My Horse University/eXtension HorseQuest free monthly webcast on caring for mules and donkeys. Presented by Dr. Amy McLean, University of Wyoming.

2. Introduction to Feeding and Care of
Long ears
• Very little of what we know about the care of mules and
donkeys comes from research
• The information that will be shared today comes from
both practical experience dealing with mules and
donkeys for over twenty years and some scientific
studies
• We will discuss management concerns associated with
the well being of both donkeys and mules
• Keeping in mind there is even less
information available or mules

3. Introduction – To donkeys & mules
• Approximately
55 million horses
in the world
• Approximately
54 million
donkeys, mules
& hinnies
• > 90% are
working animals
in developing
regions of the
world
FAO Statistics, 2002

5. Introduction to donkeys & mules

6. Feeding Long Ears
• #1 Rule when feeding mules and donkeys is to not OVER
feed them!
– This is generally not a problem in developing countries where
they are still used as beast of burdens
• In general young, growing mules and some donkeys tend
to be harder to keep weight on
• Once both have matured keeping weight OFF
tends to be the issue if they are not being properly
feed, exercised, or managed

7. Feeding Long Ears
• In 2007 Nutritional Requirements for Donkeys were included in the
National Research Council for Nutrient Requirements of Horses
6th edition
• However, no to little nutritional information is available for feeding
mules
• Similar to feeding a horse, one should consider the following
factors:
– Age (young, mature, old)
– Level of Work (amount of exercise in hours and how often during the
week)
– Environment (severe weather such as below 0 temperatures, wind, rain
and snow, access to shelters can all create an increase in energy
demands)
– Weight of the animal (feed on weight not volume)

8. Feeding Long Ears
 Donkeys have been compared to small ruminants in their ability
to digest poor quality feeds, meaning feeds/forages that are
high in fiber
 Tend to think donkeys and mules can survive on less feed
when compared to a horse
 Diets in developing countries are very high in fiber and low in
protein and energy
 Donkeys often browse on a variety of plants including the bark
of trees or wooden fences
 Not uncommon for donkeys to consume plants high in tannins

9. Feeding Long Ears
 Research has shown donkeys to have a slower
gastrointestinal tract time, meaning what they eat
stays in their digestive track longer compared to a
horse, therefore they can maximize digestion and
possibly nutrient absorption
 Donkeys continue to eat during times of dehydration
 Donkey and mules ability to dissipate heat aid to
their possible need for less water when compared to
a horse in drought type climates

10. Tips for Feeding Long Ears
 Avoid over feeding both donkeys and mules THEY ARE NOT HORSES with BIG EARS!
 Monitor their grass intake
 Consider limiting grazing especially for miniature and standard donkeys to the morning
 Mules can generally graze all day and many will need additional forage and possibly supplementation with
grain
 Feed based on weight and not volume
 High Fiber and Fat diets work well for both Mules and Donkeys
 Don’t over feed Carbohydrates and Protein, Donkeys have a unique ability to recycle high
levels of urea
 Don’t attempt to rapidly decrease weight in both can lead to hyperlipemia
 Watch for laminitis in hind limbs prior to front

11. Body Condition Scoring
 Donkeys can be scored using the Donkey Sanctuary
System from 1-5, 1 being thin and 5 being obese
 Mules a little bit harder due to their various genetic
backgrounds and conformation.
 Use the Henneke Scale of 1-9 with caution and
compare to the Donkey Scale

12. Body Condition Scoring Donkeys
#1= Thin #2= Moderate #3= ldeal
1
#4= Fat #5= Obese
Horse for Reference

13. Body Condition Scoring
Mules
Horse For Reference

14. Specie Differences
Donkey Mule
 Donkeys lack the presences of reticulocytes  Higher Mean value for corpuscular volume
(MCV) ~48.4)
 Fewer but larger erythrocytes
 Lower White Blood Cell count (5.86)
 Higher mean value for corpuscular volume (MCV)
 Lower Lymphocytes (2.9)
 Serum lactate dehydrogenase higher for miniature donkeys
 Higher plasma triglyceride levels
 Lower monocyte (0.29)
 Liver enzymes higher (creatine kinase and  Red blood cell tend to be lower than horses
glutamyltransferase) (6.74)
 Normal temperature for a donkey 98.6°F (lower than a horse)  Mean Platelet volume tends to be lower (8)
 Heart Rate ~ 48 bpm
 Normal temperature for a mule similar to that
of a horse 99.18
 Respiration ~ 21 breathes/min
 (McLean et al., 2011 unpublished)
*Recommend getting a copy of the AAEP Proceedings from 2002/vol 48: In Depth
Mule/Donkey Medicine and Surgery

