Thinking About Feeding

After nearly 11 years of owning donkeys, you'd think I'd have a way of doing things, wouldn't you?  But  I'm always reading and things have changed over the years in terms of what's considered important regarding animal husbandry.

Take worming for example.  Not long ago, people thought it was important to give your donkey a dewormer every six weeks, and a different type of drug each time.  Deworm everyone in the herd at the same time.

That's all been rethought - now we are advised to do our own fecal floats at home and not to rotate dewormers too often.  We've also learned that some donkeys may carry a burden of intestinal parasites, but other donkeys in the same herd may have developed more of an immunity.

Okay, so back to feed.  At one time, feeding twice a day was considered okay.  Now we realize that equine can develop ulcers and others problems if they are not eating small amounts of forage frequently.
Donkeys need coarse, low protein, low sugar forage but try to tell them that and they (the donkeys) will protest!

"Oh NO ... we need really good, rich feed at all times!" Plug your ears, sing "la la la la ...." and don't listen!  That's HARD to do!

So now I've got myself into this confusing conundrum.  I work from home, I'm here to listen to all of my donkeys and believe me, the complaints department here works overtime!  However I feed hay and straw four times a day and often small handfuls in between, as well as opening and closing various gates for some grazing time.  It's a full time job and I can NEVER leave home!  That's nuts and I'm needing to find more flexibility.

Enter the slow feeder hay bag!  Ah ha - this is a great invention!  However ... not wanting to park my donkeys in front of a big pile of feed that they will eat all at one time, I still dole it out in 1 lb. offerings.  Still too much management.

I'm looking for a different approach.  How to offer four donkeys (remember there is competition)  small amounts of feed throughout the day and night that they can find (equally,)  get enough exercise and be satisfied without long stretches without any feed.

I now have a collection of sixteen mini hay bags!  Truly!  I LOVE them!  So I'm thinking of dividing their daily ration of hay and straw into eight bags in the morning and then putting out another eight bags in the evening ... that means each donkey would have to "find" two bags to get her rations.  I think this will only work in summer though if it works at all.

Siog would win the hay bag Olympics if there was such a thing.  She manages to extract great gobs of hay in mouthfuls, whereas Dorrie eats slowly and thoughtfully.  Rose is easily dislodged from her bag if someone else wants it and Heather is a force to be reckoned with if she sets her mind on someone else's hay bag. 

The way I'm doing it now has sure made a huge difference to every one's weight though, I have to say.  Rose and Heather have lost their cresty fat pads along their necks, I can actually see hip bones on Heather and everyone is looking great!

But a less labour-intensive method to feeding would be super! Then perhaps I could leave home once in awhile.

Slow Feeder - full size bag

Today I received my full bale size slow feeder bag from NAG Bags, a Canadian company.  I really like these bags because the webbing is soft and has no knots.  The cord to tie it closed is thick, soft and strong and It seems very safe and easy for the donkeys to access hay and straw.

I have been using the mini size bags for 1 lb. servings of local hay but I thought I'd like to try the full bale size bag for barley straw.  This way I know they will have something to eat all night long - great for long, dark winter nights.

At first, Dorrie commanded the whole bag, shifting her body around so that no one else could get near, but then Siog worked her way in and eventually, they all did.  They ate for three solid hours and then I dragged the bag away - I'm a firm believer in making changes slowly, especially to diet.

I won't leave the bag out overnight tonight but I'll bring it out for them tomorrow again and see how they do.  With the mini size bags, I've been using the ones with small 1" hole spacing.  For this full bale bag I decided to go with the larger hole spacing of 1.5" since I'm using it for straw and not hay.  I figure there will eventually be a limit to the amount of straw they will eat but after watching them today, I could be wrong!

Here they are:

Sudden weather change

Well we went from a gorgeous clear sunny September to being suddenly enveloped in fog, wind and rain!
I am so glad that Rose and Heather had a least a week to settle in before the sudden shift, but I wish it had been longer!

Everyone seems to be getting along and Dorrie is back to being her sweet self.  Siog occasionally chases Rose, like she used to do with Deenah but then she had started that with Dorica when it was just the 2 of them, so perhaps I'm reading her wrong.

My biggest challenge right now is feeding!  I can't wait for everybody to be eating the same hay and to be
comfortable with the slow feeder hay bags.  I am still slowly mixing the hay that Rose and Heather came with, with the local hay I have been feeding. Dorrie & Siog have figured out that there is something sweeter and richer on offer but I don't want them to eat this new hay, so I have to separate the two new donkeys from the 2 old donkeys and it's a bit awkward. But that will change soon, by the end of the week  I think I will have transitioned everybody over.

Heather is catching on to the hay bags really well but not so Rose - and she is the least dominant so easily gets dislodged.  I have to monitor each feeding time to make sure that Rose gets enough.

The type of hay that one puts inside a slow feeder hay net is important too.  You need something coarse that will poke out of the holes, not a soft hay that sits in a clump in the bag, especially as the bag empties.  So I notice that as I add more and more of our local hay, the easier the hay bags are becoming for Rose and Heather to manage!

