The history of distribution and appearance of mini-donkeys, behavioral features, diseases, care, maintenance and their use, interesting facts. Acquisition. As you know, people at critical moments in life often designate each other with the names of animals. Many people associate donkeys with character traits such as stubbornness and stupidity. It should be noted that such an unfair attitude of mankind towards these animals was formed long ago. How many different ungulates in the world: horses, cows, zebras. And come on, all the negative epithets went to him. However, this is rather a consequence of elementary human ignorance.
Donkeys can claim the right to a little-studied animal. Scientists from different countries often disagree on many features of their existence. It would seem that it is simpler: here they are calm and accessible animals, common all over the planet - take and study. But it can be seen that this is how a person is arranged - he is not interested in what is nearby. So who are they really?
Donkey history
Animals are divided into wild and domestic. Strong hooves allow you to overcome any steep slopes. Long ears will hear the roar of their fellows from afar. The dense hide will protect from both cold and heat. Their endurance has earned them popularity all over the world. There are forty-three million individuals on earth. Their close cousins are horses. Donkeys are classified as equids - the family and the genus of horses. They live for about 30–35 years.
They came to us from Africa, where they were tamed by ancient herders, about 4, 5 thousand years BC, becoming one of the first domestic animals. The friendship of a donkey and a man is 6, 5 thousand years old. The history of this communication is reflected in the works of many peoples. The ancient Greeks worked especially hard.
It was with their "light hand" that the donkey became a symbol of stupidity, laziness, and stubbornness. This happened mainly due to the fables of Aesop. And in the future, many storytellers and fabulists could not resist the temptation to use the already developed template. For example: the donkey of our compatriot poet Ivan Andreevich Krylov. What qualities did our great writer not ascribe to the poor animal: "I must tell you in advance: there was a little honor in the donkey …"
So what is a donkey really like? In the mountains of Dagestan: steep cliffs, abysses, mountain rivers. In fact, the existence of both man and animals under these conditions proceeds on the verge of the physical capabilities given to them by nature. In the North Caucasus, the donkey is considered a constant companion of the rural worker. How does our eared hero, a native of the distant African deserts, live here?
Donkeys are born, very viable and developed. They immediately stand on their feet, instantly become overgrown with fur. The place where they were born is forever imprinted in their memory as their homeland. Having already become adults, they often come to the place of their birth in order to stand thoughtfully and philosophize about life, alone with themselves. It should be noted that such manifestations of sentimentality are inherent in many ungulates, especially horses and camels. But it is with a donkey that this rite looks the most touching of all.
The main danger to the animal is the wolf. The most cruel and insidious enemy of people and pets. The shepherds say that the favorite delicacy of the gray brother is donkey meat. Very often donkeys accompanying flocks are the first to be attacked by their flocks. At the same time, from them in the literal sense, only hooves remain.
Every donkey knows that there is no escape from this beast. In the event of an attack, there is only one thing left: to sell your life at a higher price. It is paradoxical, but true: the donkey at the sight of a wolf, screaming loudly, tries to defend itself. It should be noted that wolves do not always succeed in winning. Highlanders appreciate the animal for such courage. Shepherds often take him with them to graze livestock, because he is well aware of danger.
A donkey is also respected for its cleanliness. He has a neat clean coat. He never walks in either mud or water. He eats calmly and slowly. It is able to extract the necessary moisture and vitamins, even from coarse grass and straw. And all this thanks to their African genes. Such heredity also contributes to the fact that he drinks two or three times a day and not in a choke, like a horse, but gently filtering water through his lips. He cleans his fur in an interesting way: he picks out small earthen plots in the grass, so that later he will selflessly rub against them, while getting pleasure.
Not all donkeys look the same. There are gray beauties - "Karabakh people". Small, energetic and very hardy "marga" - according to the concepts of Caucasians, this word means "local authority". There are many breeds of these animals: with long hair - "poitou", taller and very small in size. The history of mini donkeys goes back to ancient times. Before arriving in the States, they appeared in northern Africa, then on the islands of Sicily and Sardinia, where they are called miniature Mediterranean donkeys.
There is another unusual animal, "Mule" - a cross between a donkey and a horse. The mules are significantly stronger and more resilient than his parents. As a product of artificial crossing, they cannot have offspring. Unusual genetics apparently explains the fact that they are very smart and at the same time capricious.
