Bahia or Coastal Bermuda (or what) hay for Donkey's

[akamoot]

I just got 2 Donkey's (mother and daughter, about 4 and 3 yrs old). I also have goats.
I feed my goats Coastal Bermuda and supplement with a small scoop of sweet feed (Dumor for goats).

I'm trying to find the answer to what I should feed the donkey's... should I let them share with the goats?

oh, I'm in Georgia, West Cobb county.

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You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make 'em think...

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Any grass hay is great. I would avoid anything rich like alfalfa. Donkeys evolved in sparse deserts and are good at feed conversion. They get very fat easily. Mine get pasture and a grass mix hay, and a mineral block. I don't feed any grains. If you do, don't feed much. Feeding grains will also make them bray every time they see you. Congratulations on your donkeys.

 

[akamoot]

Any grass hay is great. I would avoid anything rich like alfalfa. Donkeys evolved in sparse deserts and are good at feed conversion. They get very fat easily. Mine get pasture and a grass mix hay, and a mineral block. I don't feed any grains. If you do, don't feed much. Feeding grains will also make them bray every time they see you. Congratulations on your donkeys.

I don't feed my goats alfalfa unless it gets real cold and the browse is down in the winter... I'm aware of not giving the donkey's anything rich or sweet (sugar, molasses, etc.)... I'm trying to figure out how I can still give my goats their sweat mix and keep the donkey's out of it... but that's another issue... may have to segregate them for feeding times...

So, can you elaborate on 'grass mix hay'? So far, the only hay I've been able to get (because of the drought here) is the Coastal Bermuda... is that ok? or do I need to mix Timothy or something else? I still have a couple of acres that have not been cleared and there is plenty of scrub brush... I understand that donkey's are browsers and like that kind of stuff... am I correct? I don't have any real 'pasture' grass (some old growth fescue and some other 'grass' I haven't been able to identify yet), pretty much weed... the soil here is really poor because of 100 years of cotton, corn, and pine... until I cleared about 50 ton of 40 year old pine the ground was covered with pine nettles and had not seen sunlight...

What kind of mineral block do you use/recommend?

Thank you for your reply, I can use all the help I can get... the girls are really good and I want the best for them... and I hope they will keep the coyotes away... I lost a pygmy goat before I could get the donkey's in...

I'll post some pics when the forum lets me...

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I'm not totally familiar either with your grass mix, but it should be fine. We bale up our own hay which is a mix of Timothy, clover and some weeds. I would put your donkeys on that pasture and see what they eat. Mine are a bit crazy, they will eat all kinds of stuff that you would think would kill them. They love tomato plants, moldy hay, old bedding from the chicken coops. We don't intentionally feed them these things but we compost stuff in their pasture and they will come and eat stuff like that.

They also will eat trees like pines and willows. They are certainly different than horses.

Mine have been hit and miss with the coyotes. Most years they do their business, other years they have been seen grazing while coyotes are walking by. They do bray at night if they see anything and they will stomp at the dogs if they go in the pasture so be aware if you have dogs.

Mine have also gone after any goats that have gotten in their pasture and one drags a leg because the donkey stomped him, so hopefully yours are more gentle with goats.

We just buy a cattle type mineral block. Mine are getting older, mom donkey is 30 and probably doesn't have many years left, and her boys are 19 and 20.

 

[akamoot]

Great... thank you.
My donkey's have been with four other goats (picking them up tomorrow) about 3 years and get along. My goats are smaller and I have had them about six years. So far my goats have kind of stayed away from the donkey's but they seem to be starting to get to know each other... this morning they where in an enclosed area by the chicken coop and the donkey's didn't seem to be antagonized or aggressive so I hope they will warm up to each other... next will be what happens when I bring the other goats in tomorrow afternoon...

I'm already putting together some 10' geodesic domes to put in different spots around the area to give them shelter from the weather if they don't want to all go into the main shed (about 300+ sq ft).

Thanks again

p.s., do you know how many posts I need before I can start posting pictures?

 

[akamoot]

Here are my two new donkey's... Ginger (in back, mother), Willow (up front, daughter)

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I guess you have enough posts to post photos. They are adorable. One of my donkeys is white, what is that color on the lighter one, Ginger, she looks like a very light dun color, I haven't seen that before, I like it. I'm sure they are inseparable. Donkeys bond very tight with each other, especially mother and their offspring.

 

[cassie]

Your donkeys will do just fine on Bermuda hay. When I lived in California, my horses and donkeys were pastured on Bermuda grass. The goats had access to the pasture, too. When the grass was young and tender, they would eat it. When it was more mature and tough, they didn't. The equines didn't seem to care.

 

[akamoot]

Guess I must have done something wrong the first time I tried to attach pictures...
Ginger is a dirty gray mostly, but has the light dun color (of ginger) on her sides. She has a brown (light) stripe down her back and just behind her front withers.
Willow is brown/tan and her stripes are black.
Willow is a real lover (almost to the point of needy), Ginger, not so much but still approachable (likes her ears scratched).
I'm looking forward to having them around for the rest of my years (kind of long in the tooth myself).

I'd like to keep this thread going to ask other questions... don't know if that's proper or if I should start new thread...

anyway, here goes...
I did notice a spot on Gingers right hind quarter (about the size of my hand) that looks like the hair has been rubbed off... not to the skin but still noticeable. Looks a little raw at the top of the tail also... I'm going back to the farm I picked her up from tomorrow and will ask about it... could have happened from the 'butt strap' during transport?


Anything I should do right now, proactively, i.e., antibiotic suave, cream, etc...?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Keep asking away.

It's your thread. I can see now what her color is, she's still really pretty. I will post a photo of mine later, as well as answer your questions, I have to run right now. I will talk all the donkey you want. I have had them for about 29 years. They are a different sort of animal.