Talk:Donkey/Archive 1

NOTE: Some of the comments in this archive are out of chronological sequence.

Donkey Sounds

One of the most distinctive and memorable attributes of a donkey is ther vocalizations. Someone with articutate writing skill should try to document it for all to see, with more than just the familiar "hee haw". —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.171.0.139 (talk) 18:41, 22 November 2007 (UTC)

I think sound files would be much more helpful. Different kinds of donkeys probably make different sounds. 24.34.190.157 (talk) 12:47, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

More pictures

Here are some more pictures of a wild donkey spotted in the Mojave Desert in Southern California. Unfortunately the photos are too distant to be of use in the article.

I read somewhere on Wikipedia that someone wanted a picture of a Miniature donkey? Well then today I found a picture I took a while back at a fair of a very small donkey that I think is a miniature donkey? I can't remember where I saw the request though. So, If it is needed just request, and I'll upload it to wikimedia commons. Arsdelicata (talk) 17:03, 1 January 2009 (UTC)

Food

Provide clean, fresh water in clean watering troughs everyday. Feeding time and method should be consistent daily for the donkey. little food each time to prevent or minimise the risk of digestive upsets. regularly working donkey with no adequate grazing time should be provided with some concentrate feeds to supplement its basal roughage diet. allowed a rest period after a very large feed. If necessary donkeys can be fitted with rope-mesh muzzle to stop them eating when they are working. Many donkeys will not eat or drink when in harness. need more google dankeys on google. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Puttputt12 (talk • contribs) 23:25, 11 April 2008 (UTC)

Intelligence

Donkeys are *not* "reputed to be ... of low intelligence", as claimed in the article. They are generally acknowleged to be smarter than horses, and with a more well-developed sense of self preservation, hence the behaviors that sometimes lead people to call them "stubborn". It is difficult to force or frighten them into doing things that they see as against their own best interests. But stubborn or not, they are quite bright, friendly, sociable, and eager to learn.

Hi. I linked this page from wiki-jp. Regretfully I can't put a new link to wiki-jp. Sorry.

They are reputed to be of low intelligence. The facts, as you stated do not back up that reputation, but the general opinion of the animal in the public-at-large is in fact of a less than average intelligence. (See the section lower down the page regarding the definition of asinine.) However, I do think the article could be worded better to emphasise the difference between the perception of the animal and the reality. 70.247.182.194 (talk) 17:52, 10 November 2010 (UTC)

Life Expectancy?

This is not mentioned on the page. I think it is 40 years? 204.120.207.2 19:59, 1 February 2007 (UTC)

I am very curious, too! --Gaborgulya (talk) 12:48, 24 May 2008 (UTC)

I'm surprised it is not mentioned. I've observed that most donkeys in an agricultural environment live between 30-40 years. Of course, we'd need a reliable source before adding anything. Surv1v4l1st ^{(Talk|Contribs)} 22:14, 3 March 2009 (UTC)

DONKEYS are also known as ASSES ! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.16.229.220 (talk) 10:43, 27 July 2009 (UTC)

All "head-down" photos but one

Is there any particular reason why all but the last photo show the animal munching on the grass? It'd be nice if some of these breed photos showed one in a "head-up" position. slambo 16:17, Feb 24, 2005 (UTC)

Simply because those of us who take the trouble to find and upload pics only have head-down pics. In other words, we upload what we can find! - Adrian Pingstone 20:02, 12 September 2005 (UTC)

And... grazing is a common behavior of the domesticated donkey. I work at a zoo, and as long as they have hay, a donkey will graze to its heart's content. We would not be giving an accurate representation of the donkey if all the photos were head-up shots. Morganismysheltie 02:04, 6 July 2006 (UTC)

Here's a heads up photo you can use. http://www.positrakusa.com/downloads/mike/mobear/twins.jpg 204.120.207.2 19:57, 1 February 2007 (UTC)

Question height and weight

What is the weight and height of the typical burro or donkey? Or if that isn't meaningful perhaps weight (aproximate) or a height of several different sizes.

Why does this article say that donkeys are between 10 and 14 hands in LENGTH? They are between 10 and 14 hands in height. Length is not a common size criteria. 64.217.182.126 04:52, 6 March 2007 (UTC) cmsix

Asinine

Why does Asinine redirect here? I never considered it to come from 'ass' and even if it did it's not mentioned in the article.

"Asinine" *is* the proper adjective to mean "of [the] donkey(s)", from Latin "Asinus" ("donkey") and "Asininus" ("asinine"). 62.48.171.17 18:24, 5 December 2006 (UTC)

Asinine

Adjective

asinine (comparative more asinine, superlative most asinine)

Failing to exercise intelligence or judgment; ridiculously below average rationality.

