often bond, but it will be the donkey who takes the lead role. Something about them reassures the horse that he will be safe with his long-eared companion." 🥰
THANK YOU!
We sincerely thank Margaret for her information and for taking the time to educate us all.
If any customer would like to let us know about your unique setup, way you manage your equines or livestock or anything else you deem of interest, please reach out to us and let us know so we can feature you and your amazing animals one time as well!
