What do donkeys eat?

Donkeys, like all equines, are strictly herbivorous animals . Their digestive system is adapted to efficiently break down the fibrous material that makes up the vegetation on which they feed. In this way, thanks to the fact that fermentation occurs in its posterior intestine and the presence of microorganisms that also inhabit other parts of the digestive system, the donkey can carry out a very efficient digestive process even if it consumes low-quality or low-nutritious vegetation. Thus, it relies on an intestinal microbiota that helps it to be properly nourished.

But the efficiency of donkeys to carry a herbivorous diet is not only due to their digestive system, they also have specialized teeth to be able to take root plants. Then, they use their blunt-shaped molars to crush and grind, so the food is previously processed before it reaches the stomach, which increases the efficiency of the process.

The feeding behavior of donkeys is characterized by spending a good part of the day feeding . However, this group generally consumes less feed than, for example, horses. Donkeys like to eat little feed, but at various times of the day.

Donkeys are mammalian animals , so that, at birth, the primary food is mother’s milk , which is essential for their healthy growth. Shortly after birth, the little ones already stand up and begin to nurse from their mother. An interesting aspect is that, since these animals are domesticated, donkeys establish strong ties with their mothers and if they are not previously separated from them, they can stay together for life, something that does not happen with wild donkeys in nature, as they become They become independent after weaning to form their own families.

Baby donkeys feed on their mother’s milk until they are 12-14 months , when they are weaned. However, when they are allowed to be in open spaces with the presence of vegetation to feed, they begin to eat solid foods much sooner. In addition, farmers can also supply commercial feeds, then taking mixed feeds for a while.

There is no exact amount of food that a donkey eats per day. Depending on the region where donkeys are raised, they can be extremely heavy animals and therefore eat more or less food.

For example, it is common to use them for cargo work in economically depressed places, so the power offered to them is very low. In addition to the fact that they are forced to work long hours, unfortunately the quality of life of these animals is low. However, those that are kept in spaces where forage abounds thanks to the temperate climate, have a lot of food available and can even become overweight. Neither of the two cases are healthy for these animals, so it would be important to take care of them and follow the recommendations of a veterinarian specialized in equines. No animal deserves to be exploited, much less in such unfavorable conditions.