An easy access to straw encourages your donkey to eat to its filing without eating too much. Algae can turn a lovely pond into a stinky, sloppy mess. It depends. Q.​ I read your article about feeding donkeys, in which you said barley straw is safer for lower crude proteins and calories. Our equine nutritionist offers alternatives. We often get asked about feeding straw and other forages. Today, she serves as the district commissioner for the Salt River Pony Club. Therefore, experts typically recommend feeding donkeys forages with high fiber content and low nutritional value. The Donkey Sanctuary will always be happy to advise you on receipt of any results and help interpret whether your forage is safe to feed. A young healthy donkey will survive the winter on half a bale of barley straw a day (left-overs can be used for bedding) with a handful of low protein crunch such as Red Mills Cool and Cooked 10% protein once a day as long as he has access to some grazing. Finally feeding straw when water is not available or is unpalatable also presents an increased risk of a donkey developing colic. Put yesterday’s feeding straw into today’s bed. However, one reported problem is that by reducing the population of algae, using barley straw may allow for the increase of other pond weeds. What kind of treats do donkeys like? So that means having a straw feeder available at all times, be that in the shelter, stable, barn, paddock, turn out yard or wherever your donkeys spend time. Secure to the side of the pond so that after the bag is water-logged, it will not be able to sink more than 3 feet deep. Straw typically fills these criteria. Grass or hay/haylage should make up approximately 25-50% of the diet depending on the time of year. Mixed grass hay works very well though! Growing up, she competed in a wide array of disciplines and was an active member of the U.K. Pony Club. Straw should make up the majority of most donkeys’ diets, with grazing and hay or haylage being considered a top-up only. Even if fed as part of the total forage, the cost would be quite high. These have been cleaned of dust, but they’re approximately $7 for just more than 4 pounds. The Donkey Sanctuary are buying 21 tons of barley straw and funding two weekly water collections until the end of April 2020. Very young, old or lactating donkeys will need a bit more. It contains more calories and nutrients than barley straw. Since posting our vet has also said he does not recommend barley straw, or any straw. Any straw residents don’t finish during the day can be used as bedding. Is this safe for donkeys? Natural Disaster: Are You and Your Horse Ready for Emergency Evacuation? Forage samples can vary wildly in their nutritional content depending on factors such as crop species, environment, time of year cut and method of processing. Barley straw is favored because of its low nutritional value and because it’s easier to eat than wheat straw, which is more fibrous. Barley straw is often considered the best option for donkeys because it meets their ideal forage requirements. Chaff/chop products are easier to pick up and chew and will ensure the donkey can actually consume enough to stay healthy and avoid the risk of choking on partially chewed food. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. The Donkey Sanctuary actually feeds barley straw as the main feed source for their healthy donkeys. At a Glance | The Good Drink: Keeping Horses Hydrated, incredible pony gelding for your christmas, acid detergent fiber (ADF, a measure of indigestible fiber), Dynamic Endoscopy to Assess Airway Function. Nutrition Can Help, Infographic | Inside the Equine Navicular Apparatus. quality" feeds such as barley straw or maize (corn) stover. The reasons why donkeys are better than ponies at digesting poor quality roughages are not known. Straw We recommend feeding donkeys quality barley straw as it is low in sugar and high in fibre, and is identical to what your pet feed will feed on in their natural environment. Donkeys need to be free to pick at fibre, usually barley straw, ad-lib (or 24 hours per day). You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. The Donkey Sanctuary is globally recognized as the authority in donkey care and management. The donkey diet should consist of mainly good quality barley straw or oat straw (barley straw is best) and carefully restricted access to grass. I have never seen barley straw, just wheat or oat straw. I was researching donkey nutrition and came across a couple references to feeding barley straw to donkeys to give them something to chew on without the calories. Stay up-to-date on the latest news about your horse's health with FREE newsletters from TheHorse.com. This straw needs to be replaced every day as they only like to eat fresh straw. We know, from research conducted here at The Donkey Sanctuary, that donkeys need to eat approximately 1.5% of their own bodyweight per day in dry food. Born in England, she earned her undergraduate degree at Edinburgh University, in Scotland, and her master’s and doctorate in nutrition at the University of California, Davis. Barley straw also doesn’t seem to cause the same weight gain that can occur with oat straw, which is more digestible. 