To be officially classified as “miniature,” they have to measure no more than 36 inches tall. Donkeys are able to utilize their feed very efficiently and can survive on good quality hay alone. Follow us online! Despite their name, miniature donkeys aren't that tiny. Reply Delete All donkeys are classified as equus africanus asinus, including the miniature donkey.However, they're a special and particular breed that shouldn't be confused with small donkeys in general. Such is the luxury allowed when not working. Twitter. Consider training to bucket feed. There has been a continual demand for miniature donkeys and the prices have remained relatively stable for many years even through the ups and downs of the economy. Keep your donkey happy and content by loving on her daily. Miniature donkeys aren’t your average pet, but there’s no doubt about the fact that they are pretty adorable. Sometimes they also make friends with the family dog. Miniature donkeys are natives to the Mediterranean Islands and are sometimes referred to as mediterranean donkeys. WEAN YOUR FOALS Between 4 and 6 months of age is the appropriate age for a miniature donkey foal to be weaned. Feeding the Mammoth Donkey **Mammoth donkeys are another story. We feed our donkeys a good quality grass hay twice a day, lactating moms and foals get an equine grain mixture every day. For miniature donkeys, all you would need to feed is 10 g (1/3 oz) per day. Donkeys and mules that are not doing any work should be able to meet all of their nutrient requirements from good grass hay (such as timothy or orchard grass offered from Standlee Premium Western Forage) fed at a rate of 1.5% of body weight and a low-intake ration balancer pellet. At this time of year, dinner feed for the donkeys has jumped up to 5:30. They can be hard keepers. Managing the diet of any equid can be a challenge, but caretakers of draft horses, donkeys, mules, Miniature Horses, and ponies can simplify the task by … However, because donkeys are much more efficient than horses in using their feed for energy, Stallone does not advise allowing your miniature donkey to graze on grass or hay 24/7. Donkeys are different to horses in more ways than one. Instead, they’re simply a small breed of donkey, mostly from the island of Sardinia. Do not feed … Your shelter will need to be about 12 x 12 feet space for 1-3 donkeys. Creep feed of 18% protein is recommended (Foal Mix) WEEK 4 Feed 500 mls each time. Please do NOT feed any grain. Miniature donkeys must not … This Miniature Donkey Shelter House faces south east but is open in the front so the donkeys can come and go as they please. They are small, easy to manage and healthy. 9. Time spent grooming and brushing donkeys is a wonderful way to bond with them and earn their never-ending trust. Do not feed alfalfa which is too high in protein, except foals may benefit from small amounts of alfalfa. When I say mammoth, I’m talking about donkeys 14 hh and up. If you have less than 2 acres of land, you will spend more on hay to feed your donkeys. The miniature donkey has many uses, the most common being a pet or companion animal. Miniature donkeys are small donkeys that are commonly bred as pets and show animals. Donkeys developed in desert and other arid climates, basically scrounging around for available forage. Donkeys aren't horses, and nowhere is that more apparent than in their feed needs. Any good quality grass hay, such as Bermuda, Timothy or Orchard would be good choices for miniature donkeys. That enables the descendants of these desert dwellers to more easily digest what they are fed. Donkeys eat hay and grains, and will also need fresh water and a salt block to ensure that they stay fit and healthy. Nowadays it's seldom used. If you are new to genetic principals and husbandry it would be helpful to you to find a knowledgeable, responsible breeder to ask questions of. They play around and around rather than taking off at a good head of … Donkeys are herd animals and need to be given a companion. Plus, my mammoths have jobs. Donkeys range from small to quite large, but you should never need to feed a donkey the same amount of food as a horse or pony of similar size. Yes, it's wonderful. We have not figured out who craves the attention the most -- the donkey or the human. T1-11 siding going on the miniature donkey shelter house. Miniature donkeys aren’t like miniature horses, which have been selectively bred over time to be small. We also give them carrots, apples etc. They weigh between 250 to 450 pounds and are at least 32-inches in height. A 12’x12′ horse stall can easily house 1-3 Miniature Donkeys or two standard donkeys. The dwarf of miniature donkeys requires good quality hay and fresh, clean water. Donkeys do not need as large a space to be happy as horses do because they look at things differently. Milk Bone Dog Biscuits are not safe to feed donkeys. Feed your pets according to their age and weight. If you decide to change their type of feed for any reason, do it little by little or gradually for more than a couple of weeks. 