Hanii (talk) 20:37, 13 April 2009 (UTC)

Conservation status

I have changed this from vulnerable to secure. Donkeys are numerous and bred as domesticated animals. If I am missing something, please correct me Psychofox 23:46, May 13, 2005 (UTC)

What you are missing is the limited understanding of certain Americans who think that nothing exists outside of their own cramped little worlds. You see, there's a massive controversy right now about feral Burros (Donkeys) and Horses living and multiplying in the American West. There's some deal of argument (which the burro and feral horse activists are currently winning - there’s actually a law protecting these animals, regardless of whether they’re native or not {and make no mistake, there is no consensus as to their nativity}, which is, in itself highly unusual) about whether these animals should be tolerated in an area of the world in which they are not native, though these animals’ advocates will run around screaming, hands up in the air, heads fully ablaze that they are both, beyond any shadow of a doubt native. They’re currently trying, and have been for some time (understandably unsuccessfully), to get both Mustangs and the feral Burros listed as endangered species in the United States (they shouldn't worry though - I'm sure Australia would gladly give them some of theirs!), even though there are probably millions of domesticated Horses and Donkeys in the world, many not even an hour’s drive from these feral populations. They don’t understand that the IUCN categorizations here listed refer to global populations. Either that or that particular author was referring to the two remaining wild Wild Ass (Equus africanus) subspecies, which are both in serious danger of extinction, but I laugh hysterically at that since the author pretty much implied they didn't realize Donkeys and Wild Asses belonged to the same specy. You can't talk Equines anymore without stepping over feral horse protectors, so I suppose we'll know when the author speaks up.

Removal of images

The page is getting a bit crowded and it might be worth removing some of the images. Not being familiar with donkeys, I am not knowledgable in what constitutes an archetypal donkey so I have left this for someone else... Thanks!!! --postglock 16:17, 21 Jun 2005 (UTC)

This doesn't make sense to me. The page has five images, well-spaced down the page. Other articles often have many more than five images. Why should any be removed! - Adrian Pingstone 20:02, 12 September 2005 (UTC)

I agree with Arpingstone; I think the images are helpful and not overwhelming. -- Lisasmall 02:33, 19 February 2006 (UTC)

Etymology of Donkey

Could it be an onomatopoetic representation of the braying sound? [unsigned]

You are correct that this is one of the hypotheses. This hypothesis is now covered under "Etymology of the name" by the bullet "*Perhaps of imitative origin", which cites AHD4. — ¾-10 14:21, 12 October 2007 (UTC)

Another etymological source I heard cited by Stephen Fry on his program 'QI' is that it is a contraction of the Spanish "Don Quixote", published in 1605 (vol. I) and 1615 (Vol. II). Whether this means the BBC's production team have some evidence beyond the timing of the puclication and the appearance of this new name for the Ass, does someone know? DaveArdent (talk) 02:06, 17 January 2008 (UTC)

So in other words, the traditional word for the animal in the English language is "ass", but American censors made up a brand new word to replace one which had acquired a vulgar meaning (only in the US does it refer to "buttocks"). Simply amazing---American prudery knows no bounds! Shanoman (talk) 22:54, 6 March 2009 (UTC)

The conclusion about traditional English is mistaken. The historic English word for the buttocks is 'arse.' (E.g. see http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=arse&searchmode=none) 'Ass' (the animal) gradually became substituted by bad spelling and bad hearing.Jvraines (talk) 02:08, 29 August 2009 (UTC)

The conclusion is not mistaken. Please do not mistake the importance of the spelling of a word with the importance of the pronunciation. While the original word was spelled 'arse' (the original pronunciation was, in fact 'airse') the dropping of the 'r' sound (making the pronunciation 'ass') in the word began to occur in the early 1700's in several regional dialects and was not just limited to this word, but to others as well. (e.g. burst/bust, curse/cuss, horse/hoss, barse/bass). THese changes occured during the approximate time of the American Revolution and shortly thereafter. The American colonies did not experience these changes at that time, most likely due to the geographical separation and the general disdain of England prevalent at the time. (This was not the only change to be treated thus. Many spelling conventions which changed in England also did not occur in the US, leaving the US with the historical spellings while the English have the more 'sophisticated' spellings. (i.e. the extra u in colour) American dialects experienced the changes in pronunciation later, and the change is most often associated with the 'Wild West' but they were in fact originally found in England much earlier. For this reason, arse was pronounced as 'ass' and the two words were not aurally identifiable, hence the gradual change to donkey by the upper classes. 70.247.182.194 (talk) 18:18, 10 November 2010 (UTC)

Jack & Jennet

These two terms are not explained before their use. -- de:Benutzer:RokerHRO 08:38, 30 October 2005 (UTC)

'hung like a donkey' comment is out of place

This looks like a 14 year old boy's comment (apologies to 14 year olds with a sense of dignity). If the comment has to stay at all, can we get the meaning across without the lurid references to dimensions?

I was actually thinking of adding "hung like a donkey" (and I'm not a 14-year-old!) when I saw this because the phrase is very common in the UK - on comedy shows and in the tabloid media. I can see how it could be deemed out of place, but it must be worth a footnote somewhere, if not here. Gretnagod 21:31, 21 May 2006 (UTC)

Gestation Period?