The main duty of a donkey, in terms of agriculture, has always been the transportation of goods. As a beast of burden, he is simply irreplaceable. He always goes ahead of the owner and chooses the road himself, he just needs to know where to drag his load. It is with this property of their nature that the human idea of a donkey as an exceptional stubborn is connected.
But this character trait is nothing more than one of the signs of a strong feeling - the instinct of self-preservation. He only trusts himself! If the owner tries to impose on him an unknown or dangerous path, he will do everything not to complete this task. The donkey is very careful about the nature around him: he does not step on the ice, does not like to cross rivers. There is a hypothesis that the fear of rivers is a genetic fear of a crocodile left in a distant African homeland.
The relationship between man and donkey is a separate topic. In some countries of the world, like many years ago, people continue to wage a fierce struggle for survival with nature. Donkeys are one of the main human helpers in difficult rural work. They can be found in most peasant farms. Each owner has his own attitude to the eared pet. For some, this is just a beast of burden, but for some, the best friend and companion. But none of them will say that the donkey is stupid and lazy. They argue that his stubbornness depends on how you get along with him.
One of the main scientific disputes there is a riddle - whether ungulates distinguish people, or not. Many scientists believe that donkeys and horses, in fact, do not recognize people either by their appearance or by other signs, but only react to the correct sequence of human actions. "That's how!" - you will be surprised. But what about the numerous historical examples of the affection of horses and people? Donkeys do not like to languish idle on a leash. If there are no people nearby, they immediately try to get rid of them. Therefore, most of the highlanders fasten their pets with such knots that sailors will envy. In general, despite its love of freedom, a donkey becomes attached to a person much faster than its neighbors in the barnyard.
With his friendly and gentle attitude towards children, he is more like a dog than representatives of equids. Therefore, it is not in vain that donkey races are a favorite pastime in all Dagestan villages. Riding it is not easy at all. Firstly, the donkey rolls only the one it trusts. Secondly, due to the structure of the donkey ridge, this still needs to be learned. However, those who have mastered this type of movement can only be envied. The donkey is able to carry a person along the most dangerous steep slopes. Here we have a biblical story: Jesus entered Jerusalem, exactly on a donkey. It is believed that in memory of those days, they had a characteristic pattern on the back in the form of a cross.
As a rule, in the summer, during a break between agricultural work, the highlanders herd the "eared" in herds, which freely graze on the green slopes. Here, in the bosom of nature, the instincts and rampages of their distant, wild ancestors awaken in donkeys. This is expressed in defending their territory, trying to take all the donkeys into their harem, and fighting for them. In general, when it is not about rivalry, they are calm and friendly. Sometimes two males graze together and spend all their free time together - they are friends.
After observing these unusual animals for some time, you begin to understand that humanity's interest in donkeys has much deeper roots than it seems at first glance. Of all rural domestic animals, he is the most striking individual, which is not immediately visible behind his phlegmatic demeanor.
Submitting himself 6, 5 thousand years ago to man, during all this time, he managed to preserve his inner independence and love of freedom. Today his whole life is a struggle between his individuality and the stubbornness of a person. The fact that this animal left such a noticeable mark in the work of people is understandable. Each of us has his own little donkey.
Distinctive features of the appearance of a miniature donkey
Height at the withers from 65 to 95 cm. Weight from 80 to 140 kg. They are members of the equine family, but their ears are longer. The hooves are smaller. Their shape is rounder than that of a horse. Wool comes in a variety of textures. There is a longer and thicker one, but it can be short. On the head of long-haired individuals there is a thick, funny forelock. The color is usually grayish brown with a dark stripe running along the back and shoulders. The main color can be of different shades: sand, darker gray or deep brown. With a monochromatic coat: the muzzle, lower abdomen and legs are painted white. There are also spotted donkeys, while brown, sandy, gray spots of various shapes are present on the main white background.
Features of behavior and illness of mini donkeys
Miniature donkeys are loyal, friendly and cute. They are about the size of a large dog. These are unusual farm animals, and they are real pets. They are very popular in the USA. It is estimated that forty-five thousand mini-donkeys live in North America. They are held by people of different social status. TV presenter and writer Martha Stewart has two eared friends named “Cliff” and “Rufus”. It is known that many treat them like family pets and take them into their homes.
