# Question about feeding donkeys who live with horses



## melissaburn (Aug 20, 2020)

Hi - I have 2 donkeys and 2 horses. They live out 24/7 and have access to good grass in the summer but get some hay and some grain every day. In the winter, of course, it's all hay and no grass but still some grain. I only give the donkeys a small amount of grain to get them in so I can interact with them. By 'small' amount I mean an 8 oz. cup for my standard donkey and 1/2-2/3 cup for my mini donkey. Here's my question: I'm transitioning my horses from Nutrena SafeChoice Maintenance pellets to a feed balancer pellet and wonder if it's OK to give the donkeys the same thing in their smaller amount. The balancer has more protein and sugar, the same amount of fat, and much less starch and fiber. It's intended to be fed in a smaller quantity than the maintenance pellet and is supposed to better supplement hay and pasture. I'm also in the process of introducing them to a paradise track set-up but I don't think that would affect this question. Last bit of important info -- one of my donkeys got fat over the summer on grass -- which is why I'm creating the paradise track -- and he needs to lose weight. The donkeys won't get much grass next year, that's for sure. The mini donkey isn't fat (yet) and I want to keep him that way. THE BORING DETAILS: The maintenance pellets have 12% protein, 5% fat, 5% sugar, 18% crude fiber, 18% ADF, 36% NDF and 20% starch. The balancer (Purina Enrich), by comparison, has 32% protein, 5% fat, 10% sugar, 5.5% crude fiber, 8% ADF, 14% NDF and 5% starch. Thanks in advance for your input!


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

Necrotic tissue?


Has anyone had experience with a horse or donkey having necrotic tissue on a wound or something with maggots, or something similar, in it? If so, please tell me about it. I would like to understand this kind of situation. My donkey had necrotic tissue on his tail, the vet said maggots were most...




www.horseforum.com




Here's a link to an article you may find useful.

Here is an excerpt:

*A word about other equines*
Ponies, minis, donkeys and mules cannot tolerate high levels of fat like horses can. They are genetically predisposed to insulin resistance, which is exacerbated by obesity. Therefore, high fat feeds such as chia seeds may be too high in calories and should be fed at a reduced level. Approximately one third the amount normally fed to horses (adjusted for size) will give them the Omega-3s they need. In addition, since chia is high in protein, dosing should be monitored. This is especially true for donkeys and mules; they require less protein, since they have the ability to recycle up to 80% of the urea created during protein metabolism.


So the takeaway would be they need less protein and very low fat.


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

The difference between the two is the amount you need to feed to get the required nutrients in. Either one you'd feed significantly less than you'd feed your horse.


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## melissaburn (Aug 20, 2020)

QtrBel said:


> Necrotic tissue?
> 
> 
> Has anyone had experience with a horse or donkey having necrotic tissue on a wound or something with maggots, or something similar, in it? If so, please tell me about it. I would like to understand this kind of situation. My donkey had necrotic tissue on his tail, the vet said maggots were most...
> ...


This is really interesting and very relevant. If donkeys need much less protein than horses, and the balancer gives higher protein than normal maintenance feed, I probably shouldn't introduce too much to the donkeys. I'll see if I can find something that has the other nutrients (minerals, biotin, etc) without all the extra protein. Thanks!


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

The protein content looks high because of the percent. When you feed in such small amounts it isn’t. You just have to do the math. There is a really good discussion group or you could search Getty's published know or site and see if she details more about their needs. I'd be more worried about mineral imbalances.


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## LoriF (Apr 3, 2015)

With most ration balancers, a pound per day for a full size horse is sufficient. That would make eight oz probably too much for the donkeys especially the little one. I would just buy something else for them. I honestly would just be giving the donkeys a vitamin/mineral mix with a handful of timothy pellets to wash it down or just a tiny amount of whatever to entice them in.


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

I agree with Lori. I get it's easier to have one feed instead of two but sometimes it's better to just have two. Forage pellets are a good way to get a granular balancer that is fed in ounces not pounds into an animal.


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

Just as an FYI about how protein content works. I'm keeping this simple so it's easy to follow.

If a feed says 16% protein and a ration balancer says 32%, those % refer to the amount of protein by weight in the bag. So a feed with 16% has 8lbs of protein in the bag and the balancer has 16lbs. The weight remains a percent so if you feed 2 lbs of feed you are giving them the same percent weight wise of protein if you feed 1lb of balancer.

I know you aren't feeding those amounts but it's easier to see how it works with these numbers. Some people get confused and assume because the balancer is higher in protein that they get more than when a feed is given. 

It is the same for NSC which is a percent by weight of what is in the bag. If you feed less of a higher NSC you could actually be getting less than if you fed more of a lower NSC.


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## melissaburn (Aug 20, 2020)

QtrBel said:


> Just as an FYI about how protein content works. I'm keeping this simple so it's easy to follow.
> 
> If a feed says 16% protein and a ration balancer says 32%, those % refer to the amount of protein by weight in the bag. So a feed with 16% has 8lbs of protein in the bag and the balancer has 16lbs. The weight remains a percent so if you feed 2 lbs of feed you are giving them the same percent weight wise of protein if you feed 1lb of balancer.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the clarification!


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## melissaburn (Aug 20, 2020)

LoriF said:


> With most ration balancers, a pound per day for a full size horse is sufficient. That would make eight oz probably too much for the donkeys especially the little one. I would just buy something else for them. I honestly would just be giving the donkeys a vitamin/mineral mix with a handful of timothy pellets to wash it down or just a tiny amount of whatever to entice them in.


Thanks for that advice. I actually identified a vitamin-mineral supplement to use instead of the ration balancer for them, but haven't bought it yet. Are you familiar with: Horse Guard 4.6 lb, Equine Vitamin Mineral Supplement with Organic Selenium & Vitamin E?


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

The Donkey.....Not Just a Horse with Big Ears


Horse Guard's certified equine nutritionist dives into the unique care requirements for Donkey's.




horseguard.com




This is from their site. I'd call about amount to feed but it's a good choice.


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