Lets see how long it takes for a goon to mess this up again... Please be kind:( I own many donkeys,i don't like the way you talk about them. I like the comments others made, cause you really need help

ADMS Staff (talk) 17:45, 8 June 2009 (UTC) The gestation period for a donkey is 12-13 months in total. The current page still shows 11 months, which is incorrect. Also, anyone who *can* edit the page (as I seemingly cannot) is welcome to source the American Donkey and Mule Society as reference.

Thank you,

Leah Patton, Office manager, ADMS (www.lovelongears.com)

The page is in semi-protect, so you ought to be able to edit it a few days. This is to protect oft-vandalized pages from miscreants who find they cannot edit without logging who sometimes then make a throwaway account just for their malfeasance. I will edit the page now, though; I found a citeable source. --Kbh3^rdtalk 18:22, 8 June 2009 (UTC)

Columbus's donkeys and their mule descendants

"The four males and two females brought by Christopher Columbus gave birth to the mules which the Conquistadors rode as they explored the Americas." This really needs to be corected. No male donkey ever gave birth to anything! And female donkeys don't give birth to mules ... female horses give birth to mules. So neither male nor female donkeys "gave birth to the mules."

Any MORE vandalism?

Next person to vandalize this page gets shot.

Well, hopefully banned. --Thematrixeatsyou 02:24, 13 August 2006 (UTC)

Why?

That's why. --Thematrixeatsyou 09:21, 1 September 2006 (UTC)

Come on, this page needs to be semi-protected. --thematrixeatsyou 03:57, 4 November 2006 (UTC)

It gets vandalized way too much. The vandal bot can only do so much. Morganismysheltie 00:01, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

I have requested that this page be semi-protected. (see: Requests for Page Protection) Morganismysheltie 00:23, 4 January 2007 (UTC)

That's ridiculous; I hate these vandals...we are trying to make good, legitimate articles, and they come along and ruin it. (curses under breath)--NitemareDragon 22:57, 19 January 2007 (UTC)

2007-10-10—This thread is reprised at #This article needs editing protection. — ¾-10 22:16, 10 October 2007 (UTC)

Where to put this nice story?

An old man, a boy and a donkey were going to town. The boy rode on the donkey and the old man walked. As they went along they passed some people who remarked it was a shame the old man was walking and the boy was riding. The man and boy thought maybe the critics were right, so they changed positions.

Later, they passed some people that remarked, "What a shame, he makes that little boy walk." They then decided they both would walk! Soon they passed some more people who thought they were stupid to walk when they had a decent donkey to ride. So, they both rode the donkey.

Now they passed some people that shamed them by saying how awful to put such a load on a poor donkey. The boy and man said they were probably right, so they decided to carry the donkey. As they crossed the bridge, they lost their grip on the animal and he fell into the river and drowned.

The moral of the story?

If you try to please everyone, you might as well kiss your "ass" good-bye. --ThG 23:34, 14 September 2006 (UTC)

Enough with the donkey jokes... (rolls eyes) this stuff is also vandalism, you know?

--NitemareDragon

Donkey Kong reference under Trivia

"There are no actual donkeys in the video game Donkey Kong; the term 'Donkey' was used to indicate that the main character was stubborn."

http://www.snopes.com/business/misxlate/donkeykong.asp

"Shigeru Miyamoto, the game's inventor and the one person who unquestionably knows the origins of the name he chose, has repeatedly affirmed that he used the word 'donkey' to convey a sense of stubbornness and the name 'Kong' to invoke the image of a gorilla."

The reference to the book that this conclusion was drawn from is on the Snopes site.

I'll sencond that point. Fair comment. Zesty Prospect 14:59, 26 March 2007 (UTC)

The Donkey Kong page states two possible reasons, one one previously mentioned and the product of miscommunication. Celebraces 03:00, 11 May 2007 (UTC)

Human-centric

I gotta say that the article seems a bit human-centric. There is very little about the donkeys themselves and lots about how we humans make use of them or feel about them. In fact just about half is taken up with a discussion of the connotations of the words "donkey" and "ass". Steve Dufour 04:01, 30 November 2006 (UTC)

That's probably due to the lack of donkeys contributing to Wikipedia (though some would say there have been a fair number of asses). 24.34.190.157 (talk) 12:57, 26 January 2010 (UTC)

Donkey vs. Burro

The "Burro" section does not explain why the different words. AFAIK, this is just a SW US synonym for "donkey" / "jackass" / "ass". (Spanish "Burro", BTW, means simply "donkey" etc.) 62.48.171.17 18:30, 5 December 2006 (UTC)

In the USA "burro" is used for donkeys that came our way by way of Mexico. Those that came directly from Europe are called "donkeys" or "asses". In Spanish any donkey is a "burro". I made some changes in the article. Steve Dufour 13:58, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

Jackass

For some reason, searching for jackass currently redirects to this page. I think it should either direct to the MTV show Jackass, or the disambiguation page. Right now the page for jackass the TV series is difficult to get to.

