How much does a donkey weigh? We all know how important it is to know the donkeys, horses, and mules’ weight to feed in proportion. Weight management is important for such animals because their job requires them to be tougher and stronger. So, we decided to enlighten our readers on this subject as well. In this article today, we would be discussing how much does the donkey usually weighs? Why is it important to know the figure? And how can you calculate the donkey’s weight? Without further ado, let’s not beat about the bush and get to our subject of discussion.
How much does an average donkey weigh?
A healthy fully mature donkey can weigh somewhere around 220lbs to 1000lbs. Whereas, the standard-sized donkey can be 220lbs to 700lbs, and the miniature donkeys would not be more than 330lbs.
How much should a fully grown donkey weigh? Donkeys are considered healthy if their body weight is somewhere around 88lbs to 990lbs. The fully grown mature donkeys should not weigh more than 1000lbs but if they do they are overweight and it’s super unhealthy (Source)
These figures are just a general estimate, may or may not be true!
Like humans and animals like horses and mules, the two donkeys of a certain age can never be of the same weight. The factors that influence the weight of a donkey are gender, height, bone structure, breed, age, etc. These above-mentioned figures are given to simply pass the idea that how much a donkey can weigh.
The actual weight can only be determined through a complex formula or Google equine weight calculator
Determining the weight of a donkey, mule, and horse is a little different and complex. It is usually determined by a complex formula so most of us use Google to get the idea rather than going an extra mile to find out what exactly is the donkey’s weight.
An online equine weight calculator is also available to help the donkey admirers. To let the equine weight calculator assist you to have to submit the required details. The calculator does all the donkey work and blesses you with the most accurate answer within a few seconds.
It’s super important to know how much your donkey weigh
It’s super important to know how much exactly your donkey weighs because both underweight and overweight donkeys are in the danger zone. It’s important to maintain a healthy weight to give this poor little fella a balanced life.
You must know how much does your donkey weighs for other reasons like riding and feeding as well. According to research gate, On average, a donkey must be fed at least 1.5 to 1.8% of the total body weight and they can carry 15-20% of their body weight on their back.
So, how can you determine how much you should be feeding or how much weight your donkey can carry if you have no idea how much does your donkey weigh exactly?
Now that, you are enlightened that Googling won’t help. You got to find out the figure yourself. And if knowing the exact figure is that important, then depriving our reader of the method we follow to determine the donkey’s weight wouldn’t be fair.
So, how can you calculate your donkey’s weight yourself?
It’s important to mention here that do not expect that a donkey would walk on a weighing machine and you will be blessed with the exact figure. You would be needing to do a little mathematics to get the exact figure. To get the weight figure, you take the following measurements;
- Heart grith
- Body length
- Height(measured at withers)
You would only be able to take the exact weight figure when you have taken the above-mentioned measurements accurately. Once the measurements are taken you can simply go and search “equine weight calculator” on Google. This the simplest, easiest, and quickest way of finding out the donkey’s true weight.
The equine calculator would request you submit the measurements, take a few minutes, and show you the results in a few seconds. The online weight calculators are usually accurate but if measurements are not taken correctly the calculator would pile up the wrong answer.
Now how do you know that you are taking the measurements correctly? It’s not hard to take the measurements, we are listing down the method in detail you can compare your method with ours and judge whether you are taking it correctly or not.
Heart grith measurement
Heart grith is a measurement taken around the midsection of the horses, mules, and donkeys. To take the heart grith measurement, take a piece of cloth and circle it around the thoracic region. The piece of cloth or string should be behind the donkey’s elbow and over the location(a place where withers meets backbone). Now, place the piece of string on the inches tape and record the measurement.
A lot of you might be wondering what’s the point of wrapping a piece of string around the thoracic region, not the inches tape? Well, we do not want to scare the animal, the strange noise would alarm the animal. The piece of string would neither harm nor scare this hardy yet sensitive creature.
Body length measurement
Now that you are done with the heart grith measurement, it’s time to find out the length. Unfortunately, all donkey keepers follow different methods to calculate the donkey’s length. So you have to be sure what the weight calculator you are using is demanding you do.
Normally, most weight calculators demand you take measurements from the shoulder to the buttocks. Take a piece of string(as you took for heart girth measurement) and place it on the shoulder and stretch it to pin bone. Now, put this string on inches tape, note the length, and move on.
Body height measurement
The height of the donkey is measured from the bottom of the hooves to the top of the withers using a string. There are height measuring sticks available as well but most donkey admirers find string more feasible.
So, take the string from the bottom of the hooves to the top of the withers to get the height figure. Put it on an inches tap, note the height, and your job is done.
Go back to the equine weight calculator and submit the details. Now the length, height, and heart grith figures obtained would help you know how much your donkey weighs. The answer equine weight calculator would now display is the donkey’s total body weight.
There are some traditional methods as well that requires you to do a little mathematics but why would one want to get a doubtful answer when Google is here to help.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do all mature donkeys weigh the same?
Do all mature humans weigh the same? No? Then how can these animals be of the same weight? It’s ridiculous to think that all mature donkeys weigh the same. Like humans, horses, and mules they can be heavier or slimmer than their fellow donkeys. The weight is influenced by height, length, breed, bone structure, and age.
Why do I need to know how much does my donkey weighs?
The donkey keepers need to know how much does their donkey weighs for several important unavoidable reasons. The major ones are, to know how much feed do they require, whether they are under or overweight, and how much weight they can carry. Moreover, you need to have an accurate figure for donkey weight management.
What’s the most reliable way of calculating the donkey’s weight?
There are some traditional methods but getting the figure from the equine weight calculator is more accurate. The equine calculator takes heart girth, height, and length measurements to calculate the weighing figure.
How much weight a donkey can carry?
Donkeys are not as stronger and tougher as mules and horses. Their weight carrying capacity is much lower than the said identical four-legged animals. On average, the fully mature donkey can carry 25 to 30 per cent of its body weight.
Summary
How much does a fully grown donkey weigh? Is a commonly asked question because a lot of find it too tricky to Calculate it ourselves. It’s useless to consider the estimated figures because the donkey’s weight is influenced by bone structure, breed, age, length, and height. As per the estimate, the fully mature donkey can weigh somewhere around 220lbs to 1000lbs, and the miniature donkey is usually not more than 330lbs.
It’s important to know how much does your donkey weighs as you have to judge how much feed do they need and how much weight they can carry. Moreover, having the exact figure also helps you with donkey weight management.
Lastly, I would like to confess here that this article is solely based on experience so the information provided here can be faulty. Please take professional help if you are confused with the calculations as the inaccurate figure would either make you feed the donkey more or less than the requirements. I hope you find this article helpful it would be an honor if it helps you in any way.
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