Calling all Donkey owners

[Lea1985]

Hey....

Im thinking about getting a donkey or two I have had a couple of packs through from the donkey sanctuary but my mind is boggled!

I own horses and have done for many years. I understand donkeys are VERY different from horses.

Heres my questions

1) can I have just one donkey? He or she will be sharing with my three horses and never left alone as one of them always stays behind. I have a youngster of 1 who is always in the field.

2) shelter....I haven't actually got a field shelter as such but there is lots of natural shelter. With big oak trees and bushes. I could bark an area of the field? I rent a barn and it has a large area at the bottom which could be used as a loose pen? But the door will have to be shut, so no acess to grass there? Could he or she stay out all day and come in with the ponies at night time during the winter?

3) feed? What do you feed them? do they eat alot?

4) trimming of feet? is this done with the same timing of horses? 6-10 weeks?

5) Jabs? do they have flu and tet like horses?

6)teeth? checked like horses?

God.....so sorry for all these questions....

Many Thanks

 

[leah_x]

I'm don't know much about donkeys, but I do know they have flu and tet the same as horses do as I have to do them every year at work

 

[potto]

http://www.horsemart.co.uk/all_rounder_horse_4_yrs_6_mths_13_3_hh_brown_somerset/advert/197814

 

[ChesnutsRoasting]

Hey....

Im thinking about getting a donkey or two I have had a couple of packs through from the donkey sanctuary but my mind is boggled!

I own horses and have done for many years. I understand donkeys are VERY different from horses.

Heres my questions

1) can I have just one donkey? He or she will be sharing with my three horses and never left alone as one of them always stays behind. I have a youngster of 1 who is always in the field.

2) shelter....I haven't actually got a field shelter as such but there is lots of natural shelter. With big oak trees and bushes. I could bark an area of the field? I rent a barn and it has a large area at the bottom which could be used as a loose pen? But the door will have to be shut, so no acess to grass there? Could he or she stay out all day and come in with the ponies at night time during the winter?

3) feed? What do you feed them? do they eat alot?

4) trimming of feet? is this done with the same timing of horses? 6-10 weeks?

5) Jabs? do they have flu and tet like horses?

6)teeth? checked like horses?

God.....so sorry for all these questions....

Many Thanks

1. Ideally a donkey should have a donkey pal, but I do know of single donkeys kept with horses.

2. A solid shelter with 24 hour access is required. Donkeys have no waterproofing in their coats and will also appreciate shelter during hot weather.

3. Donkey chaff with carrots (Brekkie) and ad lib barley straw during the winter months.

4. Mine get trimmed every 8 weeks.

5. Mine have the tet jab, but not flu as I don't compete them and they are not moved about.

6. Teeth checked every couple of years.

Your best bet is to buy The Complete Book of the Donkey by Elizabeth Svendsen founder of the Donkey Sanctuary.
Good luck, donkeys are wonderful!

 

[tasteofchristmaschaos]

Hey....

Im thinking about getting a donkey or two I have had a couple of packs through from the donkey sanctuary but my mind is boggled!

I own horses and have done for many years. I understand donkeys are VERY different from horses.

Heres my questions

1) can I have just one donkey? He or she will be sharing with my three horses and never left alone as one of them always stays behind. I have a youngster of 1 who is always in the field.

2) shelter....I haven't actually got a field shelter as such but there is lots of natural shelter. With big oak trees and bushes. I could bark an area of the field? I rent a barn and it has a large area at the bottom which could be used as a loose pen? But the door will have to be shut, so no acess to grass there? Could he or she stay out all day and come in with the ponies at night time during the winter?

3) feed? What do you feed them? do they eat alot?

4) trimming of feet? is this done with the same timing of horses? 6-10 weeks?

5) Jabs? do they have flu and tet like horses?

6)teeth? checked like horses?

God.....so sorry for all these questions....

Many Thanks

1. You can, yes but be aware of the risk of lungworm - you will have to be very stringent with poo picking and worming. Also be aware that the donkey sanctuary won't rehome to a somewhere they will be kept in the same field as horses, because of that risk so you will have to buy from a private home.
2. Solid shelter is a must. If you can't provide a field shelter of somesort - even a makeshift one made out of fence pannels - don't do it. They have no oil in their coats so even the smallest rain can give them rainscald.
3. Most donkeys will eat anything and anything. Ours our allowed no hay or their weight would balloon. They are fed barley straw for forage over winter - this may be a problem if you put out hay in your horses field as they donkey would eat it. They have a small feed of low fat chaff with cup of donkey nuts once a day.
4. Ours are done every 8 weeks. Speak to your farrier about it, donkey feet are a little different to horses, they are cut back quite short.
5.Flu and tet exactly the same.
6. Teeth exactly the same.