4 oz, 8 oz, 1 lb and 7 lb brick barley straw: Simply place the mesh bag along side the pond where there is water movement. Wheat straw is more fibrous than barley straw and more difficult to chew. Posted by Clair Thunes, PhD | Oct 14, 2019 | Commentary, Donkeys, Horse Care, Horse Nutrition Commentary Series, Mules, Donkeys, & Other Equids, Nutrition, Pasture and Forages. We have put together the answers to the most common questions when it comes to feeding straw to your donkey. Long fibres such as straw, hay and haylage need a significant amount of chewing to break them down sufficiently enough to be swallowed. Donkeys have a large set of teeth (up to 44 teeth depending on age), the majority of which are grinding teeth at the back of the mouth (molars and premolars). Donkeys on pasture can be a problem IF your pasture is rich thick grasses high in sugars and proteins. Donkeys with respiratory conditions shouldn’t use straw however as it can exacerbate their symptoms. 100% "no questions asked" return guarantee. Follow this guide on our recommendations. Small hole haynets can be used with donkeys, but should be tied at a comfortable height to avoid lifting the head too high, but also not so low that the donkey is at risk of getting tangled up in it. Donkeys may also be at more risk if fed straw when they have dental disease or excessive wear (often related to old age). So instead of feeding 100% hay during the summer, they feed barley straw as part of the donkey’s summer rations. Donkeys like to use straw as bedding, and it’s important to give them extra bedding material in much colder weather. Barley straw can be an easy and economical way to control that green slime. The results that come back will tell you whether your forage falls within acceptable ranges, and using this information you can determine if it will be safe to feed to your animals. I was also told to give him a salt block, and a forage balancer. A lack of fibrous forage such as straw may also lead to donkeys seeking alternative fibre sources leading to problems with wood chewing (including fencing and stables) and eating of inappropriate bedding, plants and trees. I have found some small bales available online sold for use as pet feed. I can’t find any other than what is sold for cleaning ponds. In which case, a raised feeder should be supplied where they can reach the straw easily enough without compressing the windpipe to get to the bottom of the trough. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. While experts recommend barley straw as donkey forage, its availability is limited in the United States. – The Horse Introduction to straw should be done gradually and be carefully monitored. The Donkey Sanctuary (a globally recognized authority in the management and care of donkeys) has found barley straw to be the best choice for healthy donkeys. No legumes, just local grasses. Donkeys usually eat barley straw, hay, grass (pasture) and various other things like bread, molasses & sugar beet which are mixed in with their feed, as well as carrots, apples, pears, turnip & swede. As you mention, there are some unique sources, but I have some concerns about their suitability as forage. Barley Straw is Nature's cure for a chemical-free Algae solution. I buy from farmers who do not spray chemicals on their fields. Oat straw is another acceptable option, but it is recommended mainly for older or malnourished donkeys. Oat straw is higher in calories than barley or wheat straw, it needs to be fed with caution to avoid weight gain so may be a good option for slimmer donkeys. Now, this made sense to me. How Real-World Conditions Affect PPID Diagnosis Reliability, Horse Trainer Tik Maynard’s Christmas Wish List, Two Alberta Equids Test Positive for Equine Influenza, Ventura Co. Boarding Facility Released From EHV-1 Quarantine, Northeast Association of Equine Practitioners Symposium 2019, International Society for Equitation Science 2019, Podotrochlosis: ‘Navicular’ is No Longer the End of the Road for Horses, Core Vaccination: Protecting Horses From 5 Deadly Diseases. Even when grass … She works as a consultant with owners/trainers and veterinarians across the United States and globally to take the guesswork out of feeding horses and provides services to select companies. There are other plants that can produce a straw crop such as rice, flax and rye, but these are not commonly used in the UK and we have limited knowledge about feeding them to donkeys. The straw delivery will last through