24.17.160.64 11:30, 21 December 2006 (UTC)

I agree; "jackass" should send people to the TV show, with a note at the top sending people interested in the animal here. Steve Dufour 14:00, 26 February 2007 (UTC)

I think what there trying to say is the saying of "Jackass" or "ass" they mean the show or the donkey. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Treetalker78 (talk • contribs) 20:01, 14 May 2009 (UTC)

Revert

Reverted various stupid vandalism. Watch this page for more. Xolom14:25, 31 January 2007 (UTC)

Pronounciation

"originally, "donkey" was pronounced to rhyme with monkey"

huh? How is it pronounced then? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 80.126.153.114 (talk) 13:00, 1 March 2007 (UTC).

Donqué. -- toresbe 17:09, 6 May 2007 (UTC)

The Cross On The Donkey's Back

I think it is extraordinary that donkeys have crosses on their backs. This is referenced briefly in the article (under Religion) but can anyone shed more light on this? E.g. why is it so (it seems unlikely that this gives the donkey any better survivability characteristics!)? Robinson weijman 07:51, 4 May 2007 (UTC)

anonymous unable to edit

I haven't got a user name so I can't edit the page. In this paragraph in "Religion and myth" under "Cultural references"

In Genesis the King of Shechem (the modern Nablus), killed by Jacob's sons, is called "Hamor" - showing that at the time this animal was held in high enough esteem that it was no disrespect for royalty to use its name as their first name. (See Dinah,Shechem, Animal names as first names in Hebrew).

it is missing a space between "Dinah," and "Shechem" near the end.

One of these days I might actually get around to getting a user name . . .

anonymous 09:16, 17 May 2007 (UTC) (Almost forgot to say, since that is the one thing I would change if I could, the article is in pretty good condition. Congratulations!)

 Done, thanks for spotting it! -- lucasbfr ^talk 09:21, 17 May 2007 (UTC)

Vandalism

This article has been vandalised several times since the restriction on new / unregistered users was removed. I suggest replacing the restriction. Robinson weijman 07:31, 31 May 2007 (UTC)

Since there were no comments (but plenty of vandalism), I've replaced it. So this page is now protected against alterations by new or unregistered users. Robinson weijman 08:56, 1 June 2007 (UTC)

OK, that did not work and was removed by DumbBOT. I only added a template (thought that was enough). Now I've made a request for it to be replaced. Robinson weijman 12:29, 1 June 2007 (UTC)

Again, this page has been vandalised by sad people with nothing better to do. Why not make this page permanently protected? Robinson weijman 19:53, 26 August 2007 (UTC)

Esel (german) vs. (painters) easel (english)

In the Etymology section it is stated:

The incorporation of horse into sawhorse, referring to a wooden frame which supports work in progress, can be compared to the donkey-related etymology of the English word easel, from the Dutch ezel and German Esel. In both languages, the word refers to both the animal, and to an easel (as in painter's easel) as well.

I don't know about the dutch language, but to my best knowledge (I'm native german) in german the word "Esel" does mean "donkey", but not "painters easel". Also, german wikipedia and german wiktionary as well as [dict.leo.org] (one of the most extensive english-german dictionaries online) don't mention such a meaning of the word "Esel". Therefore I request verification of the statements in the last sentence of the section quoted above. tnx 84.148.103.122

Suggested edit

I suggest that the non-word "advocator" (describing Robert Green in the "History" section) be replaced by "advocate," which is almost certainly what the writer had in mind. 129.97.79.144 13:24, 31 July 2007 (UTC)

Done.LorenzoB 06:15, 13 August 2007 (UTC)

History

It is my understanding that it was the availability of the automobile (and pickup truck, usually a Model T Ford) that supplanted the prospectors' use of burros in the early 20th century, rather than the introduction of the steamtrain as stated. Railroads didn't penetrate the remote rugged terrain that was the primary focus of individual prospectors. I'll attempt to locate references on the topic. 01:45, 13 August 2007 (UTC)

My name didn't show on the post. LorenzoB 01:47, 13 August 2007 (UTC)

This article needs editing protection

As of 2007-10-10, it's still not protected and it's still getting vandalized constantly by every middle-school kid with a brain problem. I will go investigate how to request protection. — ¾-10 22:17, 10 October 2007 (UTC)

I'll request semi-protection now. Chase me ladies, I'm the Cavalry 22:19, 10 October 2007 (UTC)

Thanks. I seconded your post at AfP. — ¾-10 22:29, 10 October 2007 (UTC)

Hurray! Semi-protected. — ¾-10 00:37, 11 October 2007 (UTC)

Can the protection be reinstated and extended?

