How best to feed your donkey

You may have heard of the Swahili saying Mtunze punda akutunze. This may be loosely translated as ‘look after your donkey well and it will serve you to your satisfaction.

Animals including donkeys are sensitive to how humans treat them. If we treat them better, they will be healthier, feel better, live longer and they will produce better.

In return you must feed the donkey well so that s/he maintains the same body weight even in periods of hard work or/and being pregnant.

 As a rule of thumb, feed your donkey on a well constituted diet with sufficient amounts of good quality carbohydrates (energy), proteins, vitamins, minerals and water.

Energy

Energy is required both to live and to work, lactate and reproduce. Foods derived from grains, such as oats barley and wheat are rich in starch which is broken down to yield glucose. As well as carbohydrates donkey can use dietary fats and proteins as a source of energy.

If energy intake exceeds the energy requirements, the surplus is stored as fat.

Avoid feeding your donkey with moldy feed and garbage, as this is detrimental for their health.

Proteins

Proteins are required by all living creatures for growth and repair of body tissues. Proteins are made up of chains of amino acids. Ten amino acids cannot be synthesized by the donkey’s body and must therefore be supplied in food; these are referred to as essential amino acids (EAA).

Proteins that contain a relatively high proportion of EAA are called high quality proteins. The inverse is true.

Donkeys can thrive and grow on the very low protein forages found in many tropical countries.

As a general rule, once the energy requirements of an animal are satisfied by diet, then the protein requirements tend also to be satisfied.

Jennies/ females in late gestation and lactating jennies need more energy and protein for the growth of the fetus and to supply the foal with enough milk.

Fat

Certain feeds are rich in fat particularly the cake remaining after the extraction of oil from seeds such as cotton, linseed, canola and sunflower. These feeds are also a very rich source of energy.

Vitamins

Vitamins are a diverse group of organic nutrients of which animals require small quantities to remain in good health. Their roles in the donkey’s body include; as antioxidants, co-enzymes or hormones.

There are two types of vitamins: fat soluble vitamins (Vitamins A, D, E and K) and water-soluble vitamins (Vitamins B_1, B₆ and B₁₂)

Vitamins are very abundant in green forage: pasture fed donkeys or those fed fresh forage are highly unlikely to suffer from vitamin deficiency.

Minerals

Minerals are a range of inorganic nutrients that place a wide role in the donkey’s body. They are classified into two groups;

• Macro/ major minerals – are required in relatively larger quantities per day. Include: calcium, phosphorus, sodium, chlorine, potassium and magnesium.
• Trace/ minor minerals – are required in relatively small amounts per day. Include: copper, iron, zinc, selenium and iodine.

Always provide mineral licks to prevent mineral imbalances or deficiencies.

Water

Donkeys should have access to fresh water at all times, or at least in the morning and evening. Donkeys don't overdrink. Lack of water can cause colic, a very fatal condition. When deprived of water for extended periods a donkey will suffer muscle fatigue and, in severe cases, death will result.

Show some tender love and care to the beast of ‘your’ burdens. Asante ya punda sio mateke bali ni kazi njema.

This article has been adapted from ‘The Professional Handbook of the Donkey- 4^th Edition’

Author; Dr. Paul R. N. Kangethe (BVM, UoN)

Email; [email protected]