Island Life Magazine Ltd April/May 2012 | Page 128

EQUESTRIAN

T h e L ip h o o k Eq u
in e

All about

donkeys
BEHAVIOUR

even obese) donkey, with associated

donkeys are particularly good about

Donkeys are often treated as small

problems.

not showing early signs of disease,

horses because of their physical

Recent research has shown that

Leire Ruiz de

MVDr CertAVP

which makes early detection a

resemblance but in fact these animals

donkeys require 1.3-1.7 % of their

are very different.

body weight in dry matter per day

A clear example is colic (a term that

They are also very often referred

challenge for the owner.

(lower value refers to the summer

refers to abdominal pain) that has the

to as stubborn or difficult simply

period ), which for the average 160 kg

potential of becoming life threatening.

because their behaviour is compared

donkey would be 2.1 kg-2.7 kg.

We are used to seeing horses with

to that of horses that are generally
more submissive.

Practically, this means that in

colic displaying obvious signs of pain

order to satisfy their natural appetite

such as restlessness, rolling and

donkeys require feedstuffs with low

sweating. In the early stages of colic

animals. This means that they survive

energy values so that they can eat

a donkey will often only display an

by running away from predators and

large enough quantities to provide

absence of normal behaviour rather

therefore anything that is considered

gut fill without becoming obese. A

than the more overt signs, as seen in

scary will elicit the donkey’s flight

balanced diet for a fit healthy donkey

the horse. In the donkey these signs

response – even after 5,000 years

requires little more than a limited

are generally seen only in the terminal

of domestication. If a donkey is

amount of moderate quality hay or

stages.

restricted in its ability to move away

grazing, with ad lib access to good

A very common problem amongst

from fearful experiences, they use the

quality feeding straw (barley or oat

the donkey population in this country

fight response to save themselves.

straw are the best varieties), possibly

is hoof problems. Originally from

A donkey's fight mechanism is more

a vitamin and mineral balancer and

desert areas, donkeys have evolved

easily engaged than in horses, this is

of course plenty of palatable, clean

to live in a very dry environment

perhaps because wild donkeys often

drinking water.

where they have to constantly walk in

live in small groups where running

HEALTH PROBLEMS

order to find the very scarce forage.

away is not always such a successful

In terms of health, horses and

The conditions in the UK could

method of survival.

donkeys can both suffer from almost

not be more different, moist-soft

DIET NEEDS

the same type of ailments; diseases

ground where forage can be found

As donkeys are mainly kept as pets,

like Hyperlipaemia (when fatty

in abundance. The result of the

they don’t do any highly demanding

deposits start to break down and are

combination of these two factors is

physical activity and so their energy

released into the blood stream) being

that donkeys are more susceptible to

requirements will also be small.

more common amongst donkeys.

fungal infections such as “seedy toe”

Added to this, is the fact they have

Sports type injuries such as damaged

and abnormal mechanical hoof wear.

evolved in areas where food is scarce

tendons or ligaments are more

Although not life threatening, “seedy

and of very little nutritional value.

commonly encountered in horses,

toe” can be very persistent, difficult

They are also very efficient at

which is related to the purpose of the

to treat and has a high incidence

extracting all the nutrients during the

job they do. Perhaps more than the