2014
ISSUE
7
The newsletter with news, views and practical advice
From the
editor…
In this issue...
* Pastures for Donkeys
Greetings to all donkey owners and carers. It has been some time since our last newsletter, but
* Poisonous Plants
it seems that the weeks develop into months so fast nowadays.
Plus handy hints and lots more!
In this issue, we have a special guest contributor, Mellisa Offord BScAgr, who has a keen
interest in pasture species and is the author of a popular RIRDC handbook ‘Plants Poisonous
Handy Hint: Plant Pasture
to Horses - An Australian Field Guide’. Donkeys being equids, are especially prone to plant
Species Suitable for Donkeys
poisoning due to their instinctive browsing and grazing habits.
Donkeys enjoy a selection of pasture plants, but
Donkeys adopt selective feeding strategies relative to the available pasture or
special grazing management is needed when they coforage. They will consume small amounts of a variety of good quality pasture
graze with horses on improved pastures. Ideally, more fibrous
mature plants are suited to a donkey’s digestive process, so
plants where available, usually without taking more than they need relative
that confining them to areas of mature grasses which have seeded
to their age or physiological state. However, when grazing poor quality
and the seeds are shed, is essential to avoid the risk of obesity
mature pasture or weedy areas, donkeys will consume larger amounts
and laminitis (founder), especially as they age. If you are planting
and supplement their diet with browse, eating bark and plant residues.
a specific pasture for donkeys, avoid high soluble sugar species
such as annual ryegrass, cocksfoot, fescues, clovers and paspalum.
With the summer months heating up, donkeys are generally more heat
Select perennial grasses, such as Brome grasses (Bromus spp) and
tolerant compared with horses - their large ears help to radiate heat
temperate (C3) native perennial grasses, such as Kangaroo grass
and their coat colour reduces heat absorption on hot days. However,
(Themeda triandra), Wallaby grass (Austrodanthonia spp) red grass
if your donkey is panting or shows distress when out in the sun, hose or
(Bothriochloa macra). These are suited to generally drier conditions
sponge him down and scrape off to help keep him cool.
and poor soil types. They are lower in water soluble
carbohydrates (WSCs) and therefore have a reduced risk
I pass on best wishes to you all for the Festive Season and the New Year.
1
Dr John Kohnke BVSc. RDA
Did you know that…
of triggering laminitis and founder in donkeys. However,
controlled grazing access and monitoring body
condition is essential to avoid these metabolic
problems, irrespective of pasture quality
during good growing conditions.
Donkeys are an evolutionary relative of the horse, but have distinct anatomical,
morphological and behavioural differences, a higher power to weight ratio to carry loads,
as well as better heat tolerance, which makes them suited to hot, semi-arid environments.
Donkeys can tolerate hot environments due to their long ears, small bodies, long legs
and short hair coats. Donkeys can generally exist on more mature, lower quality, less
digestible, fibrous plants and roughage. Donkeys have a higher feed intake on poor
quality roughage compared with horses and ponies, allowing them to maintain condition
and health on crop residues, mature grasses topped up with browse from woody plants
and bark. Donkeys have more skill in sorting feed compared with horses and have a lower
need for water and salt. They are able to recycle blood urea more efficiently as a source
of metabolic nitrogen. Studies have shown that donkeys have a more efficient microbial
fermentation of mature fibre compared with horses, with up to 13% higher microbial
cellulose digestibility and volatile fatty acid synthesis on a straw based diet and higher
concentration of energy-producing volatile fatty acids. In fact, donkeys have a similar
ability to feral goats to digest poor quality roughage. Their crude protein requirements
are between 3.8 and 7.4% of their diet compared with horses with a minimum of 7-8%.
They can withstand higher levels of dehydration compared with horses by reducing their
metabolic rate. They continue to eat for several days when deprived of water, with the
lowest water requirements compared to other domesticated animals, except camels. They
can reduce sweating to conserve water under hot conditions.
2
Handy Hint: Remove Leaves from
Lucerne/Alfalfa Hay
If you are feeding mainly a straw or mature grass diet
to your pregnant, growing or working donkey, then
the animal may benefit from a protein supplement
to maintain the growth of an unborn foal, a steady
growth rate or muscle bulk when exercising. Lucerne
hay is a suitable protein supplement at the rate
of 750g per 100 kg body weight as it contains an
average of 17% crude protein. However, if you wish
to feed more as a roughage at a higher rate, then to
reduce its protein content, remove up to 50% of the
leaves by bashing the dry hay on the inside of a large
tub. As most of the protein is in the leaves, this will
significantly reduce the protein and sugars, leaving
mature fibre which can be digested by your donkey.
