HISTORY
OF THE BREED
The Miniature
Mediterranean Donkey is its own breed, they are not bred down in size
from standard donkeys. Their ancestors come from the Islands of Sicily
and Sardinia near the Mediterranean Sea. The Miniature Donkey is
extremely intelligent and docile and is easily trained. The first
miniature
donkeys were imported into the United States in 1929 by Mr. Robert
Green.
In the early
1950's, Daniel & Bea Langfeld established the Danby Farm in Omaha,
Nebraska. They were the first professional breeders of Miniature
Donkeys
in the United States. Bea Langfeld established the original registry -
The Miniature Donkey Registry of the United States in 1958. She
turned
the registry over to the stewardship of the American Donkey and Mule
Society
in Lewisville, Texas in 1987.
DONKEY
TERMS
Foal:
baby donkey
Jack:
male donkey
Herd Sire:
jack used to sire foals in a breeding program
Gelding:
castrated male (can no longer reproduce)
Jennet:
female donkey
LIFE
SPAN
Miniature
Donkeys are truly a life long companion. With proper care and
nutrition,
their life span is 25 to 35+ years.
HEIGHT
& WEIGHT
Miniature
Donkeys average between 32" and 34" at the withers, with a maximum of
36".
The average
adult Miniature Donkey weighs between 200-350 pounds.
COLORS
The most
common color for the Miniature Donkey is a slate gray color. Other
colors
are tans, browns, dark browns, black/brown, black , sorrels (reds),
white,
and spotted. Miniature Donkeys usually have a white muzzle and white
markings
around their eyes know as "points".
A Miniature
Donkey with a black nose and no white eye rings is called a Miniature
Donkey
with no light points (NLP). While a variety of color adds
interest
to the Miniature Donkey breed, breeding for color should never be put
before
conformation.
BREEDING
AGE FOR JENNETS
A jennet
should never be bred before the age of two. It's preferred to wait
until
the jennet is fully mature at the age of 3.
GESTATION
The average
gestation time is 11 months, 3 weeks and 5 days, but jennets can carry
a foal from 11 1/2 to 13 months. Any foal born before 11 months
is
considered to be premature.
WEANING
Miniature
Donkey foals are normally weaned between 4 to 6 months of age. A
foal should never be weaned from it's mother under the age of 4 months
unless there are circumstances that might affect the health of either
the
foal or the mother. Foals under the age of 4 months need their
mothers
milk as well as their mother's emotional support and herd socialization.
SOCIAL
HABITS
Miniature
Donkeys are very social animals and they LOVE attention! If you
have
a single Miniature Donkey, you should always have another companion
animal
such as a pony, horse, mule. Often times, Miniature Donkeys
"buddy
up" and develop close relationships with another Miniature Donkey.
SHELTER
Miniature
Donkeys are normally kept in herds, they are not stalled individually
like
horses. Miniature Donkeys prefer free access to and from a
pasture
and require a minimum of a three sided shelter from the cold, wind,
rain,
hot sun and flies. A good bedding such as wood shavings or straw should
be used at all times and especially to keep the donkeys warm in the
winter
months. Manure should be removed from all stalls or shelters
daily.
VACCINES
While Miniature
Donkeys are very hardy, healthy animals, they do require annual
preventative
vaccinations for Eastern/Western Encephalomyelitis, Tetanus,
Rhinopneumonitis
and Influenza. It is illegal for a Miniature Donkey to cross a
state
line without a negative Coggins test and health papers. West Nile
is recommended in some areas.
FEED
& NUTRITION
Miniature
Donkeys require a good quality hay and should have free access to fresh
clean water and a trace mineral block at all times. A good
quality low molasses grain should also be fed. The amount you feed
depends on the age and condition of the Miniature Donkey. A
selenium
supplement may be needed if the soil in your area is selenium
deficient.
Check with you Agriculture Extension Agent or Veterinarian.
HOOF
CARE
A farrier
plays a very important role in your Miniature Donkey's welfare.
The
farrier trims and takes care of a donkeys hooves. Your farrier should
visit
your farm every 8 weeks to check all donkeys and trim or file as needed.
You should
make it a habit of picking out your donkey's feet on a regular basis,
especially
when the ground is wet and muddy. Take the time to inspect the
hoof
wall for cracks or chips and inspect the foot for thrush. Thrush
is a anaerobic bacterial infection of the donkey's frog.
Anaerobic
means that it can't live in the presence of oxygen. Thrush is easy to
diagnose.
The tissue of the frog becomes soft and ragged with a black
discharge.
The biggest indicator is a very offensive odor. The best defense
is to keep your donkeys feet clean and dry. There are many thrush
treatment remedies that you can purchase any place you buy equine
supplies.
WORMING
All Miniature
Donkeys should be included in a regular parasite control program.
Regular dewormings (every 8 weeks), pasture management and removing
manure
from stalls daily will held to reduce or prevent any parasite problem.
CONFORMATION
A Miniature
Donkey should have a well balanced look. This means that no part
of the donkey should attract immediate attention, for example, head too
small or too large, or the rump of the donkey being much higher than
the
wither. If you plan to breed your Miniature Donkeys, you must
first
verify that your donkeys are breeding quality and you must assure you
have
carefully selected your breeding pair. The American Donkey and
Mule
Society can provide you with complete conformation guidelines. We
are always happy to assist new breeders!
