Saracen Donkey Diet

Description

Saracen Donkey Diet

A specific, whole cereal free diet for donkeys, designed to be low in energy and protein but high in fibre. The ration is fully fortified to optimise body condition and health without providing excessive nutrients that can be detrimental to donkeys.

Donkeys have evolved to survive in some of the harshest environments. They are adapted to marginal desert lands where they browsed large plains that were devoid of lush vegetation. They survived on a diet that was highly fibrous and consisted of low-quality roughages. Their digestive systems are highly efficient at digesting these fibrous feeds, absorbing and utilising the available nutrients.

Donkeys have much lower energy and nutrient requirements compared to horses and ponies. Normal healthy donkeys will do perfectly well on forage alone; however, there may be specific instances where supplementary feeding is necessary. Traditionally, donkeys have been fed diets that are formulated to meet the nutritional requirements of adult horses and ponies. Typically, for the majority of donkeys, this leads to a high intake of energy and protein, leading to weight gain, obesity and, in serious cases, the onset of laminitis.