The higher protein lucerne leaves can be fed to other
animals or the egg-laying poultry, which will improve
the yolk colour because of the carotenoid
compounds in the lucerne leaves.
Ref: NRC 2007. Nutrient Requirement of Horses. 6th Revised Edition Chapter 13
Donkeys and Other Equids, National Academy of Sciences, Washington, p 268-270.
Free call: 1800 112 227 - Free fax: 1800 112 228
Website: www.kohnkesown.com
Email: [email protected]
Address: PO Box 3234, Rouse Hill, NSW, 2155
© Copyright 2014 John Kohnke Products
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Talking Donkeys - Issue 7, 2014
Pastures for Grazing Donkeys
By Mellisa Offord BScAgr
Many donkeys are kept on pastures that have been improved for
horse grazing, as this is all that is available on some properties
and donkeys are often paddocked with horses. Grasses such as
ryegrass, fescues, paspalum and barley grass (C3 grasses), along
with kikuyu, couch grass and setaria (C4 grasses), can contain
high levels of fructan sugars, particularly during periods of rapid
growth. These grasses, especially when in a legume pasture mix,
have levels of protein, sugars and energy that are too high for
donkeys to graze 24/7. Donkeys grazing these pasture types must
be carefully managed to ensure they are not at risk of obesity or the
development of laminitis (See Handy Hints #2 and #3).
Modern donkeys evolved from wild asses in northeast Africa. They
are natural browsers that will graze for up to 16 hours a day. They
are adapted to thrive in dry conditions with sparse vegetation.
Donkeys are well suited to eating a diet that is high in fibre and they
can efficiently digest and metabolise tough, woody plants and a
wide range of grass types. They also have strong muscular lips that
allow them to eat many plants that horses and cattle ignore, such as
thistles, thorned bushes, tree bark and woody plants.
The browsing habits of donkeys should be considered when
planning a new pasture area or when selecting paddock space to
house donkeys on a property. Providing donkeys with an area that
has pasture, as well as trees to nibble on and for shelter, edible
shrubs and a suitable place for the donkey to make a dust roll in
summer, will help a donkey enjoy life in an enriched environment.
A grazing donkey can thrive on unimproved native Australian
pastures. A healthy native pasture can contain many different
native grass species, as well as small native shrubs, weeds and
herbs. This is ideal for donkeys as they enjoy foraging a range of
plant types. The energy, protein and fructan sugar content of native
grasses is usually lower than that of improved pasture species, so
grazing donkeys on native pastures can reduce the risk of obesity
and laminitis, while providing them with adequate nutrition.
It is important to ensure that any trees, shrubs and weeds in a
donkey’s paddock are not poisonous. Some plants that might be a
risk to donkeys are outlined on pages 3 and 4 of this newsletter.
Donkeys do not have the same pasture and feed requirements as
horses. Donkeys are more efficient at digesting their food and they
have lower requirements for energy and protein compared to horses
of the same size. Horse owners who are new to owning donkeys
should ensure they do not feed their donkeys in the same way that
they would feed a horse of the same size, otherwise the donkey
may be at risk of obesity or laminitis due to overfeeding.
Some pastures that were once improved for cattle or horses, but
have been ‘let go’, can be considered native pastures when the
improved grass species that were originally sown, are replaced over
time by native grasses and herbs that are well adapted to the area.
These types of pastures are also well suited to donkeys as they have
a small component of nutritious improved grass and legume species
remaining, but they also contain a large amount of native species of
many different types for them to forage.
Donkeys are naturally trim and when in ideal condition they should
have a light fleshy layer of fat and muscle over their ribs, where the
rib bones can be felt with light pressure. An overweight donkey
might have an uneven distribution of fat deposits along the neck,
which can become cresty, and they can have fatty deposits over the
back and rump.
