"ABOUT
MINIATURE DONKEYS"
"SO...DO YOU WANT A
MINIATURE DONKEY?"
DO learn as much as you can about donkeys, preferably before you purchase.
DO decide what you want your donkey for - they come in all shapes and sizes.
DO make sure you can care for your donkey. Your donkey will need pasture, shelter, water, and companionship ... and they can live for 30 to 40 years. Donkeys are herd animals and need to have another donkey near them. Never consider having just one donkey - they will be unhappy and stressed which may cause them to become ill.
DO join the Canadian Donkey & Mule Society or another Miniature Donkey Registry. They not only register your donkeys, but put you in touch with other donkey owners and have lots of information available to you. See the links below for more information.
JACK - male donkey
JENNET - female
donkey
MINIATURE - 36"
and under
SMALL STANDARD
- over 36" to 48"
LARGE STANDARD
- over 48" to under 54" (jennets), over 48" to under 56" (jacks)
MAMMOTH - 54"
and over (jennets), 56" and over (jacks)
MULES are produced when a Jack Donkey is bred to a mare. Miniature Mules are produced by breeding Miniature Jacks to Miniature Mares.
HINNYS are produced when a Stallion is bred to a Donkey Jennet. Hinnys have shorter horse-like ears and a tail that is more horse-like.
Miniature donkeys are native to the Mediterranean islands of Sicily and Sardinia. They are very intelligent and learn quickly. Their instinct for self-preservation is much higher than that of the horse. Although Donkeys are sometimes characterized as being stubborn, the fact is that they tend to stop and think before acting.
COLOR - The
miniature donkey comes in a variety of sizes and colors.
The most
prevalent color for Miniature Donkeys is gray-dun which consists of a gray
colored body, light colored or dark colored nose, light colored belly and inside
legs, with a dark color dorsal stripe down the back and over the shoulders. The
dorsal stripe is known as the donkeys cross. There are variations of this
gray-dun from dark to light. Donkeys can range in color from black to white and
everything in between. True blacks are rare with black/browns (not quite black)
being more common. There are chestnut/sorrels which are various shades of
reddish brown. There are also white donkeys and "spotted" donkeys. Donkeys do
not breed true to color. Never knowing what color foal will be produced is part
of the excitement of breeding donkeys.
SIZE
-
The miniature must mature to be 36" tall or less.
Ideally, you want to
keep the majority of your breeding jennets between the sizes of 32" to 36" and a
breeding jack 30" to 33".
As with any other livestock, the miniature donkey must be proportional,
depending upon their individual size and bone structure. They should also be
well balanced and correct, and free of any physical abnormalities.
PASTURE- If
you are just wanting a pet, the miniature donkey only requires a backyard, and
if you are wanting to go into a breeding program, one to two acres will be
adequate.
Small acreages can go hand in hand with
Miniature Donkeys. You could easily keep 10 donkeys on an acre of land. However,
this doesn't mean they could live off the pasture. It does mean they could live
comfortably being fed hay year round. You need a pasture large enough for them
to run, play and exercise in for them to remain healthy.
Donkeys can be kept in most types of fencing, a single strand of electric wire
will hold them. They must have a shelter to get in from the weather.
If
you just want a pet do not buy an ungelded jack.
FEEDING -
The miniature donkey feed program is very simple.
Donkeys
can survive on good quality hay alone. A good hay to feed donkeys is pure grass
hay. A little bit of alfalfa mixed in is okay but do not feed pure alfalfa hay
as it is too rich. If you have only access to a poorer quality hay, then donkeys
should be supplemented with a small amount of 10-12% protein equine sweet
feed.
Horse supplements should not be fed to donkeys.
Donkeys
are termed as "easy keepers" meaning they utilize their feed very efficiently
and you must be careful that they do not get fat. Fat donkeys will develop a
"crest" - or fat roll on their necks. Once it develops, it will be there for
life.
OTHER HEALTH
CARE - The non-routine care of the miniature involves feet trimming, minerals
and vaccinations.
They require the same yearly vaccinations as
horses. They should also be dewormed, with an equine dewormer, at a minimum of
three times per year, preferably six times per year.
Donkeys
require the same hoof care as horses and should be trimmed at least three or
four times per year.
Trace mineral salt should
be available to them at all times.
REPRODUCTION
- Jennets can become fertile at one year of age but if bred, make very poor
mothers and many will reject their foals or may abort early. Jennets can be
considered for breeding after the age of 2-1/2 to 3 years depending on their
overall physical and mental maturity. Miniature Donkeys, on average, carry a
foal for 12 months. Average gestation is 11 months, 3 weeks, 5 days - however,
it is not unusual for donkeys to carry their foals anywhere from 11 months to 13
months. Jennets should not be rebred until their second heat cycle - about 30
days after foaling. Some jennets will not conceive until their foal is weaned.
The average jennet produces one offspring every 13 to 14 months. Twinning in
Miniature Donkeys is rare. Birth weights are generally between 18 and 25 pounds.
Jennets between the size of 33" and 38" usually have an easy time foaling.
Smaller jennets may need human intervention.
Jacks (males) can be fertile at one year of age, sometimes earlier, depending on when their testicles descend. It is not a good idea to keep young jennets and jacks penned together.
PERSONALITY
- It is their loving personality that most people find overwhelming. Miniature
Donkey owners can say they are the perfect pets: affectionate, soft, cuddly, and
trustworthy around children and the handicapped. Mature Donkeys can be easily
trained to pull carts and be ridden even by small children. Miniature Donkeys
are not aggressive and become attached to the herd mates and their masters.
Miniature Donkeys jennets are devoted mothers and protective to other foals in
the herd.
"MINIATURE DONKEY
LINKS"
Canadian Donkey & Mule Association American Donkey & Mule Society
Canadian Livestock Records Corporation International Mule & Donkey Registry
National Miniature Donkey Association (US)
THANK YOU FOR VISITING...
Back to Donkeys
Back to Donkey Gallery
Back to Lovin 'R' Paints Homepage