Right now I have some roofing guys working on the new barn enclosure.  They are installing gutters and flashing so that the entry way won't be a waterfall like it was a few nights ago!

In the meantime, I am offering lots of hay and straw, as these sudden changes in weather can cause some upset.  I want everybody to have lots to eat and be content!

New addition to the barn's breezeway!

Streamlining how I feed

Seems I am always scratching my head about feeding the minis and weight gain and hay vs straw, etc. etc.  And I think I work much harder than I need to plus the donkeys always seem so hungry ... hmm ... not so good, especially when thinking of adding more donkeys.  I need to make things easier, not harder!

So what I have realized is that by withholding feed because I think they are too heavy, I am actually creating a feast and famine type of situation which slows their metabolism, makes them cranky AND causes them to gain weight!  Gosh ...!

I recently read that by feeding infrequently and/or not enough roughage, we are causing their metabolisms to slow so that they can conserve energy and by doing so, they store fat.  Then they eat too fast and their systems are empty before the next feeding, slowing their metabolisms even more.

So ... it follows that it's better for them to eat slowly and often and not constantly feel hungry.  I have always fed often, but not enough at one time to satisfy them, it seems.  So I have weighted them again and done the math.  They are both the same height: 34.5" at the withers and similar in weight but I have averaged their weights out to 268 lbs. each.  At 1.5% of their body weight, they should eat roughly 4 lbs of hay per day each.

This is easily divided into 4 feedings with some straw or grazing available in between.  I got a fabulous new scale that I can hang and actually read the numbers.  This scale only weighs up to 11 lbs, so it is sensitive enough to read 1 lb.!

I open a hay bag and place it inside one of those stands made to hold garbage bags open.  The stand plus the empty hay bag weighs 5 lbs.

So all I have to do is add a pound of hay so that the scale reads 6 lbs.  Easy!  I have 6 slow feeder hay bags and try to keep them all filled.  And now I offer them 1 each at 6:30 AM, 11:30 AM,  4:30 PM and 8:30 PM. They get some grazing during the morning and some straw in between hay feedings, more for overnight.

If I'm not going to be home, I can divide the portions into 1/2 lb. bags and hang them around so that they will wander and find them.  I find the bags work best when they are rather full, but it would be great to have some even smaller ones that are full with 1/2 lb. of hay.

Three slow feeder hay bags, each filled with 1 lb. of hay ready to go!  The black ones hang from pieces of baling twine on the fence and I drop the grey/ blue ones into a feed trough on the ground (mind you, they never stay in the trough!)  I could tie them in but the donkeys have so much fun (I think?) tossing them around!

This has really simplified things - hay is pre-measured and ready to feed.  My partner doesn't have to guess how much to feed, I don't have to give in to constant donkey whimpering.  They eat more slowly this way and a pound of hay takes them about an hour to eat ... perfect!

Slow feeder hay nets for donkeys - findings.

I've been using my new slow feeder hay nets for a couple of weeks now.  I have 3 from Purely Ponies and 3 from N.A.G. Bags.  All of these bags have 1" holes.  (see previous posts)

I also have 3 Nibble Nets that I've been using for quite a while, one attached in each stall, each with 2" holes created with sturdy webbing, not netting, and a solid backing.

I've been very cautious about the hay nets as they have not been recommended (by the UK Donkey Sanctuary) and could be dangerous.  Consequently I use only the Nibble Nets overnight and put the net bags away for daytime use.

In reading about how to use hay nets, it is recommended that they be full all the time but I have found this to be too much hay for donkeys.  So here's my current feeding regime (always subject to change!)

7 AM - I feed loose hay in troughs in the barn.  The 3 donkeys are separated into stalls so they can eat slowly and peacefully and each can receive whatever supplements I am offering in some soaked soy hulls.
I choose not to use the hay nets first thing in the morning.

While the donkeys are eating, I might stuff some feed bags with barley straw or else I come out mid-morning and offer them straw - either on the ground if the weather is dry or in hay bags (the kind with the big centre hole)  I hang the bags fairly low in the breezeway - that way any wasted straw becomes part of their bedding.

Noonish - now I toss out a N.A.G bag with about 1/2 a flake of coarse hay for each donkey.  I tie the ends tightly and work the cord back inside the bags and then throw them on the ground (in the sunshine if there is any!) like pillows.  The donkeys spend a happy 1 - 2 hours pulling strands out, heads down.

I make sure they also have barley straw available in the afternoon.

Dusk (whatever time that occurs) - now I hang the 3 hay nets from Purely Ponies, each with about 1/2 flake of hay.  If it's not raining, I hang the nets from a piece of sisal baling twine attached to a fence rail in the paddock.  I hang the bags low so the donkeys eat with their heads down. If by any chance a donkey gets caught up somehow, the sisal twine will break, freeing the net from the fence.  But so far, no one has created a hole in the mesh large enough to get a foot or head stuck, thank goodness!

9-10 PM - last feed of the day and now I use the Nibble Nets in the stalls for hay and the hay bags in the breezeway for overnight barley straw. I have been so concerned that the donkeys have something to last them all night but it seems the best I can do is make sure the straw is ample enough, even as bedding, that they will eat it if they really need something.