Handy Hint:
Trimming Down a Fat Donkey
Whether donkeys are grazed on highly nutritious improved pastures
or on native pastures, there might be times that supplementary
feeding is necessary. Dietary supplementation for grazing donkeys
should only be required when the pasture is poor during winter,
or in late summer if grasses have dried off. Keeping an eye on the
pasture growth and quality, as well as on the condition of your
donkey will help you assess the need for supplementary feeding.
3
A donkey that has been overfed on
supplementary rations or has been grazing
unrestricted on rich pastures can become obese. Obesity in
donkeys is a risk for the development of Insulin Resistance (IR) and
laminitis. The feed intake of a donkey should never be suddenly and
severely restricted as this can lead to a problem called hyperlipaemia.
A sudden decrease in feed intake can initiate fat reserves being released into
the bloodstream. If the condition is not recognised and treated early, it can lead to
death. Healthy ways to help your donkey trim down include:
Handy Hint:
Beware of Laminitis when
Grazing Donkeys on Nutritious Pasture
Donkeys can develop laminitis if they are allowed
to graze unrestricted on rapidly growing grasses
in spring or when grass growth flushes after rain.
Pastures that have been improved for grazing
horses are often a mix of legumes and grass species.
* Reduce the energy content of the feed supplied to your donkey. Feed the
These pasture types are a particular risk as they can
donkey straw or soaked second cut lucerne/alfalfa hay instead of higher quality lucerne
accumulate high levels of ‘fructan’ sugars during periods
hay or meadow hay. If the donkey is in a nutritious ‘horse’ paddock, move it to a
paddock that has lower quality native grasses. If the donkey is being hard-fed grains or of fast growth. To reduce the risk of a donkey developing
laminitis during these periods of pasture ‘flush’, restricted
chaff, switch to feeding straw or soaked lucerne.
grazing times can be implemented. A limit of one hour
* Increase exercise. You could take your donkey for walks in-hand or you could
grazing time in the morning and again in the afternoon,
ride your donkey (if broken in), to help shed excess weight. Move your donkey to a
will restrict the donkey’s intake of sugary grass. The
large paddock that has sparse pasture, if such a paddock is available, as it will
donkey can be confined to a yard or paddock that has
require more walking around to forage for pasture. Spread supplementary
sparse or no grass during the other times of day
straw or hay in various spots around the donkey’s paddock so he/she will
and during the night. It is important to ensure
have to walk around more to eat their feed.
the donkey is supplied with adequate straw or
low quality lucerne/alfalfa hay so they do not
* Consider the use of a supplement such as Kohnke’s
go hungry when their pasture intake is
Own® Trim®, containing nutrients which have a role
restricted.
in supporting weight control in donkeys and
horses on low calorie diets.
4
Talking Donkeys - Issue 7, 2014
Low quality lucerne/alfalfa hay, low quality meadow hay or straw
are adequate when supplementary feed is required. The addition of
a vitamin and mineral supplement, such as Kohnke’s Own Donkey
Supreme can help balance the ration and can make up for any
shortfalls in the diet.
It is a good idea to split up the available space for grazing into
a number of paddocks. Donkeys can be rotated between the
paddocks to allow for a period of pasture ‘rest’.
The amount of pasture space that a donkey needs is dependent on
the pasture type and on the availability of supplementary feeding.
In temperate areas where donkeys are grazing on nutritious ‘horse’
pastures, a stocking rate of around half an acre per donkey is usually
sufficient. Inland areas and in northern parts of Australia where
pasture is more scarce, donkeys can require up to 5 acres each of
grazing area to enable them to forage sufficient food. It is important
to assess the pasture type and the amount of pasture ground cover
when working out how much space is the minimum required for
your donkey. If the donkey is unable to forage an adequate amount
for its requirements it will lose weight and it may chew on fences or
ringbark trees in an attempt to meet its dietary need for fibre.
Pregnant and lactating Jennies, foals and growing donkeys may
need more energy-rich supplementary feeding, particularly through
winter. Increasing the amount of supplementary hay or straw is
usually sufficient to supply the higher demands of growth, lactation
or pregnancy. A small amount of supplementary grain, such as
one cupful of steam-rolled barley per 50kg body weight, might be
required if the donkey is unable to maintain weight in times of high
energy demand.
Pasture Management
Pastures that are grazed by donkeys should be managed so that
they are not over-grazed. Although donkeys are happy to forage on
a wide range of weed species, it’s important that the pasture does
not become dominated by weeds due to over-grazing. Over-grazed
pastures will also become susceptible to erosion, which can be
difficult to correct.
