About Donkeys
The donkey has been used as a working animal for at least 5000 years. There are more than 40 million donkeys in the world, mostly in underdeveloped countries, where they are used principally as draught or pack animals. Small numbers of donkeys are kept for breeding or as pets in developed countries.
Asses were first domesticated around 3000 BC, probably in Egypt or Mesopotamia. As beasts of burden and companions, asses and donkeys have worked together with humans for millennia. Characteristics: •Donkeys vary considerably in size, depending on breed and management. The height at the withers can range from 7.3 to 15.3+ hands, with the current world record of 17 hands belonging to an American Mammoth Donkey named Romulus. •Working donkeys in the poorest countries have a life expectancy of 12 to 15 years; in more prosperous countries, they may have a lifespan of 30 to 50 years. •Donkeys have large ears, which may pick up more distant sounds, and may help cool the donkey's blood. •Donkey hooves are more elastic than those of horses, and do not naturally wear down as fast. Hooves are smaller, rounder, and more upright which helps in rocky and steep terrain. •Although many donkeys are the familiar gray-dun color, there are many other coat shades. Most donkeys, regardless of coat color, will have dorsal stripes and shoulder crosses, dark ear marks, as well as the "Light Points" -- white muzzle and eye rings, and a white belly and inner leg. Leg barring may be present as well. Small dark spots right at the throatlatch, called "collar buttons" are a good identifying marking and occur occasionally. These typical donkey markings may be passed on in part or in whole to Mule or Hinny offspring. Breeding: •A male donkey or ass is called a jack, a female a jenny or jennet. •Jack donkeys are often used to mate with female horses to produce mules; the biological "reciprocal" of a mule, from a stallion and jenny as its parents instead, is called a hinny. •A jenny is normally pregnant for about 12 months, though the gestation period varies from 11 to 14 months. Behavior: •Donkeys have a notorious reputation for stubbornness, but this a common misconception and has been attributed to a much stronger sense of self-preservation than exhibited by horses. •It is considerably more difficult to force or frighten a donkey into doing something it perceives to be dangerous for whatever reason. •Although formal studies of their behavior and cognition are rather limited, donkeys appear to be quite intelligent, cautious, friendly, playful, and eager to learn. Uses: •Donkeys can be used just like horses under saddle and in harness. •Donkeys are sometimes used to guard other livestock such as cattle and sheep from predators. •Donkeys can perform all the gaits horses or mules do (yes, some are even "gaited", exhibiting a single-foot gait) |
Resources: Wikipedia.com, Donkeys.com, LuckyThreeRanch.com, LoveLongEars.com, WorldsTallestDonkey.com