2. Because donkeys are trickle feeders, give them food as little and as often as possible. Feed. Since I’ll be out there everyday to feed and water the Miniature Donkeys I can clear snow from the roof when it becomes necessary. Uses of the Miniature Donkey . A powdered or pelleted supplement is better than a block as they can't really get what they need from licking a block. Not quite. I have just enough time to feed donks, lock up the hens, and make it back to the house on … We like to feed … Supply good quality grains and limited quality hay and start the foal weaning. When feeding the former, make sure that give the donkey just a handful eat day, and avoid feeding your donkey just oats as it will be too rich for the donkey to digest. Ideally your hay selection should be in the range of 10% to 12% protein. Read more of our frequently asked questions. The miniature donkey male is called a Jack while the female is called a Jennet. Treats, biscuits and most food made for dogs or cats contains meat products and is therefore not suitable for donkeys. Rescue donkeys that are underweight will need additional foods, and so do pregnant jennets. For 11 years Alyce Crompton owned and bred miniature pigs — and it was going well by all accounts, with a year-long waiting list and strict vetting process. Donkeys live a long time and who can say what decisions will be made down the line and breeding “only pets” is not good for the future of Miniature Donkeys. This feed comes in 10, 12, and 14 percent protein amounts. In the future, only feed your animals clean, unexpired food. Donkeys become ill with life-threatening diseases when they eat too much protein and other nutrient-rich food. Just be careful not to over feed them, because they may get overweight. Get your mini donkeys and other farm animals vaccinated for botulism. Donkeys need clean, fresh water at all times — without exception! Keep me posted! On your land, you will also need a shelter for sleeping and getting out of the rain. How Much to Feed. For more feeding and nutrition advice, please contact us. They CANNOT survive without shelter of some sort! I wouldn’t have thought you need to worry if you only gave them one each but don’t give them any more. If your mini donkey already has botulism, hightail it to the vet. Are miniature donkeys a separate species from regular donkeys? We stopped using horse and mule feed for our MATURE donkeys because we found that it was putting weight on our donkeys but not muscle, probably because it contains “sweet" additives such as molasses. Donkeys require around 1.5-1.8% of their body weight in dry matter per day. 5 Feeds a day. Additionally, feeding your donkey any kind of grain, such as pellets or oats, can promote obesity. Consequently, the owners must be careful that they do not overfeed their donkeys. The owners should add supplement with a commercial feed if only use poor quality hay. Miniature donkeys require good quality hay and fresh, clean water. Donkeys can also eat organic freeze dried grass, pre-made pellets that have all the vital nutrients and mixture of oats, oat bran and corn. They need plenty of hay, even if you have a good pasture for them to browse and nibble. Equine Influenza Mini-donkeys are bought as pets and paddock ornaments — their manageable size, impressive colours and low feed requirements making them some of the best hobby livestock available. Their primary food is grass, but they also graze other shrubs and desert plants. Miniature donkey personalities are so interesting too. If you are looking for fun, and you love donkeys but are afraid of the common reasons not to get a donkey (the large ones can be intimidating to a beginner, they are more expensive to feed, and need a lot more space) then a miniature … That’s the total amount of dry matter in grass, hay, straw and chaff (before soaking), which amounts to a minimum of: 1.5kg per day for a 100kg miniature; 2-3kg per day for a 180kg standard donkey; 5-6kg per day for a 400kg mammoth; Dry Matter Yes, they love it, but donkeys should not have any cereal grain, as recommend by the UK Donkey Sanctuary. Your equine vet may not be able to do anything, but it’s worth a try. Miniature donkeys are fun to breed and a wonderful means of making additional income. Feeding and nutrition advice. Hopefully the article has some helpful suggestions for you. If another donkey is not available at least provide a pony, lama, goat or cow. Facebook. Never feed alfalfa hay; it is much too rich and high in protein. Miniature donkeys need shelter in a barn or a 3-sided shelter in order to be able to get in from rain, wind, snow and even extreme sunshine in the summer months. Have you still got a few questions about what to feed your donkeys? Nothing like the easy keeper standards… certainly not like minis. Once you have these things, you’re ready to go. Find out what your donkey should eat. This product does not add a significant amount of protein to the diet. Because donkeys are prone to weight gain, their feed should be closely monitored. If not, that could also be contributing to his hoof condition. 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