Is my mini donkey preggers?

Ellie May

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I was given this 10 year old mini. She had been in with a mini horse stallion for some time. I've read the conception rate is very low for horse over donkey but she's pretty thin to be so fat...what do you all think? Any other tips as to how to know aside from the obvious, ultrasound or bagging. Thanks for input!
skinny ass.jpg
 

goat-heaven

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Just wait in see can you feel movement? lol donkeys in even mini donkeys are known to be fat or cubby looking like pygmy goats but it could happen if she was with a stallion they are related to horses so yes she probably is pregnant I've never bred equine before so I either wait in see or have a vet look at her
 

goat-heaven

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Just wait in see can you feel movement? lol donkeys in even mini donkeys are known to be fat or cubby looking like pygmy goats but it could happen if she was with a stallion they are related to horses so yes she probably is pregnant I've never bred equine before so I either wait in see or have a vet look at her
 

Ellie May

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Yes, bagging up, I know, and of course I know about vets ; ) Just trying to keep the bills down...Good point about the goats, where even the males can look pregnant...Maybe she just needs a diet.
 

Bunnylady

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As you said, the horse over donkey cross (hinny) is a great deal less common than the donkey/horse cross (mule). It takes a rather special stallion to even look at a jenny, and as you said, conception rates are low, and the rate of lost pregnancies is high.

But with all that said, you have to entertain the possibility, if she has been with an intact male. Do you have any idea how long she was with him? The gestation period for donkeys is about a year; the minis get astonishingly round during the last month or so.

A lot of vets won't ultrasound a mini; they need a smaller wand than is used with larger animals. They don't like to palpate for the same reason. There is a blood test a vet could do, but you said you are trying to avoid unnecessary expenses. You might want to check this out:
http://www.foalproof.com/

It's a bit like the early pregnancy tests for humans, in that it tests for the presence of a hormone that is associated with pregnancy. Some people will tell you that you can use the ones sold for human use, but that is NOT TRUE. The Wee Foal test works with donkeys and zebras as well as horses, but the hormone found in humans is too different, and that test doesn't cross species lines.

Your donkey doesn't look particularly fat to me. Donkeys have a tendency to put fat in big, ugly lumps on the crest of the neck and on the butt. These lumps are nearly impossible to get rid of; I have seen donkeys that are so thin, their ribs are showing, yet they still have those fat deposits. For this reason, most will tell you not to let a donkey get too fat.

The proper diet for a mini donkey is pretty much hay, and grass, and not too much of either of those. Large amounts of fibrous feeds like those can result in a "hay belly," which some might find unsightly, but which isn't unhealthy for the animal. Worms can also cause a pot-bellied appearance; obviously, that isn't a good situation - how long has it been since this girl was last wormed?
 

Ellie May

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Thank you for your very knowledgable reply! I do think she was with him for quite some time, and I am under the impression that they bred, but I wasn't given much info.
When you are saying she doesn't look fat (or pregnant?) are you referring to her belly or all over? I think she is thin; her backbone sticks up and she has a skinny rump compared to my other donk though she does have a bit of a neck roll.
I considered worms, she probably wasn't on a worming program at her last home. My fear about worming is that if she is indeed pregnant worming may not be good for her...?
So in your opinion, she could quite easily be carrying all her "fat" in this big belly and thus not be pregnant? Would a side photo help? Appreciate your input!
 

Ellie May

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Ha ha, we've been expectin' for over 5 years now, what is gestation period again ?? ; )) I actually use her as a poster child now for all the "do you think my donkey is pregnant" photo/queries that come up. :)
 

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Chebird

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Ha ha, we've been expectin' for over 5 years now, what is gestation period again ?? ; )) I actually use her as a poster child now for all the "do you think my donkey is pregnant" photo/queries that come up. :)

Thanks! I think I have one that looks even fatter!
 

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