Donkey
 
Physical Characters
Life Span of donkey is about 25-40 years. Height is about 36" to 38". Weight of donkey varies form 200 to 450 pounds.
Miniature donkeys are native to the Mediterranian islands of Sicily and Sardinia. It is difficult to import them now because the quality of donkey left in Sicily and Sardinia is not good and it is very difficult to pass the tests given by quarantine stations at the Dept. of Agriculture. However, this writer purchased two donkeys imported into this country from Sicily some time ago so the task is not impossible, just improbable. Miniature Donkeys have not been bred down in size per se. The 25-30 Miniature Donkeys originally imported into the U.S. were between the sizes of 32" and 38" with the majority of them being in the 35"-37" size range. Over the years, breeders have concentrated more on the 32"-33" size and today your most desirable and well-conformed donkeys are from 31" to 35". The word "miniature" usually connotates animals that have been bred-down in size, so keep in mind that 'miniature donkeys' are simply diminutive and not bred down such is the case of many other 'miniature' animals.
The most prevalent color for Miniature Donkeys is gray-dun which consists of a gray colored body, light colored nose - 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. As with most animals, 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. Some people refer to spotted as "pinto" and this really boils down to semantics. Spotted or pintos are generally gray or brown and white. There are also various colors of roans. Roan coloring is black, brown, gray hairs intermingled with white hairs. Donkeys do not breed true to color. Since gray-dun is by far the predominant gene, you can breed black to black and get gray-dun, spotted to spotted and get gray-dun, etc. Never knowing what color foal will be produced is part of the excitement of having foals. Colors other than the typical gray-dun makes the donkey more exotic looking therefore increases their price.
Food
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 would be ok. Pure alfalfa is too rich a feed for Miniature Donkeys and does not set well with their digestive systems. They can also become extremely fat. With severe droughts often occurring in different parts of the country, sometimes only poor quality hay is available and in this case, donkeys should be supplemented with a SMALL amount of 10-12% protein equine sweet feed. Please avoid feeding horse supplements to donkeys. Latest research from equine teaching hospitals reports that VERY few equine need these supplements and can easily cause obesity. 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 that will be there for life once it develops.
Limited acreage can go hand in hand with Miniature Donkeys. You could easily keep 10 donkeys on an acre of land. This however doesn't mean they could live off pasture grasses. It does mean they could live comfortably being fed hay year round. You basically need a pasture large enough for them to run and play in to receive enough exercise for them to remain healthy.
Reproduction
Females can become fertile at one year of age but if bred, can make very poor mothers and many will reject their foals (meaning YOU need to bottle feed, every 2 hours, 24 hours a day), others may abort early which can cause serious medical problems. 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: 11 months, 3 weeks, 5 days. (Unlike other animals, donkeys can carry their foals from 11 months to 13 months.) Most are not rebred until their second heat cycle, some 30 odd days after foaling. Some jennets will not conceive until their foal is weaned. Taking all into consideration, the average jennet produces one offspring every 13 to 14 months.
Males can be fertile at one year of age, sometimes earlier, sometimes later depending on when their testicles descend. The famed herd sire "Charlie Bandito" owned by Pheasant Meadow Farm in Maryland, produced his first offspring at the age of 12 months and his first son, "Guido Bandito" produced his first offspring at the age of 12-1/2 months. BEWARE: We've had two letters now in Miniature Donkey Talk Magazine of 7 month old males reproducing. Males inherit much of their overall fertility and libido from their sires. 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.
Miniature Donkeys are very healthy animals. They require the same yearly vaccinations as equine. They should also be dewormed, with an equine dewormer, at a minimum of three times per year, preferably six times per year. They require the same hoof care as equine and should be trimmed at least three or four times per year. See the book Caring For Your Miniature Donkey for detailed health care/management information.
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