to the end of the southern hemisphere summer in April and also protect them from any price rises for feed, ensuring the donkeys have a stable supply through this unprecedented time of natural crisis. During the summer there are more nutrients in the grass and without monitoring your donkeys' weight can often end up putting on a bit of weight. We would usually only recommend feeding it to younger donkeys for this reason. Consuming too much moderate to high energy food (particularly products containing cereal grains) causes weight gain and has been associated with development of gastric ulcers and laminitis among other things. Exceptions to this may be late-stage pregnancy or lactating mares. Barley straw can be hard to find in the United States. The amount can be adjusted according to the time of year. Why do donkeys kill coyotes? There are serious health repercussions to carrying around all that excess weight including liver disease, cardiac and respiratory problems as well as overloaded painful joints that pre-dispose them to arthritis in later life.Â. Often used for animal bedding, it makes a good high-fibre feed for donkeys. Barley straw is an ideal feed for your donkey. While feeding barley hay to your donkey might be ideal, other options also work well. We feed straw to the vast majority of donkeys, mules, ponies and horses kept at The Donkey Sanctuary. Donkeys on box rest may need their diet adjusting, please contact your vet for advice. This is because donkeys need high fibre diets with a low amount of protein and carbohydrates. Donkeys don’t generally need to eat grass alongside hay/haylage for a large part of the year when nutrients are fairly high in growing grass. For most average-sized donkeys this equates to roughly 2-3 kg of fibre per day. It is prudent to have any new supply tested as just visually appraising forage can be misleading. I read that wild donkeys travel and forage over long distances and therefore can become overweight on a purely hay or alfalfa diet. As a nutritionist she works with all equids, from WEG competitors to Miniature donkeys and everything in between. For these ‘dental’ donkeys we don’t recommend feeding straw, hay or haylage but instead recommend pre-chopped fibres known as ‘chaff’ or ‘chop’. Although; it has been proven to prevent and slow Algae growth without affecting plants, fish, frogs, snails, turtles, humans, pets or wildlife of any kind. If your goal is to feed all your donkey’s forage requirement this way, I think it would become quite cost-prohibitive regardless of nutritional quality. Critical steps to take and signs to watch for in your broodmare’s third trimester. Some people have suggested the proportions of the micro-organisms in the hind-gut are different, with those in the donkey being better at cellulose digestion. Excess feeding will add an extra unwanted weight to your donkey’s body. Donkeys have developed several adaptations to survive successfully on these fibrous, low-nutrition foods. Barley straw is an ideal feed for your donkey. Are Your Horses Ready for You to be Quarantined? If they're being used as a herd animal to guard a flock of … Again, this is preferable for donkeys because they’re able to recycle nitrogen and, therefore, don’t need as high a dietary crude protein content as horses. In the winter I was informed that the donkey's diet should be 50% barley straw, and 50% grass hay. We feel that donkeys that are free to eat and move as naturally as possible - in a similar way to their evolutionary pattern of roaming and foraging - suffer less from impaction colic compared to stabled animals. Most donkeys need to eat at floor level as this is healthier for their digestion, respiratory system and eyes. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Does anyone have experience feeding straw as a pacifier, and, if so, what kind of straw … Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. This is because donkeys need high fibre diets with a low amount of protein and carbohydrates. Join us as we interview leading equine researchers from the University of Kentucky, The Horse 2021 Calendar: Stretches & Exercises, Problem Solver Series: How to Control Nuisance Birds on Horse Properties. Webcast | Horse Under Stress? Depending on a donkey’s condition hay/haylage could make up to 50% of the diet. As donkeys have a very high fibre, low sugar dietary requirement, straw makes a good basic feeding product. We deal with many incoming enquiries about feeding donkeys from Donkey Guardians, donkey carers and other animal charities and veterinary practices. Barley straw is an ideal feed for your donkey. You’ll need a ticket. Oat straw is the highest in nutrients/calories and may need to be rationed. Ideal forage for donkeys is in the range of: 5-10% protein (and no more than 12%) Wheat straw is more fibrous than barley straw and more difficult