Spring and summer fruit for donkeys
Spring is the season to get busy in the garden; a spruce of the flowerbeds, digging up stubborn weeds and prepping your soil ahead of planting. Summer is the season for green-fingered gardeners to enjoy the fruits (or vegetables) of their labour.
Ample sunlight and long, lazy days are the perfect catalyst for fruiting plants, while encouraging all sorts of pollinators to keep busy buzzing around your garden. But have you ever considered which crops may or may not be safe for donkeys to eat as an enriching treat?
Our donkey nutrition expert, Sarah Worth, reveals which spring and summer produce is safe for donkeys, and which ones you should avoid.
The produce listed is best used for occasional food enrichment and is not advice on what to feed your donkeys. See our resource on Feeding Donkeys for more information.
summer fruit
Sarah says: “Apples are a wonderful, sweet treat for donkeys but should always be offered in moderation. They are best prepared halved or quartered. There is a temptation to feed donkeys a lot of apples if you have a bumper harvest. However, too many apples can increase the risk of developing digestive upset.”
Sarah says: “Pears are a nice alternative to apples, but the advice remain the same; they should be offered in moderation.”
Sarah says: “While we don’t tend to feed our resident herds strawberries, they are great sweet treat. However, they should only be fed sparingly; one or two at most at any one point. Wild strawberries are also a great option for donkeys, though slightly less common.”
Sarah says: “You might come across wild raspberries growing in hedgerows when out on a woodland walk, but more often than not, they tend to be grown in the garden. You can sprinkle a few raspberries in your donkeys’ feed to encourage natural foraging behaviours.”
Sarah says: “Blueberries are a nice treat for your donkeys in the spring and summer. A fun way to feed your donkeys berries on a hot day is by dropping a few in a container filled with water and freezing it. This not only extends your donkeys’ feeding time, but provides some fun, cooling enrichment. It also helps keep them hydrated!”
Sarah says: “Blackberries are most commonly found in our hedgerows. If your donkeys have access to hedgerows, you might find them snacking on them at the end of summer. Don’t be alarmed – they’re perfectly safe for your donkeys.”
Sarah says: “The adventurous gardener may have some melons growing in the greenhouse this spring and summer. While safe for donkeys, be considerate of how to portion and prepare these fruits. Don’t give whole melons to your donkeys; slice them up into appropriately-sized pieces; preferably lengthways to minimise the risk of choking.”
Sarah says: “Donkeys love eating bananas, from the sweet fruit inside to slightly bitter banana skin. At the sanctuary, we use bananas in food enrichment; because they are soft and mushy, they can be used as a lickable treat. Press the banana into a grooved rubber mat to encourage your donkeys to explore eating in a different way.”
Sarah says: “While safe for donkeys, lemon and limes are an uncommon choice to feed straight to your donkeys. A good way to utilise any abundance of citrus is to slice it up in infuse it into a bucket of cool water on hot days. This homemade cordial is a great to keep your donkeys hydrated and tastebuds happy.
“Sweeter citruses, such as orange segments, can be fed directly to donkeys – however, it will be down your animals’ personal taste if they choose to eat it or not.”
Sarah's herb garden big hitters
Mint
Sarah says: “Mint is a firm favourite with our donkeys! It is so easy to grow and is very versatile. You can freeze mint into an ice lolly lick, or pick it and hide the leaves in forage as a way to enrich mealtimes. Mint can also be tried as an appetite stimulant for poorly donkeys who may need extra tempting.”
Rosemary
Sarah says: “This woody herb will stimulate your donkeys’ senses with its fragrant bouquet. You can utilise rosemary in a number of way to add enrichment to your donkeys’ lives. For example, you can add it to a festive wreath. Rosemary is a hardy herb and is around for most of the growing season, meaning you’ll have plenty of opportunity to add it into your donkeys’ day.”
Weeds for donkeys
wonderful weeds
Sarah says: “Prevalent in most British hedgerows, you can forage cleavers for your donkeys. It is so abundant in the spring and summer and can be utilised as food enrichment while saving the pennies. One way to include cleavers in food enrichment is by loosely threading the strands through an enrichment toy (pictured). Your donkeys will have a great time trying to fish them out.”
Sarah says: “Dandelions are one of the most common weeds in the UK and as such, you may find your donkeys naturally foraging them when out in the field. They are perfectly safe for your donkeys to eat.”
Sarah says: “While seen as foe for many green-fingered gardeners, thistles are in fact friends to donkeys and wildlife. Donkeys are quite adept at nipping off the flowerheads and avoiding the prickly leaves.”
Sarah says: “Cow parsley is part of the umbellifer family, of which there are more than 3,000 species. Many of these are in fact toxic to donkeys, so you should be certain that you can identify cow parsley correctly if you want to introduce it into your donkeys’ food enrichment.
“If you’re not confident in your ability to correctly ID plants, why not try growing cow parsley from seed. Just make sure you’re purchasing from a reputable source.”
Sarah's top spring and summer tips
While all of these spring and summer crops are safe for your donkeys to eat, they should only be fed in very small quantities.
Do not feed them fruits and veggies to your donkeys frequently; while novel food is fun to incorporate, it should not make up a significant part of your animals’ diet. You should also be aware of how you portion your produce; be sure to cut carrots lengthways and not into sizeable chunks that could cause your donkeys to choke.
Another reason I discourage you from feeding your homegrown produce in abundance is because of the sugar content. Donkeys are prone to contracting laminitis, a painful condition that affects the hoof, and can be brought on from a sugar-rich diet.
Instead, I suggest introducing browse to your donkeys – hazel, ash and willow – which adds both enrichment and nutrients to the healthy bacteria in their bellies. After all, a donkeys digestive system is designed to digest fibre first and foremost.
I have omitted summer vegetables from the above list as our preference leans towards tried and tested vegetables, including carrots, swede and parsnips.
Every donkeys’ individual needs should be considered when deciding what produce to offer. If you’re unsure of anything regarding your donkeys’ diet, please contact our Nutrition team.
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