We got one week of break from idiots and then back to the same old thing of having to revert a dozen vandalism edits a day. I suggest that we protect this for six months straight. Get idiots used to the idea that every time they come here to vandalize, it is protected. Have them find that over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again, they get denied. (They aren't quick learners.) I'll go request. — ¾-10 01:52, 16 November 2007 (UTC)

Requested at WP:RFP. — ¾-10 02:01, 16 November 2007 (UTC)

Great Article

Great Discusssion --Stayfi 19:27, 21 October 2007 (UTC)

Bayeux Tapestry

The bottom border of the Bayeux Tapestry is thought to contain the earliest know depiction of a yoked donkey. The image is here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Tapisserie_agriculture.JPG 70.20.228.140 (talk) 10:20, 21 December 2007 (UTC)

Ah but the Standard of Ur, about 2000 years earlier, contains images of donkeys or onagers hitched to a wagon. Ancient Greek art also shows Donkeys and mules. Captions in commons not always correct! (grin). Montanabw^(talk) 11:07, 21 December 2007 (UTC)

Donkeys were one of the trade items used for dumb-bartering, they were very useful for the Wangaran miners. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Connie957 (talk • contribs) 21:59, 6 March 2008 (UTC)

NY TImes

some information here with some different and new information http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/25/science/25donkw.html?ref=science —Preceding unsigned comment added by GoDelusion (talk • contribs) 04:41, 26 March 2008 (UTC)

Proverb and idiom: 'donkey's years'

The original and correct form of the British colloquial expression, meaning a long time, is probably 'donkey's ears' - this both being rhyming slang for 'years' - as in a long time - and in itself meaning 'long' (donkeys having very long ears). It seems the original expression became muddled with its equivalent 'years', and its pronunciation changed so that it incorporated the latter, losing its rhyme; this has left 'donkey's years' in standard use. Of the two expressions in this context, 'donkey's ears' is certainly found in print earlier than 'donkey's years': the former first appears in 1916, in Edward V. Lucas' novel, Vermilion Box; the latter first appears in 1923, in an American newspaper, the Bridgeport Telegram.--Thomasbroc (talk) 09:13, 7 May 2008 (UTC)

Some examples of rhyming slang would be: apples and pears - stairs, trouble and strife - wife, frog and toad - road. This can be seen in the movie 'To Sir with Love' (Sidney Poitier, 1967). —Preceding unsigned comment added by Nic Carvalho (talk • contribs) 20:09, 8 October 2008 (UTC)

Extinct Species

I added the extinct Equus Hydruntinus or the European Wild Ass to the section on Wild Asses and Onagers. I forgot to give a summary of the change so I'm entering it here. If this is wrong, please remove this edit. I'm also adding my source here: Betrachtungen zum Verhältnis zwischen Wildpferd (Equus ferus) und Hydruntinus (Equus hydruntinus) im Jungpleistozän und Holozän auf der Iberischen Halbinsel

--Ood Bnar 13:16, 12 July 2008 (UTC)

I think they may have their own articles? See the lists at Equidae and maybe under category:horses or category:equids, look for extinct breeds or extinct equids and see if there are articles listed there. Montanabw^(talk) 16:18, 12 July 2008 (UTC)

Minor typo

{{editsemiprotected}} In the section entitled 'Breeding': 'Jennies are pregnant for one full year and usually give birth one foal' should read '...and usually give birth to one foal'.

Loxnard (talk) 12:22, 13 August 2008 (UTC)

 Done. Pyrospirit (talk · contribs) 02:18, 27 August 2008 (UTC)

More clearly state (what looks like) older and newer species classifications

The intro has a single species equus asinus, later we find the traditional equus africanus, etc.

State the traditional classification, and (presumably the situation) the genetic study which now claims otherwise. Don't replace the traditional classification entirely as DNA phylogenic studies are proving to produce contrasting results depending on method in numerous cases (compare bird studies). —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.36.158.222 (talk) 11:11, 15 August 2008 (UTC)

Here's what I'm referring to -- wild ass classification: "The animal considered to be its wild ancestor is the African Wild Ass, also E. asinus." —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.36.158.222 (talk) 11:15, 15 August 2008 (UTC)

Needs to be corrected. Mammal Species of the World (up to 2005 edition at least) is wrong here. See Opinion 2027 - it is either E. africanus asinus, or E. asinus and E. africanus. E. asinus africanus is not allowed. Dysmorodrepanis (talk) 12:23, 7 March 2009 (UTC)

Agreed. MSW3 considers them subspecies, maybe we should change that in the article as well. -- Kim van der Linde ^{at venus} 19:20, 7 March 2009 (UTC)

Clarify Height

Clarify that donkeys are, in the wild, and typically when domesticated, smaller than horses with longer ears. Then describe specific breeds that are quite large. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.36.158.222 (talk) 11:12, 15 August 2008 (UTC)

URL update

The website for the UK Donkey Sanctuary (referred to in note 10) has been updated, and the new URL should be http://drupal.thedonkeysanctuary.org.uk/ Also, most of the images on our new website have a CC license, so if you want to make use of them please do. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Zarquan (talk • contribs) 21:28, 2 September 2008 (UTC)

