BRAYER: A BREEDER'S VIEW: CHOOSING MINIATURE BREEDING STOCK
BRAYER: A Breeder's View: Choosing Miniature Breeding Stock
By Carolyn Christian, Quarter Moon Ranch
By Carolyn Christian, Quarter Moon Ranch
IF SOMEONE WERE SELECTING A MINIATURE DONKEY, WHAT CRITERIA SHOULD THEY USE FOR SELECTING THE FOLLOWING:A. A FEMALE BREEDERYour jenny should be three years old before she begins breeding depending on her size, condition, and overall development. Because we prefer our weanlings to mature to 31" to 33" in height (jack or jenny), my ideal breeding jennet is 32". Bred to a jack which is 31" to 32", this foal should have a better chance at good conformation. A wider chest in most cases is characteristic of a wider rib area which should not only help in foaling, but aid the donkey in standing firm and square. Avoid mouth defects, toes in and out, cow-hocks, ridged and concave rear ends, poor tail sets, weak symmetry in the rear end and total body outline, heads that are not in proportion to the rest of the body, etc. And when you find this donkey, buy it because it is rare. Extremes in structural defects is not good in your female breeder and don't buy into the theory that a good jack can correct a laundry list of major conformation faults. If your jack can do it, you're more lucky than genetically wise. If you want quality in your donkey, your best chances of getting it are to breed to quality. That's just common sense. It has paid off for us tenfold. We don't hit homeruns each time, but most. Our herd is not the largest (21 breeding jennets and 2 herdsires) but we bought and bred quality as we built quantity. Also, pedigrees are important but don't become a pedigree snob. A poorly conformed donkey with a recognizable pedigree is still a poorly conformed donkey. If it is a jack, he should definitely not be the cornerstone around which your entire breeding program is built. I see far too many new people get into the miniature donkey business and spend an enormous amount of money on an animal just because it has "original bloodlines" or is a son of "Perfect Jack". I believe that pedigrees are important in determining the height, color, breeding, and genetic makeup in the background of a particular donkey, but look up from the pedigree and look at that donkey. Does it have allot of the faults previously mentioned and if so, are they major or minimal? Not EVERY progeny of "Perfect Jack" is as perfect as he was, and quite frankly, I even wonder if in some cases "Perfect Jack" wasn't more like "Just So-So Jack" and simply the object of an agressive marketing campaign. THE PROOF IS IN THE PROGENY NOT THE PEDIGREE. This is why buying from reputable breeders becomes important.
B. A MALE BREEDERAs previously mentioned, your herdsire is the foundation of your breeding program. He determines the sex due to the makeup of his chromosomes, and he puts his genetic fingerprint on every foal you produce. I've noticed that everyone in the market for a herdsire has the same criteria. They want a breeding age jack (black most of the time) with a good pedigree who is small and a proven breeder. The chances of finding this little guy are about as great as Pete and I selling all the donkeys, moving back to Houston, and living in an apartment on the freeway. Why would anyone sell that jack? You probably could buy him, but what part of your land are you willing to sell to pay for him? Seriously, you may get lucky and find a fire sale or someone who has to avoid inbreeding, but you might think of searching for a younger animal with promise to become that jack, or seek stud service from a jack of which you are fond until you find yours. And when you find him, the key word is not "small" nor "black" but "proven". We bought Barney at two years old. He had never bred. We knew he had extremely correct legs, good top line and chest, and proportion, but the jury was still out until we saw if he could pass those qualities on to his foals. After the first 5 foals, we were encouraged. After the next 5, we were beginning to get happy, after the next 5, we were buying him blankets with his name on them! Then, after we saw his first few jacks and jennets at maturity, that boy gets to stay! This same theory applies to your jennet as well. After a few foals, you will be able to tell to some degree of accuracy what her part in that particular cross is. We breed certain jacks to certain jennets because the end result is better than either of the individuals. It may sound funny, but we want our offspring to be better than the pair from which they are bred, therefore, as good as our boy is, we want his progeny to be even better. To cattle people, this is the basic principle of heterosis or hybrid vigor where the cross exaggerates the best qualities of the parents by bringing to the cross a completely diverse genetic tree. That is also why it is important to have good genes on both sides.
