A Cross-Sectional Survey of Foaling-Related Parameters of Jennies (Equus asinus) Under Smallholder Farm Conditions in Northeast China

Abstract

It is important to assess the reproductive efficiency and improve the reproductive management to promote the donkey population development. The overall foaling-related parameters of jennies under smallholder farm conditions in China were hardly under investigation. A cross-sectional survey of randomly selected 694 smallholder farms was conducted in 40 villages in the north, east, and south areas of Western Liaoning Province and Eastern Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region between March and July, 2017. Foaling-related parameters were assessed such as the mean age at first foaling, foaling rate and foaling interval during 2014–2017. Only two-thirds of the adult jennies foaled during the 3-year survey period and delivered a foal every 1.9 years. The mean age at first foaling was 45.3 months. The lowest incidence of foaling rate was in coincidence with the peak of foaling. The overall mean values for the foaling rate and foaling interval were 75% and 500.5 days, respectively. Significant changes of foaling rates before the age of 15 years and foaling intervals in the first 8 parities were not observed. The results indicate that the jennies could maintain relatively fine foaling-related parameters under smallholder farm conditions in northeast of China. However, the foaling rates hardly remained high during the whole breeding season represented a major loss to the donkey breeding.