Salt licks are important, whether you feed loose or block form. Grazing animals are lucky in that they never have to watch how much 'table salt' they
ingest! Donkeys should have access to salt year round. I prefer the trace mineral blocks myself.
A supplement I find very important is a daily pelleted wormer that I put in the donkeys small grain ration. This prevents the day to day build-up of
worm infestation in their bodies, promotes food efficiency and better health. Talk with your veterinarian about it and see what they recommend for your
situation. Probably the most important supplement is the least thought of: water. Clean, fresh water is essential for life. On a hot day, an average donkey
could drink up to 8 gallons or more a day. If the winters are harsh and cold, having unfrozen water for the donkeys is a priority. A donkey could not
eat enough snow to keep it's body hydrated.
Where you feed your donkey is equally important. Don't feed on sand for fear of ingestion of such leading to impaction from sand colic. Have hay
feeders hung no higher than eye level, or better yet feed from the ground out of safe big tires as the head down position is more natural and less dust will
be inhaled. It's helpful to separate multiple donkeys during feeding, because some eat faster than others and will get more than their share, while others
less.
How do you know if your donkey is too fat or too thin? This is a personal judgment call, but just remember a few points; a donkey is not a horse, so he
will not have the muscle mass or fat pad over the entire body, especially in young growing donkeys thus the bones such as ribs and pelvis will be easier
to see and feel. You want to be able to feel the bones in young donkeys, especially jackstock. If you don't they are WAY to fat, and could be headed
for bone disorders. The donkey stores fat on the top of his neck, in fat pads over the top of the ribs, hips and belly. If you can feel a nice thick neck
roll on the neck, or even hard to get your hand around completely - rest assured, your donkey is in good flesh. If your donkey is all round like a fat
pony then be really concerned - he's too fat and his health is in danger!
Probably the hardest thing you will find in donkey ownership is in trying to not overfeed your donkey, as they are so appreciative of goodies!
