Cold Donkey

[Bassett]

I went out to feed yesterday afternoon and Tinkerbelle really didn't want to eat. She had a huge spurt of diarrhea. She was shaking. I put a blanket on her and gave her some probiotic but she still was shivering. I put another fleece blanket on her that I just made last week when Goldilocks was sick. I rubbed her all over and all at once she stopped shivering and went and started eating. I know she was just plain cold. As for the diarrhea I'm sure it was from a change of hay. All under control now.

My question is. Has anyone ever had a donkey that just couldn't stand the cold? Do you have to blanket them very often. I know they don't have the fur that a horse has. She is only 7 months old. I don't have a big old barn, only two 8x10 run in shelters for 3 horses and 2 donkeys. I do give them lots of straw. But they have a tendency to want to eat that.

I do need to get in gear and make some earmuffs for them. Thanks for the picture Corinne. The thing is it is not even COLD yet, just getting there. I'm hoping I don't have trouble with her all winter with her being so cold. I'm hoping this cold snap will make her start to grow a heavier coat faster. Is that possible. Anyone else in colder climates have any experience like this. Poor chilly little baby. What would you do to try to keep her warm? Thanks, Bonnie

 

[h2t99]

My jack HATES the cold!! I have to blanket him every winter, my girls are much better at handling the cold but I do bring them into the barn when it is snowing or raining. The run in is good for shelter, I would plan on having the blanket on alot!! We have not even hit the heart of winter yet and Indy is already ready for his blanket

, I did decide to put him in with our old gelding that can get into the barn whenever he wants and Indy is in more than he is out!! I have found they have a very hard time keeping warm if they get wet!!

Good Luck!!!!

 

[FlatCreekFarm]

Does Tinkerbelle have her winter woolies on good yet? My babies are so woolly now that sometimes I can't tell them apart

My two 6-month olds hate the wind, and if it's cold, they reaaaally hate it. So they have their run-in that is like a big metal hog-house and only open on the east. They are in there a LOT on cold, windy days. My husband thinks they like that shed also because it's galvanized metal and seems to draw the warmth of the sun.

One problem we had is they would not seem to go in out of the rain at times

And that is particularly bad with a donkey because of course their coats do not shed the water like a horse's will. They seemed to have figured that one out finally

I hope OH! Ruby had a dab of rain rot as a result. Seems to be cleared up.

My thought is, since they're still really babies, it's just taking them awhile to get this weather this weather thing all figured out.

Give Tinkerbelle a good warm hug...

Poor baby!!

 

[Emily's mom]

Poor babies, I didn't realize that their hair was different than a horses, but yes they do seem to get soaked to the skin. We are so new at this!!!Hubby is still telling me that they can stay outside with the horse.

It is giving -10* C tomorrow night....If I squeeze them both in Emily's stall, the horse will beat his door down because he can't see them

....MAX NEEDS A STALL!!!and I need a carpenter!!!We have so much going on with the in door people I don't want to bug

Do you just put a blanket on them and let them be outside, I'd be afraid they'd get all tangled up...

The horse only wore his once in 3 years...this is our first donkey winter, I'm sure we'll figure something out.

I hope all the babies and older kids are all warm this winter

 

[chandab]

Poor babies, I didn't realize that their hair was different than a horses, but yes they do seem to get soaked to the skin. We are so new at this!!!Hubby is still telling me that they can stay outside with the horse.

It is giving -10* C tomorrow night....If I squeeze them both in Emily's stall, the horse will beat his door down because he can't see them

....MAX NEEDS A STALL!!!and I need a carpenter!!!We have so much going on with the in door people I don't want to bug

Do you just put a blanket on them and let them be outside, I'd be afraid they'd get all tangled up...

The horse only wore his once in 3 years...this is our first donkey winter, I'm sure we'll figure something out.

I hope all the babies and older kids are all warm this winter

Not a donkey, but I just got a new little mini and he came from a warmer more southern state and moved up here to the frozen NE of Montana. He hasn't been handled excessively, but I managed to get a blanket on him; when he arrived I didn't have one small enough for him, so he made do with one that was 4+" too big without leg straps and he managed to get out of it every night (no problem getting it put on him, but he'd be out of it in a flash). So, I bought him one in his size with leg straps and so far he is keeping it on and seems to enjoy the extra warmth. [The Arabian Ranch I used to work at in southcentral Montana, blanketed everyone in winter and they were all turned out 24/7. They wore their blankets just fine.]