Manure should be regularly collected from paddocks to assist in the
control of internal parasites. Donkeys will avoid grazing in areas
where manure starts to accumulate and this will reduce the amount
of grazing area available to the donkey.
Poisonous plants
Donkeys enjoy foraging a wider variety of plant types compared
with horses. This can put donkeys at an increased risk of exposure
to potentially poisonous plants, as they will often consume plants
that horses will ignore.
High Oxalate Grasses are a Risk for
‘Big Head’ in Donkeys
Oxalate chemicals are contained in the leaves of rapidly growing
tropical grasses and hay, such as Setaria, Buffel, Pangola, Para
Grass, Guinea Grass, Kikuyu, Signal Grass and Green Panic. When
consumed by horses or donkeys, oxalates bind to calcium liberated
from feeds or supplements during digestion in the small intestine.
The oxalates form a calcium-oxalate complex which is not digested
in the small intestine by enzymes. The complex then carries
the calcium into the large intestine where it is liberated during
microbial digestion. The calcium-oxalate complex is not digested
so that inadequate calcium is absorbed to maintain blood levels
for muscle and tissue function.
It is important for donkey owners to be aware of potentially toxic
plants and to limit exposure to these plants. Regular walks around
your donkey’s paddock at different times of the year is a useful way
to keep check on the emergence of potentially toxic plants.
Hay or straw are potential sources of plant poisoning and spread
of seeds which can establish a toxic weed colony in pastures when
the hay is fed on the ground. It is important to check each new
batch of hay to ensure it is not contaminated with potentially toxic
weeds. Open the biscuits of hay out and check for foreign plants and
identify them if possible, or remove them from the hay.
The lower blood calcium triggers the release of the parathyroid
hormone from the pituitary gland, which then reabsorbs calcium
from bone stores, especially the non-weight bearing bones of the
upper face and skull. This results in weakening of the face bones,
which are pushed out by the nasal contents as the donkey grazes,
to result in an enlarged nose and forehead, or ‘Big Head’.
In this article we will list some of the plants that might be a risk
to donkeys. Many of these plants only pose a risk if eaten in large
quantities or at certain times of the year. The book ‘Plants Poisonous
to Horses - An Australian Field Guide’ also applies to donkeys and
it contains more comprehensive information on poisonous plants
in Australia. The book was published by RIRDC in 2006 and it is
available for purchase at www.rirdc.gov.au or for free download
from https://rirdc.infoservices.com.au/items/06-048
Large quantities of oxalate chemicals in tropical grass consumed
by grazing donkeys can cause a significant reduction in calcium
uptake and over a 4-6 week period can lead to the development of
weakened bones and the appearance of ‘Big Head’ or ‘NSH’.
Ornamental Trees, shrubs and Flowers
Oleander
English Yew
White Cedar
Angel’s Trumpets
Black Locust
Oaks
Red Maple
Wattles
Privets
Green cestrum
Philodendrons
Wisteria
Delphiniums
Cotton Bushes
Ivy
Azaleas
Hydrangea
Brooms
Peace Lily
Belladonna Lily
Arum lily
Rhododendrons
Clematis
Buttercups
Daffodils/ Jonquils
Foxglove
Sweet Pea
Donkeys that are kept on ‘house paddocks’ or in large backyards
are at risk of exposure to oxalates, as these paddocks are often
dominated by kikuyu. The use of fertiliser and irrigation in such
paddocks can further increase the amount of oxalates in the grass.
Where donkeys have no alternative other than to graze oxalate
dominant plants in pasture, it is important to provide supplements
of calcium and phosphorus, as well as vitamins A & D, such as
Kohnke’s Own Cal-Xtra™, to counteract the reduced uptake of
available calcium from the feed.
Talking Donkeys - Issue 7, 2014
Handy Hint:
Controlling Toxic Plants
Orchard Trees
Prunus species
(plums, peaches, apricots, nectarines and almonds)
Avocado trees and fruit
Vegetable garden plants
Potatoes
Tomatoes
Rhubarb
Weeds
Paterson’s Curse
Ragwort
Fireweed
Heliotropes
Amsinckias
Swainsonas
Thornapples
Hemlock
Rubber vine
Mother of Millions
Cape Tulips
Bathurst Burr
Noogoora Burr
St John’s Wort
Caster Oil Plant
Bracken
Crofton Weed
Flatweed/Dandelion
Nightshades
Small Flowered Mallow
Crotalaria spp (Rattlepods)
Lupins (excluding lupin varieties grown for feed)
Did You Know That...