C. A PET QUALITY MINI DONKEYThe criteria for selecting a pet quality miniature donkey is that you forget everything I've just said and look for the most lovable donkey you can find that fits your personality, one that was born just to live at your ranch. If it is a jack, geld it. If it is a jenny, love her, don't breed her. I've talked allot about our emphasis on conformation. Don't think we don't have pet quality animals here at Quarter Moon Ranch. We do AND SO DOES EVERY OTHER BREEDER whether or not they will admit it. Genetics is not an absolute science. But we don't panic because it gives us the opportunity to place donkeys in the homes of people who may otherwise not be able to afford another animal. We want everyone to share these special "critters" with us.
IF YOU SELL A MINIATURE DONKEY TO SOMEONE NEW, WHAT DO YOU TELL THEM ABOUT ITS CARE?If you follow a few basic rules which include worming, vaccinating, health,dental and hoof care, nutritional requirements, clean management practices, and basic responsible animal husbandry, these donkeys will live long and happy lives with fewer health problems.
ANY INTERESTING STORIES, FUNNY, HELPFUL HINTS OR OTHER TO SHARE WITH READERS?I got a call from a young mother in her late twenties wanting us to bring a donkey to her daughters 10th birthday party. I had met Christine when she and her THREE car loads of family came to see the donkeys. I was told at that time that Christine had cancer and was not expected to live. She speaks openly and courageously about her illness. Christine and Kirt have two children and she is one of the most beautiful young women I have ever met. Her daughter had loved the donkeys so that she wanted to surprise her with having one come to her birthday party. She told me that her children's birthdays are more important to her now because of her illness. We COULDN'T refuse. We didn't bring just one donkey, we took weanlings, mommas with babies and Barney. We set up a petting zoo and gave children rides in the cart with Barney. The day was long, exhausting, and very rewarding. She fell ill three days before the party and was released from the hospital only the morning of the party. She was determined to be there. Christine is in failing health but she and her daughter have fond memories of Barney driving Pete, Christine, and the birthday girl all around their ranch- AND SO DO WE. There are always funny and heartwarming moments with our donkeys, but the one story that sums up what these animals are all about came from a farrier we had working with the donkeys when we first got into the "business". Randy is a real Texas cowboy. He looks and acts the part. He raises race horses and quarterhorses and had no place among his sophisticated horse clients and macho rodeo buddies for a donkey, let alone a miniature donkey. After he had been working for us for several months, he said he wanted to buy Pedro, a gelding we had. I said that, of course, I will sell him to you but that he didn't look like the "miniature donkey type". He agreed that he was going to get an enormous amount of teasing for buying Pedro. When asked why he wanted to buy him, Randy replied that after being around these donkeys, "I want to drink coffee and grow old with Pedro". Many horses have come and gone in Randy's life both before and since then. He and his wife divorced. But Randy and Pedro are still drinking coffee and growing old together. That's what miniature donkeys are all about.