More slow feeder hay nets!

I'm really keen to be able to offer my donkeys more access to food but at the same time keep their weight down.  Sound like an oxymoron? I'm trying to get my head around this concept and have been reading a lot about slow feeders (see my other posts.)

The idea is that animals eat slower, imitating grazing to a point and this slows down digestion.
Hay also helps to keep them warm (by fermentation in the gut) and forage buffers gastric acid in the stomach which can cause ulcers.
 
I still offer some loose hay, especially for Deenah and I always feed loose hay if I think they are especially hungry, i.e. first thing in the morning.  I am watching to see if the hay nets are causing frustration and if/ when I see this, as they are still getting used to them, I offer some loose hay beside the net.  The donkeys now seem to enjoy the puzzle.

Having a whole bunch of slow feeder hay nets placed here and there, might just be a great thing! When I feed hay, I always have more piles than donkeys (this minimizes squabbling) so having more than 3 hay bags seems like a good idea.

I can pre-fill them and they are ready to go and if I'm not going to be home, I can know that the donkeys have something to nibble!

These new ones are small and I am using them as little stuffed pillows lying on the ground.  They are from N.A.G Bags - a BC company that makes many different sizes:  www.slowfeeders.com

Slow Feeder hay nets

 

Here is Siog with her new slow feeder hay net from Purely Ponies:  www.purelyponies.com

It has 1 inch holes and I have hung it from a piece of sisal baling twine from the fence, trying to keep it low so her head is not raised while she is eating.  I have just introduced these hay nets - the idea is that the donkeys eat more slowly, consume less hay and fill their tummies thereby reducing stress, ulcers and boredom!

During this "introduction" period, I also offer free choice hay so the donkeys don't get frustrated as they learn to eat from the hay bags.  The bags can be moved anywhere - I have not left them overnight yet as I want to be absolutely SURE that they can't get tangled.  So far so good!

Deenah

Dorica too!

Slow feeder - further thoughts ...

The donkeys have had the slow feeder for a couple of weeks now.  They have learned to pick up the lid and reposition it!  Ringo can get his teeth around the metal grid, pick up the lid and put it down again on an angle so that it no longer completely covers the hay ... amazing!  He can't remove it, but repositioning it defeats the purpose of the slow feeder.

They have also figured out a way to coax rather large bites out at one time.

The next model will have a smaller grid ... 2 " x 2" instead of 2" x 4"  and the lid needs to fit inside more tightly. This would work better on a container that is the same width top and bottom. That seems hard to find, so a custom built box may be the answer.

It also needs to be bolted in two places to the fence or stall or it needs to be so heavy that the donkeys can't budge it.

First Slow Feeder prototype

Donkeys and horses are grazing animals - they should be eating on and off during the daytime.  There is increasing evidence that intermittent feedings can cause all sorts of stomach upset - from colic to ulcers.  Knowing this, I have been feeding my donkeys four times a day and hanging hay bags filled with barley straw overnight.

Although great for the donkeys, it's quite a commitment of time for us!  While we work at home and can feed regularly most of the time, going away for the day or overnight means finding someone to come quite often.

I became aware of something called a slow feeder - this is some sort of container with a mesh grid across the top that the animal has to pull strands of hay through. The idea is to slow down eating, stop gorging and allow the donkey to pick away at small bits of hay whenever they feel like it.

Donkeys need lots of fiber.  Supplying that fiber through hay, gives them too many calories so barley or oat straw is also fed. Some people suggest unlimited access to hay and/ or straw but I haven't been able to bring myself to do that!  Dorica needs less food than Ringo and competition for food means that they scarf everything down in a big hurry.

Slow feeders, I think, are the answer!   Here is the first prototype.  It's a big round tub of heavy plastic with a rolled lip at the top.  A plywood rim was screwed into the lip with notches cut out to allow a heavy lid to be angled in and placed on top of a pile of straw and hay.  The lid is made from a grid of 1/8th steel rod, sandwiched between another circle of plywood and a round of thicker, heavier wood.  The openings between the grid are 2" x 4".It  slides down inside the tub as the donkey eats.

This is the lid:

Pros and cons to this model:

Pros:  Tub is a good height - donkeys can't step in it.  Without the lid on, tub is portable and easy to move.
Lid is heavy and can't be tossed out.  Tub holds a lot.  I don't think the donkeys can hurt their teeth on the metal grid since the top circle of wood is thick, they can't grab onto the metal.

Cons:  Tub needs to to anchored against a fence, as they can knock it over.   As they  eat between the grid, divots or holes get made in the hay, possibly making the strands harder to pull out.  I have fluffed up the hay several times but can't see any way to avoid this. The steel grid makes the hay rusty if it rains.
I will look for something in stainless steel for the next models.

You can see the notches cut into the top rim- the lid lifts up through the notches - humans can do it - donkeys can't!

I have used it for several days now and I like it.  Each donkey needs its own though as they tend to fight over it (Deenah wins!)

For the next models, I'd like to find rectangular containers that will fit in each stall.