• • Why do donkeys have long ears? Elephants use their ears as fans, what about donkeys? 2/7/2010 4:58 —Preceding unsigned comment added by Horselover25 (talk • contribs) 21:59, 7 February 2010 (UTC)

Donkeys in the Italian Alpini? No, mules

Referring to the "Donkeys in warfare" paragraphs, it is common knowledge in Italy that the Alpini corps (mountain infantry) used mules as beasts of burden, not donkeys. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 89.96.203.197 (talk) 13:09, 30 September 2008 (UTC)

I am acquainted with a retired Alpini – officer. He was one of the last packmule company officers at the meanwhile closed Drusus-casern at Schlanders, Trentino-Alto Adige (South Tirol/Italy). He told me that Alpini corps at this location used mules as beasts of burden but also donkeys as well. The Amiata Donkey - a donkey breed from the Toscana region - was used for crossbreeding mules but also as a beast of burden by those corps. Might be his report referred only to times of peace after WW II.Szamar (talk) 12:46, 6 April 2011 (UTC)

I'm Italian, and my father was an Alpini officer. He 'd have laughed at the idea of the Alpini using donkeys. The traditional pack animal of our mountain troops has always been the mule. There may have been sporadic cases of donkeys used to substitute mules if there was a lack of those (no wonder, with the meager amount of money our government has always allocated for military expenses)but that must be considered an exception. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 79.35.22.183 (talk) 19:11, 13 June 2011 (UTC)

The Thadeus or Ass, is considered to be one of the least intelligent life-forms on our planet Earth. Although it finds a way to co-exist with others alike, it has trouble keeping up with the mating standards that increase the odd and dull creature's continuity in the future. The main reason for this is its excessive use of the phrases "Your Mom," "That's what she said," and other annoying forms of communication that attract the opposing sex. For this fact, it is almost certain that the Thadeus will perish within the year 2020. ~Holla~ —Preceding unsigned comment added by 146.94.134.207 (talk) 04:19, 4 November 2008 (UTC)

nd what about Trafficking?

Drugs...--Riyadi.asmawi (talk) 12:52, 6 December 2008 (UTC)

Ass

Colloquially, the term "ass" is often used today to refer to a larger, horse-sized animal, and "donkey" to a smaller, pony-sized one.

Unless this has passed me by, the term "ass" in this sense is not at all "often" used colloquially in the UK (I don't know about technical usage). I'm wondering if this sentence was written by an American English speaker, and whether it ought to specifically make clear that this is AmE usage. 86.133.242.24 (talk) 02:45, 12 December 2008 (UTC).

And there is also "burro," referring to the smaller sized donkey. So what is colloquial use in the UK? In the states, an Ass is a bigger animal, usually the size used to cross on horses for mule breeding. Donkeys and burros are the little gray fuzzy guys... Montanabw^(talk) 00:21, 13 December 2008 (UTC)

In standard English, all those creatures are donkeys. If they are noticeably small, you say “small donkey”; if they are noticeably large, you say “large donkey”. “Ass” is simply an old-fashioned term for donkey. In Spanish, burro is “donkey”, and asno is “ass” (i.e. an old-fashioned synonym). I really doubt that Americans use “ass” to refer to a particular type of donkey: Yanks are 100% convinced that it's the word you use to refer to your rear end. — Chameleon 12:59, 9 January 2009 (UTC)

LOL. Out here in the west, we know the difference and have much fun playing with the concept: the "Jackson the Jackass" calendar is a best-seller: http://www.jackass.net/ We also raise a lot of mules here, so yes, the Ass IS a real creature in America, though we use the term mostly to refer to the larger animals. Montanabw^(talk) 07:31, 14 January 2009 (UTC)

Speed bumps are called in Spanish "lomos de burro"

I've done a research about that statement that says "Speed bumps are called in Spanish "lomos de burro", "donkey's backs."" and I've seen that definition in webpages from Argentina. It may be a correct definition/translation for speed bumps. However, I'm from Spain and Spaniards applied differents terms for speed bumps: We call them "guardias muertos" (deadguard/deadman) "badén (in plural: badenes)" or "resalto" (something like a little low ridge) I just wanted to clarify that, I don't mean any offence.

• You are correct: the expression "lomos de burro" for speed bumps is more common in the Spanish of South America. I'll rephrase the sentence more precisely.Nordisk varg (talk) 03:13, 9 February 2009 (UTC)

donkey. word origin.

Could the word 'donkey' have been derived from a nickname or mistranslation in 17th century America? The word apparently was not documented until the late 1700s but was possibly in use before that. Could it have been inspired by the popularity of Cervantes' 'Don Quixote'? My guess is that European settlers began to call someone not too bright 'Don Quixote!' The comical vision of the dim hero and the dumb ass he considered a noble steed could have become confused as the insult was passed on verbally. Finally the already accepted insult 'ass' could have been usurped by the mistranslation 'Don Quixote' or as things evolved 'Donqui'. Of course it's all speculation but there are weirder origins and confusions that have been passed down in language.