Hope this helps. Donkeys are wonderful but they ARE very different to horses. If you have any more questions, feel free to PM me.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

1. yes you can have just one donkey i have 1 donkey as do these other members here
http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=494639


2. yes she can come in with the ponies mine does she wears a rug as donkeys coats are not as waterproof as horses

3. they dont need to eat allot Melody just has carrots and Donkey Chaff specially designed for donkeys this is a complete feed
http://www.horsehage.co.uk/mc-donkey.html


4. yes trim feet as you do with horses and ponies 4-6 weeks


you can buy donkey things from here

http://www.tackandturnout.co.uk/epag...onkey_Products

5. i used to do Melody yearly but as she goes no where and horses are up to date all i do is Tetnus

6.teeth again get done when horses do

I use vege oil in her feed, she gets wormed when horses do do worm count ( last time gave her full syringe ) i poo pick daily .


Melody has many rugs all different weights. As you see in picture on other thread she is happy in her little Fal rug

We also made a concrete ramp within her stable so she can see over the door

 

[indie999]

Have only ever looked after donkeys and Lungworm and drier conditions are a must if you compare to keeping a horse. They do need ie a barn which is dry and wont like standing out in a field in mud/wet etc.

If you can get to the donkey sanctury its worth a visit and the books are worth having.

I would love to have a donkey and its on my must have list...worth backing if you have the time rather than a field ornament. Excellent security....like a fog horn if they hear the tiniest of noise(we use to try to sneak up on the stable donkey who was kept at the entrance to the stables and it was impossible to outwit)!Hear a pin drop!

Good luck. The donkeys we knew were on their own at grass with well behaved horses and brought in at night in stable.

 

[Lea1985]

Thank you so much every one

I know it going to be a huge commitment, I am looking into field shelters atm. The only huge concern I have is lungworm :9

I dont want to put my horses at risk.....

Im going to speak to my vet about this

 

[ChesnutsRoasting]

Thank you so much every one

I know it going to be a huge commitment, I am looking into field shelters atm. The only huge concern I have is lungworm :9

I dont want to put my horses at risk.....

Im going to speak to my vet about this

Don't let the outdated belief that all donkeys carry lung worm put you off. Before the introduction of modern wormers, it may well have been more prevalent but my donkeys have never had it, nor others I've come across.

 

[Lea1985]

Don't let the outdated belief that all donkeys carry lung worm put you off. Before the introduction of modern wormers, it may well have been more prevalent but my donkeys have never had it, nor others I've come across.

Thank you for this

Best option so far is a shed! but i need one big enough for all the horses to fit in. Knowing my luck they wont let he or she in the shelter!

 

[ChesnutsRoasting]

Thank you for this

Best option so far is a shed! but i need one big enough for all the horses to fit in. Knowing my luck they wont let he or she in the shelter!

Don't underestimate the donkey!!! What with their craftiness and superior intelligence I would be more worried about the horses not getting a look in!

 

[indie999]

The other thing you could do is just have a small mobile stable etc that it can go into on its own ie a small area if it needs a bit of a horse break!

Good luck sounds like it will have a FAB home.

 

[canteron]

Oh do get two, they are the most entertaining fun creatures and love to play together. I leave old feed buckets and small branches in the field and they play and run around with them. They also play chasing games and are hilarious - in fact when my neighbour was building his house he asked if I could move them as the builders spent too long watching them!

Agree about the worming. My vet has over 100 on his books and has never seen a case of lungworm, you just have to be meticulous about poo picking, worm testing and assuming all OK worm once a year in Autumn.

One thought, they tend to live for ever ..... I have had mine for 10 years and anticipate anything upto another 30 years! I suppose the joy of getting the Donkey Sanctuary is that if your life plans change you at least know you have somewhere they can go.

It is also nice if you can do things with them, they love it. One of mine pulls a cart and the other can be ridden (by children). They also are great at sticking their nose in your business when you don't what them - but running away and ignoring you when you do!

Going to try and load a couple of photos.

http://s1183.photobucket.com/albums/x474/mrscanteron/

 

[ChesnutsRoasting]

Canteron, lovely photos My two currently have quite a collection of "toys" in their field including a length of hose pipe, that they play tug of war with, a deflated football, the brush of a broom, a old water brush, a jolly ball and anything else that I've forgotten to take out of the field! I have to keep all grooming boxes shut, never leave any sort of packaging in their field and rubber gloves are like jam sandwiches to them! Marvelous creatures, they brighten my day, every day

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

lovely photos so cute


dont worry about lung worm if you worm when you worm the horses this is no issue. do a worm count too in case you need to double dose.

My pony and donkey are gr8 buddies they are as worm free as the horses.