# donkey mane question



## gwithrow (Feb 5, 2005)

I just went out to talk to the donkeys, I admit I have not spent too much time with them lately, but anyway, I immediately noticed that their manes are cropped very close...like they were trimmed right up...two of them have naturally long manes and those are now about an inch long?????

what is going on here? this is the first time I have seen this...and I am concerned...the farrier is coming tomorrow...their feet are not great either...we have had a ton of rain this year and I know donkeys do best in a drier climate...

any thoughts on their manes?


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## mariaricarto (Jul 1, 2010)

It's normal for donkeys to have manes that are about two inches long. They are interesting because the clumps grow to opposite sides next to each other. I need a photo to show that better.


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## gwithrow (Feb 5, 2005)

but these two donkey have always, like for years, had long manes....one of my other donkeys does have a short mane, but this is not normal for these two.....


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## mariaricarto (Jul 1, 2010)

Part mule?

Do you have a photo?


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## gwithrow (Feb 5, 2005)

one of these came from BLM auction...the other one is her baby...I don't think she is part mule, but one never knows I suppose...I know her baby's father was all donkey...and I don't think I have a picture but perhaps I can take one later....

I just wonder what happened to the manes?...lice?...or chewing them off? or rubbing them off?...if it is lice, what should I put on them...??this has never happened before...they are otherwise slick and not mangy looking...


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## goodhors (Sep 6, 2011)

First thing to settle, is the equine is either a mule or not. There is almost never a fertile mule, maybe one in 5 million, that can produce a foal. A mule is produced by having a donkey sire and a horse/pony mother, which gives it uneven chromosomes and is not fertile. So the animal IS a donkey OR a mule! NOT ever a part-mule animal. The ears are often helpful in deciding donkey or mule. Donkey has much LARGER ears, while the mule ears are smaller from the horse side. Mule ears are still big, just not as large as donkey ears, and a bit more refined, slender, less hairy.

If they are donkeys, I would expect them to have short, upright manes. Donkeys seldom have much length to the manes, but I suppose there are exceptions to that. I would expect the mule, horse or pony sized, to have a longer mane like a horse does. Not very full or thick, but they can have length to them.

If the animal did have a long mane, doesn't now, lice rubbing is a good start. I would dust with lice dust or Sevin Garden dust if you can't find lice dust. Should be able to find lice dust in cattle supplies at a farm store. 

You can usually spot lice by the tiny eggs on the hairs. Use a magnifying glass if it will help, because the sure are tiny to see. Several dustings with lice powder or dust, should clear up the problem. Spread the dustings out over about 3 weeks, which seems like how long it takes to hatch the eggs. Re-apply dust after rain or rolling in wet grasses or mud. This is old school stuff, worked fairly well, years ago when we had some lice on horses. Here is a site with newer information. Also has information showing life cycle and where in the life cycle you can do effective treatments.

http://www.pet-informed-veterinary-advice-online.com/lice-life-cycle.html

If donkey is pastured with other animals, they might be chewing the manes off. We have had and known young colts to chew manes and tails off older horses! Rather shocking to come out and find a bald tail horse! Cattle also will chew horse hair, usually tails. Such incidents bring out stories of "Tail Thieves" in the local paper or thru the rumor mill, grudges against people who won over others at a show. So far, it has all turned out to be some animal chewing off the tail, never truly cut and stolen.

Last might be a place they reach thru or under, like a fence or feeder, that rubs the mane off.

Good luck finding the cause Sherlock!


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## gwithrow (Feb 5, 2005)

thanks...for sure they are donkeys, not mules....I know mules, we had one once and these guys are all donkeys...one with a regular donkey mane..the others, until recently, had long manes..weird I know....

they are on a very limited pasture for the summer, since they can NOT tolerate the fescue and the lush grasses we have due to very wet summer...but I am now wondering if they need more nutrients than they have been getting??..could this be why they are eating their manes?...which is what I think is happening...and it has never happened here before...could be lice...I will dust them....

any thoughts on what I could add to their diets in the way of either grain...usually the donkeys do not get any....or minerals or something?...oats?...kelp? they do usually have access to the cattle minerals...they are not even close to overweight...in fact I think the boys, geldings, need a little more to eat....

and I will worm them tomorrow...


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## Farmerjonathan (Mar 11, 2013)

Do you by chance have any barb wire fence? If so, if they are reaching through for the greener grass on the other side a barb wire fence will act like a thinning comb and really shorten and thin a mane. Or, any suckling calves around? Sometimes they will suckle on a mane or a tail and break the hairs off.


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## rod44 (Jun 17, 2013)

Would like pictures to see for sure what you have.

Here are typical mammoth donkeys with trimmed manes to give you something to compare to.


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## mulemom (Feb 17, 2013)

Cool donks Rod, and I like your sign. Really annoying when someone calls a mule a donkey and visa versa. Right there with calling a foal a pony.


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## rod44 (Jun 17, 2013)

They belong to a friend of mine. Really well trained pair that can do it all.


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