Daltriani Daltriani (talk) 01:55, 12 March 2009 (UTC)

Plane crashes

Do donkeys kill more people annually than plane crashes? According to NatGeo it is. Should this comment be added to this article ? Photnart (talk) 05:00, 8 April 2009 (UTC).

Irrelevant trivia, probably. We could also compare donkey accidents to ski crashes, NASCAR crashes, etc... all of which would be apples and oranges. Montanabw^(talk) 05:55, 8 April 2009 (UTC)

But can all Asinuses mate?

The article is very detailed on interbreeding with Horses and Zebra, but can they mate with the sub-species to foster fertile offsprings? For example can a Donkey mate with and Eastern Kiang, or is it simply like a matter of race or ethncity in Homos? MPA 22:56, 18 May 2009 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by MPA (talk • contribs)

Guard Donkeys

Donkeys are becoming increasingly popular as guard animals for herds such as cows and sheep. I feel like more information could be available on guard donkeys than just the brief mention under Present Status. Donkeys have strong territorial instincts, as well as natural aggression responses towards predators. Donkeys have small, hard hooves and are very strong for their size. They will often show their backs to predators, leading the predator to believe that the animal is retreating or fearful when the donkey is actually setting up for a powerful kick with their hind legs. Properly trained and socialized guard donkeys will not show aggression towards humans, and do not require much in the way of care. They can forage with the herds and therefore do not require separate feed the way dogs do. I've found several good articles on the internet, in particular this one from the Texas Department of Agriculture and this one from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture.

--Nitrokitty (talk) 19:40, 12 June 2009 (UTC)

If you can draft up a nice paragraph that is footnoted with your sources and find an appropriate place to put it, I don't see a problem doing so, but maybe give it a day or so to see if anyone else has an opinion on the matter. Montanabw^(talk) 20:26, 12 June 2009 (UTC)

Pub name "Jack and Jenny"

I've taken out this section. It is not, repeat not, a common pub name in Britain. There is/was at least one pub called "Jack and Jenny" - near Witham in Essex, and there may be others, but it is by no means common. It would be a truer assertion to say that the "Rose and Crown", "Hare and Hounds" or "Red Lion" were common pub names in Britain. I'm British and well-travelled around my own country, and the name is unusual enough to be notable rather than a common name. Several google hits for the same pub do not an assertion that "the name is common" make. Vandenwyngaerde (talk) 21:18, 27 July 2009 (UTC)

Hi

My opinion on a donkey is that they are intelligent animals. They are too clever to work. If you let them run with a herd, the herd tend to follow the donkey. It’s also been said that hunters use donkeys to get wild stock to run in the open. Another roomer is that if a donkey is among your cattle, the cattle are safe because a donkey will kill a wild animal that is a thread. Moula —Preceding unsigned comment added by 41.3.143.233 (talk) 12:06, 2 December 2009 (UTC)

The Eloquent Peasant

In the literature section, there should be mention of the fact that the ancient Egyptian "Eloquent Peasant" short story has a donkey in it, who is actually rather pivotal to the story.

I created an account to add this, but its still locked, so can someone else do it?

This story was used to teach scribes writing, ethics, and rhethoric for centuries, and is important for understanding ancient Egyptian culture. The peasant is arguably a Horus type figure, for example, who wins a battle against the powerful via wisdom. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Isiscrisis (talk • contribs) 15:47, 19 July 2010 (UTC)

Donkey nutrition section needed

Hi all, I’d like to add some information, initially about feeding requirements for your average donkey, and then also cover special feeding requirements for overweight, underweight and geriatric donkeys. I’m new to Wikipedia, so not entirely familiar with the way things are done, but if anyone has any objections to me adding to this section as follows please let me know.

Donkeys evolved to spend 14-16 hours per day browsing and foraging for food. In their native arid and semi-arid climates this would often be a poor quality, scrubby fiber. Domesticated donkey owners face the challenge of feeding their donkey enough low energy fiber in order to meet their appetite, but in temperate climates the forage available is often too rich and abundant, resulting in weight gain and obesity with further implications including laminitis and hyperlipaemia. Although the donkey’s gastrointestinal tract has no marked differences in structure to that of the horse, it is well documented that "donkeys are more efficient at digesting food than horses and, as a consequence, can thrive on less forage than a similar sized pony." Research carried out at The Donkey Sanctuary in 2005 established that donkeys need to eat approximately 1.5% of their body weight per day in dry matter, compared with 2-2.5 % for horses. It is not fully understood why donkeys are such efficient digestors but it is thought that they may have a different microbial population in the large intestine than do horses. Another possibility is increased gut retention time compared to ponies.

