Healing Hearts Donkey Shelter and Refuge - Northeast Region

02/23/2025

L’élevage de l’âne miniature : une passion bien loin de l’appât du gain

Dans l’élevage de l’âne miniature, l’appât du gain est une véritable malédiction.

Beaucoup de naisseurs pensent qu’il suffit d’avoir un mâle et une femelle pour faire de la reproduction. Mais c’est bien plus complexe que cela.

La nature est notre meilleure enseignante. Par ses lois rigoureuses, elle sélectionne les individus les plus aptes à transmettre une génétique saine et pérenne. C’est un processus strict et implacable.
Soyons humbles, observons et essayons de comprendre en quoi cette sélection naturelle est bénéfique pour la longévité et la santé de nos animaux. Après tout, notre objectif est de les garder en bonne santé le plus longtemps possible.

Sélectionner sans discernement un mâle et une femelle, sans tenir compte des aplombs, de la santé ou du caractère, dans l’unique but de reproduire rapidement des animaux pour en tirer des bénéfices immédiat , est une pratique de plus en plus courante mais désastreuse pour l’avenir de la race.

L’obsession de la taille minimale, au détriment des autres critères fondamentaux, mène inévitablement à une production d’animaux de plus en plus fragiles, sujets à des handicaps, à des maladies génétiques et à des complications lors de la mise bas ou de la reproduction. Les extrêmes ne sont jamais bénéfiques.

Le registre américain, d’ailleurs, refuse catégoriquement de reconnaître une catégorie « micro miniature », afin d’éviter les dérives d’une sélection basée uniquement sur la taille, avec toutes les conséquences néfastes que cela pourrait engendrer.

Un âne n’est ni un élément de décoration pour un jardin, ni un petit chien d’appartement. Il a des besoins spécifiques, et les ignorer ne fera que conduire à des drames pour ces animaux extraordinaires.
S’il vous plaît, soyez responsables dans vos projets, que vous soyez futur éleveur ou simple acquéreur.

L’âne miniature : une manne financière ? Vraiment ?

Certains pourraient croire que l’âne miniature – voire l’âne dit « micro miniature » – est une opportunité financière juteuse. Un nouvel animal à produire pour le marché ? Prenons quelques instants pour réfléchir.

Une ânesse miniature ne peut être mise à la reproduction qu’à 5 ans.
Elle ne donne naissance qu’à un seul petit tous les 3 ans (dans le meilleur des cas).
Son bien-être nécessite :
• Du foncier (terrain adapté)
• Du matériel pour entretenir les installations
• Un suivi vétérinaire régulier (vaccins, soins)
• Un maréchal-ferrant et un dentiste équin
• Un système de surveillance en période de mise bas
• Et bien d’autres dépenses…

À cela s’ajoute un taux de mortalité de 25 % (mère et petit confondus) en élevage.

Voici une idée des prix de vente :
• 7 000 € pour une femelle micro miniature Wooly (moins de 76 cm au garrot, poils longs toute l’année)
• 3 800 € pour un mâle castré miniature MDR (moins de 91 cm, papiers américains)
• 2 800 € pour un âne miniature ADR ou ONC (moins de 96 cm, sans papiers américains)

Même en vendant au prix fort, voici le gain brut annuel par femelle :
2 300 €.

Et dedans, il faut inclure :
• Nourriture
• Matériel
• Taxes foncières
• Éventuels remboursements de crédit
• Soins vétérinaires, maréchalerie, assurances…

En moyenne, les charges s’élèvent à 170 € par âne et par mois (hors achat de terrain), soit 2 040 € par an.

Résultat : un bénéfice net de seulement 360 € par femelle et par an.
Et chez un éleveur sérieux, cet argent est immédiatement réinvesti dans le bien-être des animaux.

Comparez cela avec un élevage de chiens dans certaines races : (avec leurs charges qui leur sont propres)
• Mise à la reproduction dès 18 mois
• Deux portées par an
• 8 à 12 chiots par portée
• 1 500 € en moyenne par chiot
• Les chiots quittent l’élevage après 2 ou 3 mois seulement

Conclusion ? Si vous voulez élever des ânes pour l’argent, abandonnez l’idée immédiatement.

Élever des ânes demande une passion profonde, une rigueur inébranlable et une véritable éthique.

Le vrai credo d’un éleveur :

Accompagner, s’instruire, partager, améliorer, aimer.
Et pour vivre, il faut un autre métier à côté.