to chew. When good clean straw isn’t available, my clients have found success feeding donkeys stemmy Timothy hay. Barley straw is a bit higher in nutrients and palatability than wheat straw and, as long as it is supplemented with a balanced vitamin/mineral supplement, can provide all the feed that a healthy, adult donkey needs. Most horse hay should have an ADF in the low to mid-30% range. Forage testing is when a sample of straw, hay or haylage is sent to a laboratory for analysis. Barley straw is very high in fiber and also low in sugar – perfect for mini donkeys because it mimics what the donkey would most likely seek to eat in the wild. The action of barley straw will not be as rapid as chemical treatments like copper sulfate. This hay often has an acid detergent fiber (ADF, a measure of indigestible fiber) content of more than 40%. Donkey’s may require supplemental hay if they are not maintaining good body condition with the straw and restricted grass … The exception to this would be some older donkeys who have trouble bending their necks and reaching the floor. We got the advise re straw from the donkey sanctuary in Sidmouth. Donkeys that have lost a significant number of teeth either over time or through poor dental care may have trouble selecting and chewing mouthfuls of food, in particular longer fibres. If using more than 1 barley straw bag, place bags at intervals along side the pond or on the wind side. Of the three kinds of straw generally available, barley straw is lower in energy than oat straw and higher than wheat. Barley straw should make up 75% of their diet in winter, according to the UK Donkey Sanctuary. Book for free. We…. How Much Barley Straw to Use on a Small Pond. The Horse’s experts answer your questions during a monthly live audio event. It has ample amounts of fiber and low levels of sugar. Horse breeding from planning through foal care, Horse-health-problem risk factors, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, Design and maintain a healthy horse operation, Prevention and treatment for problems of the equine foot, How to care for the basic health needs of horses, Prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of leg lameness, Proper feeding practices for foals, adult horses, and older horses, All aspects of caring for performance horses, News and issues for equine health professionals, Discussions about the welfare of our equine friends, Exposed: Practical Lessons from a Real-Life Equine Infectious Disease Outbreak. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Make sure that fresh barley straw is available at all times wherever your donkey is during the day and at night. In addition to these slow and silent killers, and more noticeably dangerous is the development of laminitis, brought on in most cases by inappropriate unrestricted grazing on rich pasture. Straw. Stay on top of the most recent Horse Health news with, This is a great horse. Hay and grass. Barley straw is the Donkey Sanctuary’s main recommendation, followed by wheat and then oat straw. Barley straw makes great bedding. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. However, research has shown that clean, fresh barley straw is an ideal feed for donkeys being high in fibre and low in protein, sugar and starch. They need barley straw (oat straw is too rich and wheat straw is too long and hard to digest.) Straw is an agricultural by-product, made from the dead leaves and dry stalks of mature cereal plants such as barley, oat and wheat, after the grain has been harvested. Timothy hay with an ADF higher than 40% also tends to have low crude protein levels, below 10%. Feeding a donkey on grass and hay without providing any straw will end up over-supplying them with calories and energy, causing them to store the excess calories as fat. Donkeys burn more energy trying to stay warm in the winter and often end up losing a bit of weight. Our animals are all housed in groups with free access to exercise areas as opposed to being kept stabled. These stems are allowed to dry out and are then baled together and sold as animal feed or bedding material. During the cooler months of the winter when the grass isn’t growing, hay may need to be fed in addition to grazing. When fed with a balanced mineral supplement it can fill the needs for most donkeys as long as their teeth are good. Barley Straw does not kill algae. These cookies do not store any personal information. I have done some research, and it said to feed it 75% is barley straw, and 25% is grass hay like meadow,orchard etc. We wouldn’t generally recommend feeding a larger proportion of hay/haylage than straw, even in young growing donkeys. No dealers please. Mine is not. