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We have never had donkeys before but happened across them while at the Beebe Flea Market (picture a flea market surrounding a livestock barn). My husband fell in love with one of them but not wanting to separate them, we bought them both. After the money had changed hands, the seller casually mentioned that they had been pastured with horses and "exposed" to a stallion so to watch for possible new additions in a bout 12 months. being a "donkey novice" a assumed that cross would result in a mule. However, I was later corrected by a friend that I would have a hinny. After much research, I have discovered that hinnies are very rare because the conception rate is low. However, three months later one of the girls is looking a little wider through the middle than the other. The problem is I don't know how long she was pastured and thereby exposed! Could a vet tell by examination, if she is expecting and how far along she might be? I was also wondering if there might be any issues with labor/delivery due to size of the hinny. They are very large donkeys. I believe they are what you call Mammoth? I'd appreciate any input.
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A vet should be able to do an ultrasound. Just find a good horse vet and have them ultrasound both girls. Then you can know for sure.
Sorry, I don't know anything else about horses or donkeys or mules.
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Donkeys tend to have more of a pot-belly than horses so that may not mean anything.
Another reason mules are more popular than hinnies is because mules are more horselike in appearance. Hinnies tend to get the worst of the two: big heads, short necks, long bodies, short legs so they look a little bit like equid dachshunds. Some do make great mounts or do light duty draft work but are a little more prone to lameness and they do not get as large as mules.
However, if your gals are mammoth jennies (horse sized) then they may look a little more normal. Mammoth jennies are 13hh and upward. How big was the stallion? Approx. how big are your jennies?
A vet will be able to tell approx. far along they are through ultrasound.
Congrats and have fun with them!
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Their names are Laverne and Shirley. Laverne is pot bellied, Shirley is WIDE. Shirley is a little over 13 hands. I have no idea how big the stallion was as I didn't buy her from the place she was "exposed" but at a livestock barn. Do vets have portable ultrasound equipment? Trying to catch and transport her would be a nightmare! She is tame, but still slightly distrustful of your intentions.
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eilishp wrote:
Their names are Laverne and Shirley. Laverne is pot bellied, Shirley is WIDE. Shirley is a little over 13 hands. I have no idea how big the stallion was as I didn't buy her from the place she was "exposed" but at a livestock barn. Do vets have portable ultrasound equipment? Trying to catch and transport her would be a nightmare! She is tame, but still slightly distrustful of your intentions.
It exists but not all vets take it with them or even have it. A vet could palpate her though he wouldn't be able to tell how far along she was until she got farther along (does it make sense? I hope I made sense)
13hh jennies with a horse-sized stallion should produce something more "mule-ish". Again, the hinny offpsring will look a bit like they're assembled from spare parts, but they should be more in proportion than say a standard jenny (11hh) crossed with a 15hh stallion
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I guess it would depend on your area. All the vets in my area have a portable ultrasound machine and always have it on the truck with them. So I would call and find out from the vet if they have one or not. If they don't normally carry it on the truck and you make an appointment for an ultrasound, I bet they would bring it with them. 
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Another reason mules are more popular than hinnies is because mules are more horselike in appearance. Hinnies tend to get the worst of the two: big heads, short necks, long bodies, short legs so they look a little bit like equid dachshunds. Some do make great mounts or do light duty draft work but are a little more prone to lameness and they do not get as large as mules.
I don't mean to be quarrelsome, but I have found at least two sources that do not agree with the above statement. The American Donkey and Mule Society seems to think that there is often no real difference between a mule and a hinny, and you can't be sure just by looking. My Favorite Mule is a Hinny, a copyrighted article that I found in a search, has pictures of two confirmed hinnies that don't look at all like dachshunds. In fact, the author seems to suspect that there are an awful lot of hinnies out there that are "passing" as mules, because there is so much prejudice against hinnies! If your girl is pregnant, I don't think you really need to worry that the foal will be any more trouble than if it were a mule foal. As the size of the foal at birth is determined by the size of the dam, the foal should be a size that is proportionate to its mother.
I think it is wonderful that you bought both of these girls. Old hands with donkeys tell me, "an only donk is a lonely donk," that they are much, much happier if they have company of their own kind. You probably spared them much distress by keeping them together. Best of luck with them!
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Go here as this lab specializes in pregnancy tests....https://www.biotracking.com/
This would be a lot cheaper than a vet visit and ultrasound.
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Bunnylady wrote:
Another reason mules are more popular than hinnies is because mules are more horselike in appearance. Hinnies tend to get the worst of the two: big heads, short necks, long bodies, short legs so they look a little bit like equid dachshunds. Some do make great mounts or do light duty draft work but are a little more prone to lameness and they do not get as large as mules.
I don't mean to be quarrelsome, but I have found at least two sources that do not agree with the above statement. The American Donkey and Mule Society seems to think that there is often no real difference between a mule and a hinny, and you can't be sure just by looking. My Favorite Mule is a Hinny, a copyrighted article that I found in a search, has pictures of two confirmed hinnies that don't look at all like dachshunds. In fact, the author seems to suspect that there are an awful lot of hinnies out there that are "passing" as mules, because there is so much prejudice against hinnies! If your girl is pregnant, I don't think you really need to worry that the foal will be any more trouble than if it were a mule foal. As the size of the foal at birth is determined by the size of the dam, the foal should be a size that is proportionate to its mother.
All the hinnies I've seen in person or in pictures tend to be short-legged and long-bodied. The animals were usually purchased cheap at auctions or given away. It probably just depends on sire and dam, just as breeding any other animals.
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