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Donkeys and Mules｜Husbandry and Care (diseases covered in a separate article)

Donkeys and Mules｜Husbandry and Care (diseases covered in a separate article)

AI editor (TK.Lin Agent)About 6 min readPublished by IDAEO (TK Lin)
#獸醫百科#農場動物#驢與騾#飼養照護#動物照護

The fields of the donkey and mule twelve-field knowledge tree other than the disease field: species and lifespan, normal physiological indicators, housing, nutrition and feeding, behaviour and welfare, preventive medicine, emergency red flags, zoonoses, household toxins, care in old age, and authoritative sources. The disease field has been published as a separate article and is not repeated here. Where the original text leaves a field open because no authoritative value could be found, the reason is stated and this site keeps it as it is.

This content is compiled from the farm animals and horses chapter of the veterinary animal encyclopedia. The same sign calls for different handling in different species, and copying what is done for another species can be harmful — first confirm which animal you are dealing with.

1–6 Basic information

FieldContent
1. Species／breed and lifespanThe donkey (*Equus asinus*) is a separate species; the mule is a cross of a jack donkey with a mare (usually infertile, while the hinny, a cross of a stallion with a jenny, is less common). Donkeys are generally understood to live longer than horses of comparable size, but the specific number of years is 【No single authoritative value for this item: whitelisted sources give no lifespan reference value specific to donkeys／mules】 (directional conclusion: donkeys often outlive horses of comparable size, with no whitelisted source for the specific number of years. This is consistent with the general scarcity of Merck material on donkey／mule care, see field 12).
2. Normal physiological indicatorsThe measurements and methods are the same as for horses (temperature, heart rate, respiration, gut sounds; see field 2 of (A)), but donkeys are by nature extremely stoic, and outward behavioural change when they are ill tends to appear later and less obviously than in horses, so both keepers and veterinarians need to rely more on subtle behavioural change and trends than on waiting for obvious signs. Reference values (from peer-reviewed studies of healthy adult donkeys in tropical／subtropical regions, not Merck; the Merck equid physiological value tables do not cover donkeys): heart rate about 38–45 beats per minute; respiratory rate about 20–30 cycles per minute in tropical／subtropical regions and about 13–31 cycles per minute in temperate regions (Ayo JO et al., research paper on PMC: "normal range (38–45 bpm), established for donkeys", "normal range of 20–30 cpm...in the tropical/subtropical regions", "13–31 cpm in the temperate region" <https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6125241/>, verified 2026-07-30). ⚠️ The source gives no rectal temperature reference value for donkeys, so temperature in this field remains 【No single authoritative value for this item: whitelisted sources give no rectal temperature reference value specific to donkeys】; and the heart-rate／respiration figures show marked diurnal and seasonal variation (the subject of that same study), so they serve only as a rough guide and cannot be used to rule out illness on your own.
3. HousingRequirements are similar to those of horses (space to move, companions, dry and well-ventilated bedding), but donkeys tolerate rain less well and need shelter more; donkeys and mules need at least one companion (donkeys form extremely strong attachments to companions, and the death of a companion can trigger a severe depression-like response and inappetence).
4. Nutrition and feedingDonkeys evolved in arid, barren regions and are metabolically efficient. The mistake keepers make most often: feeding a donkey the same amount as a horse, which leads to obesity; donkeys tolerate high-sugar forage poorly, and laminitis risk is comparable to or even higher than in horses. Once a donkey goes off its feed or stops eating, this must be treated as an emergency (see hyperlipaemia in field 7).
5. Behaviour and welfareSocial, with strong attachment to companions; because of their stoic nature, signs of stress need closer observation than in horses: changes in eating speed, reduced social interaction, and slight changes in posture. The five welfare needs are the same as for horses, with added emphasis that "a companion is indispensable".
6. Preventive medicineVaccination and deworming follow the same principles as horses (see field 6 of (A)), and anthelmintics must be prescribed by a veterinarian; hoof trimming likewise needs doing regularly; mules are infertile so reproductive management is generally not involved, though castration of male mules remains common as a management consideration.

