What Do Donkeys Eat? How Much and Why Mostly Straw

The most important thing about feeding a donkey is that it isn't a small horse. Donkeys evolved where food was sparse, need fewer calories than a pony of the same size, and put on weight easily, so the right diet is mostly straw rather than rich grass and hay.

How much: about 1.5% of bodyweight

The Donkey Sanctuary's research found that donkeys need about 1.5% of their bodyweight a day in dry food. Its handbook gives 1.3% for summer maintenance and 1.8% in winter, so a healthy 180kg donkey needs 2.3–3.2kg of dry matter a day. The MSD Veterinary Manual uses the same 1.5% figure. Straw is about 90% dry matter, so a 180kg donkey eats roughly 3kg (6.6 lb) of straw-based forage a day.

What: mostly straw

• Straw: free access to good-quality feeding straw, barley or wheat being best (Donkey Sanctuary). For a donkey without dental problems, it advises 75% straw in summer and 50% in winter.
• Hay, haylage or grazing: the rest of the diet, restricted if your donkey is overweight. The handbook says pregnant and nursing donkeys should get ad-lib hay or haylage in late pregnancy and the first three months of nursing.
• Vitamins and minerals: a supplement or low-energy forage balancer that doesn't promote weight gain.
• Avoid: cereal grain-based feeds, straw with retained grain, and molassed treat licks, which are high in sugar.

How: little and often

Donkeys like to trickle-feed on fibrous food. The Sanctuary advises a floor-level feeder rather than haynets or hayracks, which make donkeys reach up and can drop dust into their eyes and ears. Introduce straw gradually if a donkey isn't used to it, and never feed straw without water available, which raises the risk of colic.

Weight matters

Donkeys are prone to weight gain, which can lead to laminitis and hyperlipaemia. The Sanctuary advises body condition scoring regularly and restricting grazing, but never cutting a donkey's total food intake to make it lose weight: extreme dieting can itself trigger hyperlipaemia. Have teeth checked at least once a year, and switch to a short-chop diet if your donkey has dental problems.

Water

We haven't found a reliable donkey-specific daily water figure, so the water calculator doesn't give one. The Sanctuary says donkeys must always have access to clean, fresh water, are fussy about what they drink, and mostly dislike very cold water.

Work out your own numbers

The hay calculator works out total forage for a winter at 1.5% of bodyweight, and the feed cost calculator prices it at a straw price you can change.

Sources: The Donkey Sanctuary, Feeding donkeys and Feeding straw and other forages; Donkey Care Handbook; MSD Veterinary Manual, Nutritional Requirements of Horses and Other Equids. Sources checked: October 2026. General information, not a diet plan from a vet.

Common questions

How much does a donkey eat a day?

About 1.5% of its bodyweight in dry food, according to The Donkey Sanctuary — roughly 2–3kg of fibre a day for an average-sized donkey. Its handbook gives 1.3% in summer and 1.8% in winter.

Should donkeys eat straw or hay?

Mostly straw. The Donkey Sanctuary advises 75% straw in summer and 50% in winter for a donkey without dental problems, with hay, haylage or restricted grazing making up the rest.

Can donkeys eat horse feed?

The Donkey Sanctuary says donkeys aren't small horses and need fewer calories than a pony of the same size, and advises avoiding cereal grain-based feeds. The MSD Veterinary Manual says donkeys may need about 75% of a comparably sized horse's ration.

How much water does a donkey drink?

We haven't found a reliable donkey-specific figure. The Donkey Sanctuary says donkeys must always have clean, fresh water, and that most dislike very cold water, so add some warmer water in cold weather.