A donkey whose teeth no longer cope with long hay is not being picky, he is being defeated by physics. Grinding long stems takes a flat, even molar surface working in long sweeps, and worn, uneven, or missing teeth turn every mouthful into slow, exhausting work that ends with balled-up fiber dropped on the floor. He can stand at a full hay net all day and still lose weight, because intake, not appetite, is the problem. Adapting his feeding means changing the form of the fiber so his remaining teeth can succeed, then proving with his condition that the change delivered enough.
Short-Chopped, Soaked, and Mashed Fiber
Build his ration around short-chopped fiber, which arrives pre-cut into lengths his mouth can handle without the grinding long hay demands. Soaked fiber goes further: chops and fiber products soaked in water soften into a mass he can crush with gums and tongue, and soaked mashes give a palatable, easy meal that carries water into him as a bonus, useful for an older animal that may drink less diligently. Soak for the time the product directs, make mashes fresh, and discard soured leftovers rather than leaving them to ferment in the bucket, especially in warm weather. Keep some variety within the forms that work, because a donkey fed one monotonous mush may back off it, and serve meals in a wide, shallow container at a comfortable height so he is not fighting the bucket as well as the food. Avoid swinging abruptly from hay to an all-soaked ration overnight where a gradual change over several days is possible, since gut bacteria adjust to new feed forms at their own pace.
Small Frequent Meals, Fed Apart
Feed small frequent meals through the day rather than one or two large rations. A worn mouth tires, and a donkey that manages the first half of a large mash may leave the rest, while the same total split into smaller servings is eaten completely. Feeding apart from stronger companions matters just as much: a senior donkey eats slowly, and a younger herdmate will finish his own ration and then shoulder in to steal the slow eater's, bite by bite. Give him his own space with a clear view of his companions, because donkeys are social and a donkey shut away alone may fret instead of eating, and allow him unhurried time before rejoining the group. Anyone feeding him should know not to hurry him back out because the yard schedule is pressing; his meal takes as long as his teeth need.
Watch Droppings, Condition, and Teeth
Water deserves a place in the plan beside the feed itself. Soaked meals carry fluid, but he still needs clean drinking water within easy reach of his separate feeding space, checked and refreshed as often as his buckets are filled, since an older donkey that finds stale water may drink too little across a whole day. In cold weather, watch that soaked feeds do not freeze in the bucket before he finishes them, and in warm weather make smaller soaked batches more often so nothing stands long enough to sour.
His droppings and his body condition are the report card for the whole arrangement. Fiber dropping from his mouth in wads, droppings containing long undigested strands, or condition slipping despite full buckets all say the current form is still too demanding and needs softening, soaking longer, or feeding more often. Weigh or condition-score him on a regular rhythm and write it down, because slow loss is invisible day to day and obvious in a monthly record. Arrange a dental check through the vet, since sharp points, loose teeth, or a painful mouth may be adding to the mechanical problem, and only a proper examination separates worn-out teeth from treatable ones. His feeding changes, droppings observations, and dental concerns sit together inside the Pet Passport on KinsLe for the vet to review.