DONKEYS FOR TRACTION AND TILLAGE

Donkeys are an undervalued power source in a large part of the world. Their potential to work is very high and their contribution to any household or even national economy is considerable. Generally the buying and selling price of donkeys is far below their true value, which should be calculated on the basis of the work they give over the 14 years they are able to work, if well cared for. If a donkey works six hours a day, four days a week over that many years, it will have given about 15,000 hours of work. The low price of donkeys, therefore, is a reflection of distorted perceptions of their role. This situation is changing. In Zambia, for instance, donkeys are now selling for the same price as cattle.

2 Characteristics and Use 

Horses, donkeys and mules belong to the equine group. They are found mainly in temperate, semi-arid or highland areas. Equines move more quickly than cattle and buffaloes. They walk at 4-6 km/h, the speed of a normal human, and readily trot faster than this, making them particularly well suited for transport. They can maintain a good pace over long distances and are capable of rapid surges of power (very useful for getting stopped carts moving). They tend to be single purpose work animals, and humans seldom consume their meat and milk.

2.1  Horses, Mules and Donkeys 

Health problems and the need for very good management restrict the range and use of horses in the tropics. Horses tend to be high-status, expensive, specialised work animals. In North Africa, Senegal and some highland regions in Africa, horses maintained mainly for transport may be used briefly for crop cultivation. However, for most smallholders in tropical Africa, horses are unlikely to be used as work animals.
Mules are specialised work animals produced by crossing a female horse with a male donkey. They are therefore only found where both horses and donkeys breed well, notably in temperate, semi-arid highland areas. They make excellent, single-purpose work animals, being more hardy than horses and stronger than donkeys. The great disadvantage of mules is that they are not fertile; so female horses have to be kept around to produce baby mules. This makes mules rather expensive. Donkeys are small work animals, well adapted to semi-arid areas. They do not seem to thrive in humid or semi-humid conditions, but they are reputed to survive better than Zebu cattle in tsetse-infested areas. They have great ability to live entirely on poor free range grazing, and in serious drought conditions they tend to outlive cattle. The animal is mainly used for carrying pack loads, pulling light carts or for riding.

2.2  General Donkey Features
 
Donkeys are often very inexpensive and have little, or no, disposal value. Although they have sometimes been considered as animals of ridicule or low status, they have excellent reputations as easily trainable and very dependable work animals. Children can easily manage donkeys.

Both males (intact males are called jacks and castrated males are geldings) and females (jennies) can be used for work. Donkeys reach maturity around four years of age, with maximum weights being reached at about six years of age. In Africa, donkeys generally weigh about 120-180 kg. Naturally, good management affects the speed of growth and final body characteristics. With good care, donkeys can have a working life of 12-15 years, and they can live even longer. Castration will help to improve the temperament and reliability of males. However, good jacks are important for breeding, and farmers may be able to obtain fees for allowing their jacks to breed.

2.3  Selection Characteristics 

Before describing the characteristics of a working donkey, some basic knowledge is needed of English names of parts of the animal, as shown in the figure below.

When selecting an animal for work certain physi-cal characteristics should be observed. These include: a large frame with wide shoulders and a deep chest, a straight back and well-muscled straight legs which have a 90° angle to the ground (figure 2). In young animals large knees are an indication of future thickness, but even in a large-kneed foal, the knees should not touch.The donkey should have good eyesight and agility (liveliness) and an attractive hair coat, without skin diseases or an abundance of ticks. It is important to observe an animal while it is working, to detect whether it has a physical disability, such as coughing, poor breathing, lameness, sores or wounds.

The sole of a donkey’s hoof should be concave underneath; only the front part and the edges touch the ground. The shape of the hoof should be as round as possible. The angle between the pastern and the ground should be about 50-60 degrees, being slightly steeper in the front legs. The hoof angle and the pastern angle should be similar. Animals with feet abnormalities should not be selected (figure 3).

In addition to sound physical characteristics, an animal should have a suitable temperament. It should be responsive, but not excitable or aggressive. However, the extent to which an animal develops into a good working animal will also depend on its relationship with its handler. No animal will perform well if its handler is cruel or inconsistent.

2.4  Using Draft Donkeys

Carrying Loads 

The donkey is a good animal for packing as it is sure-footed and can easily negotiate narrow paths over steep and rocky terrain. An individual donkey should not carry more than one third of its body weight, i.e. 40 - 60 kg, depending on its size. Some variation can be allowed, for instance heavier loads can be carried for shorter times along shorter distances.
Donkeys are often too small to carry large human beings and are more frequently ridden by children. Most donkeys do not move very fast unless trained to do so, and they refuse to be hurried. Where there are hardly any roads, the donkey is an ideal means of transportation for the sick, the old, and the disabled and very small children. A blanket over the donkey’s back makes it more comfortable to ride.

Pulling Carts 

If donkeys are well harnessed, two donkeys together can pull (in a smooth running cart), four times the load they can carry on their backs. In practical terms this means that a cart is economical only if it costs less than six donkeys, and carries a load not exceeding 500 kg.

Other Uses 

With the right equipment, donkeys can also be used to turn the wheels for milling grain and for operating pumps that lift water. On a tread wheel that operates a reciprocating pump, a donkey working for 20 minutes can pump 3,600 litres of water up 10 metres. One donkey should not do this work continuously for more than 20 minutes. In various parts of the world, donkeys are used to guard other animals, such as sheep, and can protect them from predators. They may do this by raising the alarm with their loud braying, and in exceptional cases they may attack predators should they come near. They can form “friendships” with other animals, particularly if there is only one other donkey in their vicinity.

By Luurt Oudman in the book 'Donkeys for Traction and Tillage' (Editor Jan H. Loedeman), Agromisa Foundation, Wageningen, The Nederlands, 2004, p.8-13. Adapted to be posted by Leopoldo Costa.