 

[JumpinJackFarm]

Poor lil Tinker

I Have never seen a Donk shiver before?? it may have had something to do with the squirts?

I use to put coats on my Donks but they never really fit well and usually the first rolling session they had it just got all twisted

And then my other thought is to toughen them up for the cold (it gets cold here)

My girls get a beautiful/thick Winter coat. Zepp's is getting one too ... poor guy ...he has hairless bite spots all over his back end ... lol...I am sure the are cold spots as well.

Corrine made him a beautiful coat when he was a baby and I am sure it still fits ... he wore it last year when it was REALLY cold at night... he was born in the beginning of Feb.

Getting back to your Q

as long as they are dry I don't worry. I also pimp out their stalls too with extra bedding and that seems to help too.

 

[crackerjackjack]

I wasn't planning on getting mine blankets, but I do want them to have the ear muffs. Their coats are so wolly right now. I think the muffs are adorable.

 

[Chico]

P.J. looks like a poof ball right now. Mac has gotten fuzzy too but not like P.J. We have rain coats for our boys but not for the cold. The donkeys have all day access to the barn and they hide here when cold.

chico

 

[iluvwalkers]

[SIZE=12pt]has Tinker warmed up yet? it has been really cold here the last few days. we'd of had to bring her into the house

, Nikki[/SIZE]

 

[Bassett]

[SIZE=12pt]has Tinker warmed up yet? it has been really cold here the last few days. we'd of had to bring her into the house

, Nikki[/SIZE]

I'm really sad to have to say this:

I had Marnie come and take my donkeys back, at least for the winter. Although I'm sure in my mind it is for good. I already miss them so much but I had to do what is best for them. Marnie has a nice warm place for them so they will be so much better off with her. They just acted cold all the time and I don't have what I should have to keep them really really comfortable for a cold winter. So for their own comfort they are in the best place. Also I actually think I bit off more than I could handle on my budget and with my health problems, but I really miss the little loves. I felt sorry for our gelding Mike. He just stood there and whinnied and whinnied when Marnie and Nate were leading them away. He really likes them. Wanted to play with Tinker all the time but he is so big she was scared of him so it is for the best. And I can go visit them whenever I want to. So for now my work load has almost been cut in half.

When Marnie and Nate came this morning, Marnie came to the door and when I went out here was Nate scraping the ice off my car. What a sweet man he is.

 

[iluvwalkers]

[SIZE=14pt]must be their baby coats weren't thick enough? sorry it didn't work out but it's great that you have Marnie that could take them back and you are close enough to visit

. Nate does sound sweet, i wish he would have stopped by here to scrap the ice off from mine

...hugs to you Bonnie.[/SIZE]

 

[Emily's mom]

Bonnie, thinking of you!

 

[FlatCreekFarm]

Bonnie, I know that must have been hard to do, but your heart is sure in the right place

I hope you visit them lots. Sounds to me like you've got the best of both worlds now, and how cool is that. You'll still come see us here, won't you? If you don't, I'll just

I, for one, am already tired of winter (and we haven't had anything like up north yet)

 

[HobbsFarm]

[SIZE=14pt]Bonnie, I'm so sorry about this. I can only imagine how much you must miss them already. At least you can visit them some.

I know they will miss their mommy too! [/SIZE]

[SIZE=14pt]Hope everything works out just fine![/SIZE]

[SIZE=14pt]Shannon

[/SIZE]

 

[tifflunn]

Hershey is awaiting for his blanket right now- he really dislikes the cold, bothers his back- had the vet look at him last year and couldn't find anything wrong with him and summer came and he was fine 2nd cold day he is running around with don't touch my back- the second I can keep a blanket on him for 1/2 hr he starts warming up and back to his old self-( or we have a nice mild day) just waiting on a proper fitting one to arrive. He does have a thick coat this year- last year he didn't pretty sparse because we had to cut the burrs out.

 

[Katie12]

Where do you get the ear muffs? Any pics of them? They sound so cute.