02/21/2025

PAULETTE'S FEEDING TIP:
This morning, everyone was served breakfast in the large dry lot. As you can see (hopefully) from the first photo, I strewn small little piles of hay all over the dry lot about 10 paces apart to immitate feeding in the wild. The other photos show some of our donkeys eating their breakfast while roaming from pile to pile ensuring some walking exercise as they eat; which is far better than standing in one spot to eat. I do this as often as possible (dependant on weather conditions).

02/14/2025

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

(Photo credit: ETSY)

02/13/2025

SAVE THIS LIFE MICROCHIP COMPANY CEASES OPERATIONS! Pet owners are urged to re-register elsewhere.

Note: This is only for microchips from the company “Save This Life”.
The company is no longer in business and all chips registered with them need to be re-registered elsewhere.

02/05/2025

PAULETTE SHARES A QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSION REGARDING A SINGLE DONKEY ALONE IN A PASTURE:

Q: Can my donkey do OK without another donkey around if I spend a lot of time with him ?

A: Donkeys are very social animals and enjoy human company, but humans can't hang with them 24/7. Because of this, it is not advised to keep donkeys as lone animals.

A lonely donkey might become more aggressive or withdrawn, depending on their individual personality. Being alone can lead to depression and anxiety, manifesting in behaviors like pacing, vocalizing excessively, and lack of interest in activities.

To ensure their well-being, donkeys should ideally be kept with at least one other donkey

Q: I have 5 little goats. Will they do?

A: There are always an exception to every rule and there are plenty of people that say their donkey is buddys with their horse or goat; but that isn't always the case. I strongly believe that their best companion will always be another donkey.





Healing Hearts Donkey Shelter And Refuge-SPOKANE
Jason & Raesha White-Managers

Jason's Mobile Phone: (206) 913-3986
Raesha's Mobile Phone: (206) 818 -9046

Email address: [email protected]

02/03/2025

These are one of those "GOOD TO KNOW" articles for anyone considering breeding in donkeys with horses

NEONATAL ISOERYTHROLISIS (N.I.) is a condition in which the mare creates antibodies against the foal’s red blood cells, and then passes these antibodies to the foal via the colostrum. All legitimate owners and mule breeders should be aware of this condition, especially because it can occur more often when breeding donkey jacks to mares than it does when breeding stallions to mares within the same species. https://www.ltran.ch/mcneonatalisoerythrolysis

01/26/2025

DID YOU KNOW A MOVEMENT EXISTS TO IMPROVE VETERINARY MEDICINE AND PRACTICES SPECIFICALLY FOR DONKEYS?

Historically, horses and donkeys were lumped together in veterinary practices, but it is well-documented that there are more differences than commonalities.

That's why several major universities (UC Davis, Texas A&M, and Cornell, to name a few) are making classes available to veterinary students to broaden their experience and understanding of donkeys as an individual species.

Cornell even asked Peaceful Valley Donkey Rescue to make donkeys available to them for non-invasive studies and trials.

UC Davis has been at the forefront of donkey education & advances mostly due to the efforts of people like Dr. Eric Davis, who have championed the cause of donkeys' unique needs.

In fact, Dr. Eric Davis started the Donkey Welfare Symposium, which is held annually at UC Davis. They hold discussions in two separate rooms (one for veterinarians and one for laypeople like us). If you've never attended one of these, you should. What an experience! You learn so much. It's a 3-day event, the registration fee is EXTREMELY reasonable,, and all meals are provided.

Ahhh, but I digressed a little...sorry, couldn't help it. My "take home" message is that not ALL veterinarians know some of the differences in treating horses -vs- donkeys. Ensure your vet is aware of those differences (medication doses, blood test readings, and castration procedures differ, to name a few).

01/24/2025

This is a program to save the endangered Baudet du Poitou breed.

2002 in Australien hat ein Pferd einen Baudet du Poitou Esel zur Welt gebracht. Was alles geht wenn es engagierter Menschen gibt die sich für eine Sache einsetzen toll👍

01/24/2025

01/24/2025

This article was copy and pasted from EQUUS. It pertains to "ALL" equine...

GOOD NEWS ABOUT HAY NETS January 23, 2025
⎯ Christine Barakat

Feeding hay exclusively from nets has no negative effects on a horse’s dental health, according to research from the University of Wisconsin–River Falls.
For the two-year study, the Wisconsin researchers randomly assigned 13 horses to one of two groups—one group was fed hay only from nets, and the other fed flakes. After one year, the groups were switched.