Many poisonous plant species do not lose their toxicity and are
not any less dangerous to donkeys when they have been pulled
from the ground or poisoned with herbicide. In fact, some plants
become more palatable to donkeys when the leaves are wilting,
compared with fresh plant material. It is very important to remove
pulled weeds and shrub or tree trimmings from an area where
a donkey might have access. Remove donkeys from a paddock
where herbicide has been used until the poisoned weeds are long
gone and pasture is well established.
6
Grasses
5
Keeping a good ground cover of desirable pasture
species is the best way of avoiding the emergence and
establishment of potentially toxic plant species. Individual
toxic weeds can be pulled out by hand, but be sure to wear gloves to
protect yourself from prickles, irritant sap or plant toxins. Mowing or slashing at
the right time can help control weeds. Sheep, cattle and goats are more tolerant
of most toxic plants than horses and donkeys. These animals can be used
to intensively graze an infested paddock to help control weeds. Herbicides
can be used to control weeds and poisonous plants, either through spot
spraying or boom spraying for large areas of weed infested pasture.
Seek advice from your local produce store or agronomist to select
the best weed control method for your specific area and the
particular weed species which you are trying to
control.
Blue canary grass
Paradoxa grass
Panic grass
Perennial Ryegrass
Annual Ryegrass
Handy Hint: Mouth Impaction Caused by Grass Seeds
Paspalum
Barley grass, which dries off in early summer in southern states and goes to seed, will readily be eaten by
Sorghum grasses
donkeys. The rough awns on the seed can stick together and form the seeds into a small ball inside the mouth. This
mass can become lodged inside the cheeks next to the tongue. This will lead to slobbering and a smelly breath as the
(particularly Johnson
impacted mass ferments. It will also cause a loss of appetite. If you notice a donkey drooling excessively and not eating,
grass, Sudan grass and
check for a barley grass ‘wad’ by pressing on the sides of the cheek teeth area. If you can feel a ‘lump’ of impacted
Columbus grass)
grass seeds, gently pass a hose nozzle into the sides of the mouth and lightly irrigate to loosen the wad.
If the mass cannot be shifted, call your vet for advice.
Feature donkey Photo
Donkeys often live to an older age compared to
horses. They have a higher risk of developing
joint discomfort and osteo-arthritis, especially if they have been
neglected or worked hard during their earlier life.
A supplement of joint active nutrients, as contained in Nutricart®,
when given at a dose relative to a donkey’s body weight, can
help maintain mobility and joint health. Nutricart® contains a wide
range of synergist joint nutrients. It does not contain green-lipped
muscle for ecological reasons and no chondroitin sulphate which
would otherwise interfere with the action of glucosamine. It does
not contain any fish or animal derived ingredients. It is palatable to
donkeys of all ages. Many aged donkeys benefit from a regular daily
or twice weekly dose to help them walk around to graze where joint
discomfort restricts their movement. Of course, Nutricart® is also the
supplement of choice where younger donkeys suffer a joint injury or
discomfort from joint ‘wear and tear’ as they age.
Pack sizes 1.2kg (sufficient for 3-6 months for an average sized
donkey), or 4.0kg. More information www.kohnkesown.com
‘Classy’ at 1 day old meeting the cat.
Poplar Grove Stud, www.poplargrovestud.com
Disclaimer: The information and recommendations in this newsletter have been presented as a guideline based on the veterinary experience and knowledge of the
author, Dr John Kohnke BVSc RDA. Whilst all care, diligence and years of practical experience have been combined to produce this information, the author/editor,
Dr John Kohnke, accepts no responsibility or liability for unforeseen consequences resulting from the hints and advice given in this newsletter.
The information in this newsletter, or part thereof is copyright. We encourage its use in newsletters and other donkey association bulletins, provided that the source
of the newsletter is acknowledged as courtesy of the author, Dr. John Kohnke BVSc RDA. The information cannot be used for magazine publication unless permission is
sought from the author by email [email protected] prior to publication.
©Copyright 2014