Donkeys love their owners. Greet them with a cry. They meet the guests who come to you. They play and play naughty all the time. They especially love to do this with children. To get your attention they will show "tricks". They are so devoted that it is difficult to identify them with livestock. They love to come and put their heads in your lap. They like to relax with their family: watching TV, listening to music. They will be happy to walk around the city with you. Very clean. If they are indoors, they ask for the yard when needed.
Despite their small size, they are strong and healthy. They live for about 40 years, so having such a pet you will be responsible for it for life. Most of all, they need the attention of a veterinarian in matters of vaccinations, care of hooves and teeth. Vaccination is carried out regularly throughout the life of the animal. Don't forget about antihelminthic prophylaxis. They also need it, because on the surface of the grass that they chew, many parasites can be present. Such procedures are carried out every three months.
Tips for the care and maintenance of mini donkeys
- Features of the maintenance and equipment of the dwelling. Miniature donkeys need to live in the countryside, in a country house, but not in an apartment. They need a place to walk on an area of two to four square kilometers, with shelter in case of bad weather. As well as a sawdust stall, access to pasture and a fence. Healthy and hardy people celebrate themselves perfectly in any conditions and at different temperatures. But if they live in a cold area, you must provide them with a warm shelter that will protect them from wind, cold and rain. In addition, provide the "babies" with a warm bedding. The room in which the animal is kept must be cleaned regularly. To carry out measures for its disinfection and destruction of rats and mice.
- Wool and hooves. They take care of their fur coat in the same way as for horses. You don't need to bathe them, just comb them. Thanks to the brush with natural thick bristles, the donkey will look great. The mane and tail are combed with a massage comb. You also need to clean their hooves. If the animal walks not on hard terrain, but on soft grass, then the horny layer of its hooves grows back. The hooves are checked before the procedure. Are there any cracks or other damage. They spend it with a special knife, fixing the leg, remove all unnecessary. If an unpleasant odor is present during manipulation, it may be a fungus. It needs to be treated or the structure of the hoof will be soft and loose. A solution of iodine will help get rid of these troubles, in which the infected legs of the pet are immersed for several days for five minutes.
- Feeding. Their diet preference is almost the same as that of horses, but not in such amounts. A small amount - 400 grams of grain or grain mixture, hay, rock salt and fresh water will be enough for them. Of course they love to be pampered with goodies. For example: a carrot, an apple, a pumpkin or something else tasty. Don't forget about water - the donkey needs it too. So that the animal's body does not experience a lack of trace elements, buy a special salt block at pet stores. Stock up on dry hay for the winter.
- Things to Avoid They make a good addition to the family, but donkeys don't like dogs. They cannot be kept alone. They will need a friend. If you cannot be with them all day and devote a lot of time to games, get a second donkey, or another animal, for example: a llama, a goat or a sheep.
Application of mini donkeys
Of course, it is not suitable for riding, but it can easily transport a load or a person up to 40 kg. Also works great in harness. Calmly transports a wagon with one or two people.
In America, miniature donkeys are excellently used in various therapies for sick people. These include cancer patients, children with disabilities, and the elderly. This treatment brings positive results.
Interesting facts about the miniature donkey
Newborn foals of mini-donkeys weigh only 6-12 kg. Moreover, a greater percentage of their weight is taken by their incredible ears.
When two donkeys meet, they funny blow each other in the nostrils.
Donkey milk is very similar to human milk. It contains more than 300 useful elements. It was used by many Americans until the early 20th century to feed infants. The fat released from it is widely used in cosmetology for the manufacture of various products.
Purchase of miniature donkeys
These are new-fashioned country pets. In content, they are not whimsical. A lot of food and personal care, do not require. The main thing is to have where to run and with whom. They are distinguished by good health. If you have always dreamed of a horse, but do not dare to keep a large animal, then mini donkeys are quite suitable for you. Of course they are expensive, but it's worth it. The approximate cost of a miniature donkey will be $ 8,000 - $ 10,000. They will bring joy and happiness.
Learn more about mini donkeys in this video:
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