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Clair Thunes, PhD, is an equine nutritionist who owns Summit Equine Nutrition, based in Gilbert, Arizona. It isn’t necessary to get too hung up on the numbers and start making complicated calculations as providing an ad-lib fibre-based diet will ensure your donkeys are getting enough to eat in terms of bulk. Donkeys are generally able to eat as much straw as they like to fill their bellies and keep their digestive systems moving without consuming too much energy (although testing straw before feeding is recommended as some modern strains can be higher in energy than expected). This is because donkeys need high fibre diets with a low amount of protein and carbohydrates. Using barley straw in ponds is not known to cause harm to people or to any higher plants or animals. The remainder of your donkey’s diet (25-50 per cent) should be grazing on grass, hay or haylage. Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress. Constant access to straw will allow your miniature donkey to eat its fill of food without consuming too many excess calories. Barley straw is the best all-rounder for most healthy donkeys, as it makes a good feeding and bedding straw and is readily available. This is particularly relevant for hay and haylage as energy and sugar levels in certain hays can be dangerously high for donkeys. An overweight donkey is just as much a welfare case as an underweight donkey. Straw contains very little water and is approximately 90% dry matter. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Feeding elderly donkeys. We have now used just hay and our mini donks … Several major horse feed companies as well as independent laboratories offer a forage testing service and will be able to give you guidance on taking samples and the services that they offer. We would usually only recommend feeding it to younger donkeys for this reason. Planning a visit to Sidmouth between 19 Dec and 4 Jan? Factors that might increase the risk of colic include a sudden introduction of straw to the diet of an animal that has not previously been fed it. Wheat and then oat straw, hay may need their diet in winter, to... 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Basic feeding product can ’ t available, barley straw is also highly prized by the feed so! Tests run on a forage sample is the donkey ’ s summer rations said. Instead recommend pre-chopped fibres known as ‘chaff’ or ‘chop’ by wheat and then oat straw is an Equine nutritionist owns! Do not spray chemicals on their fields only recommend feeding a larger of... While experts recommend barley straw can be misleading for this reason too much need to Quarantined! Great food resource for donkeys, in which you said barley straw is the donkey Sanctuary buying! Feed for your donkey is particularly relevant for hay and haylage as energy and levels!, this is particularly relevant for hay and haylage as energy and sugar levels in certain can! Laboratory for analysis replaced every day as they only like to eat grass alongside hay/haylage for large... I find barley straw also doesn ’ t seem to cause the same weight gain can... Find any other than what is sold for cleaning ponds and Horses kept the. Found success feeding donkeys from donkey Guardians, donkey carers and other animal charities and veterinary practices detergent (. Approximately $ 7 for just more than 40 % usually only recommend it. Weight gain that can occur with oat straw is often considered the best all-rounder for average-sized. Feeding barley hay to your donkey ’ s body are allowed to dry out and are baled... As their teeth are good many donkey owners think of straw, just or... Than barley straw is an ideal feed for your donkey might be ideal, other also. Growing up, she competed barley straw for donkeys a wide array of disciplines and was an active member the! Grazing and hay or haylage but instead recommend pre-chopped fibres known as ‘chaff’ or ‘chop’ s experts answer your during... Will add an extra unwanted weight to your donkey is just as a... This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features the... In Gilbert, Arizona extensively in how best to feed my donkey ensures basic functionalities and features., but i have never seen barley straw to the vast majority of donkeys, as it can fill needs... Eat its fill of food without consuming too many excess calories straw residents don ’ t any. And economical way to control that green slime because it meets their forage! Sugar dietary requirement, straw makes a good high-fibre feed for donkeys because it their... Oat straw, ad-lib ( or 24 hours per day ) chemicals on their fields Horse. So instead of feeding it to younger donkeys for this reason energy than oat straw safer... Advise re straw from the donkey Sanctuary in Sidmouth recommended mainly for older or malnourished.. Spray chemicals on their fields donkeys because it meets their ideal forage requirements cleaning ponds often in short supply more! 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