Donkeys gain most of their daily energy needs from structural carbohydrates (fiber). An average, healthy donkey only requires a diet of free choice feeding of a low-calorie fiber-rich forage such as straw (preferably barley straw), supplemented with controlled grazing in the summer and hay in the winter. A donkey’s requirement for protein and fat are so low that in practice once the energy requirements are met so too are the protein and fat requirements. Cereal based feeds designed for horses are often too high in energy levels and will exceed the daily requirements of donkeys, putting them at risk of obesity, laminitis, hyperlipaemia and gastric ulcers. Even a small amount of grazing or fresh fodder during the spring and summer will provide adequate vitamin levels, so for a normal, healthy donkey a diet of straw plus a little grazing or hay meets their nutritional needs without over-complicating the diet with concentrated feeds. A low-calorie vitamin and mineral supplement is recommended for donkeys when on a restricted diet (i.e. for weight loss), and to all donkeys during the winter months.

Liz Hazell-Smith 13:42, 22 July 2010 (UTC)

I see no problem with the concept, though I made a few copyedits above that I hope are self-explanatory on their face (article is in US English, so spelling had to be tweaked, toned down "how-to" language into more "just the facts" tone) Also where I live, no one deliberately feeds straw to anything equine (the fat ones just get less hay or grass hay); so there may be some regional bias to be addressed, though I added some weaseling language that should address that. You may want to double check your citation content and formatting via WP:CITE as I think some may be missing some needed bits, and if the materials are available online, even if just the abstracts at PubMed, add the URLs. Unless someone else starts jumping up and down, screaming, I'd say go ahead and find a good, logical place for it to go. The rest of us may do some more editing, so brace for impact (grin), but I think this is a good effort! Montanabw^(talk) 19:10, 22 July 2010 (UTC)

Ok, thanks for the comments and copyedits. I'm going to be away for the next few weeks so I'll re-check my citations and make adjustments when I get back. I was thinking it might fit in after "Donkeys in Warfare".

Liz Hazell-Smith 07:51, 26 July 2010 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by Lizhazellsmith (talk • contribs)

Usually, we can put the care info close to characteristics info because they are sort of related, one flows to the next. However, there isn't a hard and fast rule. Maybe compare to horse for ideas. This whole article needs some reworking, so it probably isn't that big of a deal for now. Montanabw^(talk) 01:34, 27 July 2010 (UTC)

I've added the urls where possible, the first one is actually a login only page, is that still useful? Montanabw do you have the correct access level to be able to insert this into the page? And if so do you want to put it in after characteristics? In the UK most donkeys get barley straw as it's low energy level really suits them, but high enough in fibre to meet their appetite and fibre requirements. I know most equine people would run a mile from feeding straw to their horses and ponies in the UK too, but it is widely fed to donkeys.

Donkeys evolved to spend 14-16 hours per day browsing and foraging for food. In their native arid and semi-arid climates this would often be a poor quality, scrubby fiber. Domesticated donkey owners face the challenge of feeding their donkey enough low energy fiber in order to meet their appetite, but in temperate climates the forage available is often too rich and abundant, resulting in weight gain and obesity with further implications including laminitis and hyperlipaemia. Although the donkey’s gastrointestinal tract has no marked differences in structure to that of the horse, it is well documented that "donkeys are more efficient at digesting food than horses and, as a consequence, can thrive on less forage than a similar sized pony." Research carried out at The Donkey Sanctuary in 2005 established that donkeys need to eat approximately 1.5% of their body weight per day in dry matter, compared with 2-2.5 % for horses. It is not fully understood why donkeys are such efficient digestors but it is thought that they may have a different microbial population in the large intestine than do horses. Another possibility is increased gut retention time compared to ponies.

Donkeys gain most of their daily energy needs from structural carbohydrates (fiber). An average, healthy donkey only requires a diet of free choice feeding of a low-calorie fiber-rich forage such as straw (preferably barley straw), supplemented with controlled grazing in the summer and hay in the winter. A donkey’s requirement for protein and fat are so low that in practice once the energy requirements are met so too are the protein and fat requirements. Cereal based feeds designed for horses are often too high in energy levels and will exceed the daily requirements of donkeys, putting them at risk of obesity, laminitis, hyperlipaemia and gastric ulcers. Even a small amount of grazing or fresh fodder during the spring and summer will provide adequate vitamin levels, so for a normal, healthy donkey a diet of straw plus a little grazing or hay meets their nutritional needs without over-complicating the diet with concentrated feeds. A low-calorie vitamin and mineral supplement is recommended for donkeys when on a restricted diet (i.e. for weight loss), and to all donkeys during the winter months.

Liz Hazell-Smith 08:43, 11 August 2010 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by Lizhazellsmith (talk • contribs)

Hi Liz, I think you can insert this into the article yourself, but I'll do it for you , just this once! (grin). Login page not ideal, best to point to actual content page, but I'll leave it as is for now. Montanabw^(talk) 21:44, 11 August 2010 (UTC)