15. Anatomical Differences: Donkey vs. Mule
vs. Horse

16. Anatomical Differences: Donkey
 Laryngeal Anatomy-difference in the vocal folds yielding the bray not a nicker/whinny
 No ergots on the hind legs and hooves are small and boxy
 Teats are found on the sheath of male donkeys
 Thicker Cutaneous coli muscle
 Donkeys have less prominent withers but a more prominent sternum
 Different shape and tilt to the pelvis
 Longer gestation period than horses (12 months)
 Longer life spans compared to horses
 Donkey’s teeth eruption does not match that of a horse
 Differences in the opening of the guttural pouches
 Angle of airway different from the horse
 Should use a smaller diameter tube when passing a nasal tube in a donkey

17. Anatomical Differences: Mule
 Combined traits of the sire and dam
 Longer ears, vocalization similar to a donkey
 Some may have more prominent withers
 Head is some times larger than a horse but not as large at the donkey
 Typically find ergots on the hind limbs
 Finding tack that fits appropriately can be difficult
 Tend to prefer being turned out vs. stalled
 Very social animals and prefer companionship but can become very buddy soured
 Owners will find many quirks must be dealt with versus corrected (e.g. ear shyness, hard to
catch, etc)
 Food/ reward system generally works well in training systems
 Like the donkey its not uncommon for fat pones to develop on a moderate body conditioned
animal in the hind ribs, crest of the neck or tail head

18. Pharmacokinetic Tips Long Ears
 Anesthetizing donkeys and mules proves to be different
than horses
 Quicker to metabolize pharmaceutical products
 For example: when using NASIDS (example Bute or
Banamine) you will probably have to administer more
frequent doses to your mule and donkey for a favorable
response
 So, a veterinarian may need to use a larger dose on a
donkey compared to a horse of similar body weight
 Especially true for miniature donkeys, may
need more drugs in a shorter interval of time
 Miniatures seem to respond best to xylazine
and butorphanol

19. Pharmacokinetic Tips Long Ears
 For the most part mules metabolize most drugs similar to horses but still the sedation may wear
off sooner
 This effect is probably due to the large genetic variability of the type of dam the mule is out of
 Example: A racing mule out of a “hot blooded” mare compared to a draft mule out of a docile “cold
blooded” mare
 Generally, speaking a mule will require ~ 50% more xylazine to produce an adequate sedation
before administering ketamine and the duration is shorter
 Some medications can produce complications such as breathing in donkeys
 When working with your veterinarian on sedation consider how tame/wild your long eared animal
is because this will also determine which combination of drugs a person uses
 Refer to the AAEP Proceedings/Vol 48/2002 “Anesthesia of
donkeys and mules: how they differ from horses” by Dr. Nora
Matthews

20. Other Management Areas: Health Care
 Consider using a de-wormer at least 1 a year with Ivermectin both Mules
and Donkeys are susceptible to lungworms and can serve as hosts
 Donkeys are susceptible to skin parasites- lice and flies
 Jack sores treated with ivermectin or
moxidectin due to stomach worm (Cutaneous
habronemiasis)
 Have blood work/analysis done on your mule/
donkey so you know his norms prior to illness

21. Other Management Areas: Health Care
 Beware of keeping donkeys in wet conditions
often leads to hoof issues (i.e. abscesses,
white line disease)
 Watch for founder/laminitis on the hind
hooves as well as the front
 Caution should be exercised when castrating
jacks so they don’t bleed to death
 Speak with your veterinarian about ligating
or tying off the spermatic vessels

22. Other Management Areas: Behavior
 Remember when a donkey is sick, it’s not likely they will
show signs until near death, BEWARE of your donkey’s
behavior
 Mules tend to show signs of acute pain and generally it’s
easier for an owner to detect an issue
 When restraining donkeys and mules, avoid ear twitching
and consider a twitch or pharmaceutical restraint
 Donkeys tend to show less response to a twitch
compared to a horse or mule

23. Other Management Areas: Behavior
 When working with both donkeys and mules remember to be
patient!
 Try the reward system- food
 Be smarter than your mule or donkey, so think your plan
through before attempting to execute it
 Donkeys and mules hardly ever forget so once they’ve had a
bad reaction or got away with something they will not forget
 Get your hands on your mule foal! Don’t wait until it’s
a yearling to touch it

24. Other Management Areas: Reproduction
 Consider behavioral differences when breeding
 When breeding jacks consider your environment
 Jacks can take all day to mount a mare or jenny or aggressively drag you to her
 Keep in mind not all Jacks will breed mares or vice versus a jenny
 Some jennies may cycle all year
 Beware of twinning in donkeys especially mammoths
 NI maybe an issue in mule foals consider having the mare tested
prior to foaling

25. Resources
 AAEP Proceedings
 www.ivis.org/proceedings/aaep/2002/910102000110.PDF
 www.ivis.org/proceedings/AAEP/2002/910102000102.PD
F
 www.ivis.org/proceedings/aaep/2002/910102000115.PDF
 www.ivis.org/proceedings/aaep/2002/910102000113.PDF
 Donkey Sanctuary,
 http://www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk/
 International Veterinary Information
Servicehttp://www.ivis.org/home.asp

26. THANK YOU!