Throughout the study period, the researchers tracked each horse’s body weight and body condition score (BCS), and they weighed the amount of hay found uneaten on the ground. Additionally, clinicians who were not aware of each horse’s respective feeding groups performed regular dental exams, measuring incisor length and noting any dental abnormalities. In particular, they looked for signs of uneven tooth wear.

The collected data showed that horses fed loose hay had higher body weights and body condition scores than those being fed from nets. Those horses also seemed to waste more hay. What’s more, the researchers found no indication that feeding horses from nets increased the risk of uneven dental wear.

“These data suggest that hay nets do not result in negative impacts on dental health,” the researchers conclude.

Reference: “Effect of hay nets on horse body weight, body condition score, hay usage, and dental health in mature adult horses,” Journal of Equine Veterinary Science, May 2024







&donkeylovers

01/17/2025

FARRIERY CREDENTIALS EXPLAINED⎯ Steve Kraus, BS, CJF, with Laurel Scott. January 13, 2025

Here’s how to decipher the acronyms that indicate how horse shoers are trained and certified.

Farriery is a profession that relies on know-how. But if you’re like most horse owners, you haven’t given much thought to when and where your horseshoer acquired his skills. That’s okay if your current farrier is reliable, understands your horse’s hoof-care needs and communicates well.

The meaning of credentials becomes more important, however if you ever need to find a new hoof-care professional. Then, an understanding of farrier certifications can help you to find the best person for your horse’s needs.

In the United States there is no legal framework governing farriery work. Nor is there a unified system for certifying farriers. In other words, anyone with the right tools can set up business as a farrier here, with or without training. That means you need to do your homework on the various farrier credentials out there and what they mean.

ACCREDITATION VERSUS LICENSING:
Word of mouth is still a time-tested way to find out how well a farrier knows his business. However, any farrier who puts forth the additional effort to improve his or her skills is likely to be better for it.

American farriers have several options when seeking to achieve nationally recognized credentials indicating a certain level of competence. Whether or not he or she chooses to pursue this status is usually a personal choice.

It’s important to note, however, that farrier licensing is a separate issue in this country. Don’t confuse licensing with certification or accreditation.

Although the United States has no unified system for training and certifying farriers, various state horse racing and wagering boards have instituted a licensing system for racetrack farriers. This includes a competency exam and a background check. But these licenses only pertain to work done on racehorses or at racetracks.

So here’s a look at several types of certifications and accreditations you’re likely to encounter when shopping for a sporthorse or pleasure-horse farrier.

CERTIFICATE OR CERTIFICATION?
Armed with knowledge about national farrier training programs, you’ll be better able to tell the difference between a farrier school diploma, a certificate (which merely recognizes the passing of a course) and full-fledged professional certification.

If a farrier claims a certification, ask for specifics. You can verify the claim by either calling the organization or visiting its website. Also beware of overseas farriers migrating to the United States and claiming bogus European certifications.

Also remember that some certificates simply signify attendance at short seminars or clinics—usually held over a weekend and often for limited to hoof trimming. Some horse owners take these clinics because they want to work on their own horses. However, it takes a lifetime to learn about equine feet and true farriery skills cannot be learned over a weekend.

01/15/2025

Mexico has added animal welfare to its national constitution.

🔸 The federal government will have the power to issue laws on animal welfare and protection — previously largely left to local authorities.

🔸 The state must guarantee the protection, adequate treatment, and conservation and care of animals.

🔸 Mexico’s Congress has been directed to develop regulations for preventing the mistreatment of all types of animals, including farmed animals.

🔸 Animal welfare will be a required subject in school curriculums

Nine other constitutions include references to animals (Austria, Brazil, Egypt, the European Union, Germany, India, Luxembourg, Slovenia and Switzerland). Most are brief mentions open to interpretation, however.

“Mexico is different,” Kristen Stilt, faculty director at Harvard Law School’s Animal Law and Policy Program, told Vox “It’s longer, it’s more specific. It’s in several provisions. It’s not just a general statement.”

Read more: https://tinyurl.com/y27xyptk

Caption: Burros at our San Luis Obispo satellite sanctuary. Photo by Deb Hofstetter.

Repost: h/t to Horses in our Hands and Compassion in World Farming for sharing the good news.