B. A MALE BREEDERAs previously mentioned, your herdsire is the foundation of your breeding program. He determines the sex due to the makeup of his chromosomes, and he puts his genetic fingerprint on every foal you produce. I've noticed that everyone in the market for a herdsire has the same criteria. They want a breeding age jack (black most of the time) with a good pedigree who is small and a proven breeder. The chances of finding this little guy are about as great as Pete and I selling all the donkeys, moving back to Houston, and living in an apartment on the freeway. Why would anyone sell that jack? You probably could buy him, but what part of your land are you willing to sell to pay for him? Seriously, you may get lucky and find a fire sale or someone who has to avoid inbreeding, but you might think of searching for a younger animal with promise to become that jack, or seek stud service from a jack of which you are fond until you find yours. And when you find him, the key word is not "small" nor "black" but "proven". We bought Barney at two years old. He had never bred. We knew he had extremely correct legs, good top line and chest, and proportion, but the jury was still out until we saw if he could pass those qualities on to his foals. After the first 5 foals, we were encouraged. After the next 5, we were beginning to get happy, after the next 5, we were buying him blankets with his name on them! Then, after we saw his first few jacks and jennets at maturity, that boy gets to stay! This same theory applies to your jennet as well. After a few foals, you will be able to tell to some degree of accuracy what her part in that particular cross is. We breed certain jacks to certain jennets because the end result is better than either of the individuals. It may sound funny, but we want our offspring to be better than the pair from which they are bred, therefore, as good as our boy is, we want his progeny to be even better. To cattle people, this is the basic principle of heterosis or hybrid vigor where the cross exaggerates the best qualities of the parents by bringing to the cross a completely diverse genetic tree. That is also why it is important to have good genes on both sides.
C. A PET QUALITY MINI DONKEYThe criteria for selecting a pet quality miniature donkey is that you forget everything I've just said and look for the most lovable donkey you can find that fits your personality, one that was born just to live at your ranch. If it is a jack, geld it. If it is a jenny, love her, don't breed her. I've talked allot about our emphasis on conformation. Don't think we don't have pet quality animals here at Quarter Moon Ranch. We do AND SO DOES EVERY OTHER BREEDER whether or not they will admit it. Genetics is not an absolute science. But we don't panic because it gives us the opportunity to place donkeys in the homes of people who may otherwise not be able to afford another animal. We want everyone to share these special "critters" with us.
IF YOU SELL A MINIATURE DONKEY TO SOMEONE NEW, WHAT DO YOU TELL THEM ABOUT ITS CARE?If you follow a few basic rules which include worming, vaccinating, health,dental and hoof care, nutritional requirements, clean management practices, and basic responsible animal husbandry, these donkeys will live long and happy lives with fewer health problems.
ANY INTERESTING STORIES, FUNNY, HELPFUL HINTS OR OTHER TO SHARE WITH READERS?I got a call from a young mother in her late twenties wanting us to bring a donkey to her daughters 10th birthday party. I had met Christine when she and her THREE car loads of family came to see the donkeys. I was told at that time that Christine had cancer and was not expected to live. She speaks openly and courageously about her illness. Christine and Kirt have two children and she is one of the most beautiful young women I have ever met. Her daughter had loved the donkeys so that she wanted to surprise her with having one come to her birthday party. She told me that her children's birthdays are more important to her now because of her illness. We COULDN'T refuse. We didn't bring just one donkey, we took weanlings, mommas with babies and Barney. We set up a petting zoo and gave children rides in the cart with Barney. The day was long, exhausting, and very rewarding. She fell ill three days before the party and was released from the hospital only the morning of the party. She was determined to be there. Christine is in failing health but she and her daughter have fond memories of Barney driving Pete, Christine, and the birthday girl all around their ranch- AND SO DO WE. There are always funny and heartwarming moments with our donkeys, but the one story that sums up what these animals are all about came from a farrier we had working with the donkeys when we first got into the "business". Randy is a real Texas cowboy. He looks and acts the part. He raises race horses and quarterhorses and had no place among his sophisticated horse clients and macho rodeo buddies for a donkey, let alone a miniature donkey. After he had been working for us for several months, he said he wanted to buy Pedro, a gelding we had. I said that, of course, I will sell him to you but that he didn't look like the "miniature donkey type". He agreed that he was going to get an enormous amount of teasing for buying Pedro. When asked why he wanted to buy him, Randy replied that after being around these donkeys, "I want to drink coffee and grow old with Pedro". Many horses have come and gone in Randy's life both before and since then. He and his wife divorced. But Randy and Pedro are still drinking coffee and growing old together. That's what miniature donkeys are all about.