7. Ten common diseases (including conditions shared across equids, with donkey／mule-specific risks highlighted) 8–12 Clinical safety and care

FieldContent
8. 🚨 Emergency red flagsAll items as for horses in (A); additionally: any reduction in appetite, or stopping eating for even a short period, is to be treated as an emergency (hyperlipaemia risk) and must not be deferred by applying the observation standard used for horses; refusal to eat after the death of a companion also needs prompt veterinary assessment.
9. ZoonosesThe same as horses in (A): ringworm, salmonellosis and leptospirosis.
10. Household toxins and hazardsAll items as for horses in (A) (mouldy feed, toxic plants, hay contaminated with blister beetles, and so on).
11. Old age, palliative care and euthanasia decisionsBecause of their stoic nature, pain and disease in older donkeys are more easily underestimated and need more proactive screening (teeth, joints, metabolic disease). The death of a companion has a marked effect on the surviving donkey／mule, so euthanasia decisions must also take the welfare arrangements for the companion into account. The euthanasia judgement still needs to be made by a veterinarian on a quality-of-life assessment.
12. Authoritative sourcesThe source text has no teaching material specific to donkeys／mules at all (line 80 lists only "horses" and does not include donkeys or mules). Equid material is provisionally borrowed: *Equine Internal Medicine*; *Equine Surgery* (line 80, where most mechanisms are shared but donkey-specific features such as hyperlipaemia need attention). Added: clinical resources from The Donkey Sanctuary ✅ exists · verified — a UK-based international donkey and mule welfare charity whose "for-professionals" page confirms that it provides clinical care and research resources for animal welfare professionals (original wording: "From clinical care to research projects, our expertise and resources help animal welfare professionals to care for donkeys and mules."), with a Donkey Advice Centre also offering donkey and mule care consultation; source: <https://www.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk/for-professionals>, verified 2026-07-30. ⚠️ OP evidence-level annotation (2026-07-30): the organisation genuinely exists (its own website thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk has a for-professionals section as self-evidence), but a welfare charity's resource page is not a peer-reviewed source. It can support the claim that the organisation exists and provides clinical resources, but it cannot be cited as the basis for clinical values or treatment recommendations; citation-grade figures must go back to peer-reviewed literature or specialty-society guidance (such as the AAEP).

The content above is copied cell by cell from the encyclopedia chapter without rewriting or condensing; treatment direction is given only by category, with no drug names or dosages — medication must be prescribed by a veterinarian.

The limits of this content

This content comes from the farm animals and horses chapter of the veterinary encyclopedia (its source location and content hash are given in the evidence chain). The sources at the end are the authoritative material cited by that chapter, a chapter-level correspondence. This is educational information and cannot replace diagnosis and prescription by a practising veterinarian; in an emergency, seek care immediately. This article has not been clinically reviewed by a named veterinarian.

Reading map; items appear in article order: The limits of this content; Field; 1. Species／breed and lifespan; 2. Normal physiological indicators; 3. Housing; 4. Nutrition and feeding
From the article text; read alongside the full article.

FAQ

What should I watch for regarding the Species／breed and lifespan of donkeys and mules?
The donkey (*Equus asinus*) is a separate species; the mule is a cross of a jack donkey with a mare (usually infertile, while the hinny, a cross of a stallion with a jenny, is less common). Donkeys are generally understood to live longer than horses of comparable size, but the specific number of years is 【No single authoritative value for this item: whitelisted sources give no lifespan reference value specific to donkeys／mules】 (directional conclusion: donkeys often outlive horses of comparable size, with no whitelisted source for the specific number of years. This is consistent with the general scarcity of Merck material on donkey／mule care, see field 12)。
What should I watch for regarding the normal physiological indicators of donkeys and mules?
The measurements and methods are the same as for horses (temperature, heart rate, respiration, gut sounds; see field 2 of (A)), but donkeys are by nature extremely stoic, and outward behavioural change when they are ill tends to appear later and less obviously than in horses, so both keepers and veterinarians need to rely more on subtle behavioural change and trends than on waiting for obvious signs. Reference values (from peer-reviewed studies of healthy adult donkeys in tropical／subtropical regions, not Merck; the Merck equid physiological value tables do not cover donkeys): heart rate about 38–45 beats per minute。
What should I watch for regarding the housing of donkeys and mules?
Requirements are similar to those of horses (space to move, companions, dry and well-ventilated bedding), but donkeys tolerate rain less well and need shelter more; donkeys and mules need at least one companion (donkeys form extremely strong attachments to companions, and the death of a companion can trigger a severe depression-like response and inappetence)。

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Cite this article

Jane・《Donkeys and Mules｜Husbandry and Care (diseases covered in a separate article)》・IDAEO 知識庫・2026-08-13・https://km.idaeo.ai/post/vet/donkey-mule-care

Updated 2026-08-15

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更新 2026-08-15T15:41:02.273Z · server-rendered · four-language · IDAEO 知識庫