The Potential for New Donkey Farming Systems to Supply the Growing Demand for Hides

Bennett, Richard; Pfuderer, Simone

doi:10.3390/ani10040718

Cited by 31 publications

(44 citation statements)

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“…There may also be declines in donkey population size at the regional or country level due to the demand for donkey skins to produce eijao [ 36 ] which may be impacting countries further afield than just China. However, there may also be an increase in donkey breeding in other countries or regions specially to fulfill the demand for eijao via legal or illegal export [ 37 ]. Many factors may also contributing to increases in donkey population size such as increased demand for products such bricks, coal and mineral in developing countries [ 5 , 6 , 38 , 39 ] which may be also be assisted by communities changing from using oxen to transport goods to donkeys and mules due to their greater efficacy [ 5 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Global donkey and mule populations: Figures and trends

et al. 2021

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Knowing how many donkeys there are in specific countries where welfare is compromised is a key concern for targeting efforts to improve donkey welfare. Additionally, accurate population estimates are vital for providing evidence and addressing the impact of population threats. The FAO annually report the number of donkeys and mules in each country. The last paper to investigate global and region trends dates back to 2000 and used FAO data from 1961 to 1997. This paper is an update focusing on global, regional and country level donkey and mule populations to understand if there have been any changes in the trends reported by the previous study between 1997 and 2018. Results show that the general trend identified between 1961 and 1997 is continuing with the number of donkeys globally increasing at a rate of ~1% per annum whilst mule populations are in decline at a rate of ~2% per annum. Results also suggest that the trend identified in the original paper are still evident today with the largest increases in donkey population seen in the sub-Saharan African region and greatest reduction noted in Eastern Europe with these two regions having different socio-economic drivers influencing these changes. These results highlight the multifaceted socio-economic drivers influence changes in donkey and mule populations demonstrating the complexity of designing targeted one-welfare approaches. Whilst the FAO donkey and mule datasets are the best available for understanding spatial-temporal distributions in populations there needs to be greater effort to promote the communication of information from the country level to the FAO. This can be directly supported by NGO’s by promoting the robustness of the FAO process for collating and disseminating this information. NGO’s should also seek to highlight the importance of this information for understanding global regional and country level drivers for equid population changes and potential threats to welfare as well as using this information to facilitate projects that support one-welfare approaches.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Global donkey and mule populations: Figures and trends

et al. 2021

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“…Evidence demonstrates it could take at least 20 to 25 years to reach the number of skins, and then donkeys, required by the ejiao industry (Bennett & Pfuderer, 2020). Data shows that donkey farming does not represent a quick return on investment, so it is not considered a solution to an increasingly unviable supply chain (The Donkey Sanctuary, 2019).…”

Section: Risk Of Local Extinctionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Donkey skin trade: is it sustainable to slaughter donkeys for their skin?

Tatemoto

Lima²,

Santurtun³

et al. 2021

Braz. J. Vet. Res. Anim. Sci.

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Donkeys (Equus asinus) face a global crisis. The health, welfare, and even survival of donkeys are being compromised as the demand for their skins increases. It is driven by the production of ejiao, a traditional Chinese remedy believed by some to have medicinal properties. It is estimated that the ejiao industry currently requires approximately 4.8 million donkey skins per year. Since there is no productive chain for donkey skin production outside of China, the activity is extractive and has resulted in the decimation of donkeys. Gestation is 12 months in donkeys, increasing the risk of extinction if such practices are not controlled. In this scenario, the donkeys are collected (purchased for low prices, stolen, and collected from the side of the roads) and are then often transported for long distances, usually without water, food, or rest. The trade, in Brazil, poses significant biosecurity risks, particularly because examinations are rarely conducted and therefore infectious diseases, such as glanders and infectious anemia, remain undetected. Furthermore, in chronic stress situations, the immune system is suppressed, increasing the biosecurity risk, especially because donkeys are a silent carrier of diseases. Rarely there is traceability with animals from different origins being put together in “fake farms”, before being delivered to slaughterhouses. The opportunistic strategy of collecting animals, or buying for low prices, keeping them without access to food and veterinary assistance, is what makes this trade profitable. Our experience in donkey welfare and the global skin trade suggest that it will be enormously challenging and cost-prohibitive to run a trade at the standards required to be considered humane, sustainable, and safe. Although donkeys are being blamed for the involvement in road accidents, it is not an ethical solution to maintain this trade as an alternative. Moreover, the ecological role of donkeys in native ecosystems has not been elucidated, and some studies indicate they could even have a positive effect. Regardless of the future the donkeys will have; we must guarantee a life with the least dignity to the animals under our responsibility.

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“…These authors have described disproportionate or unstable distributions in age and gender among some groups of donkeys (9,10) or the relatively long lifespans and good health of others (6,7). Baseline demographic data on the general donkey population is essential to evaluate population dynamics (11), and the relevance and impact of outcomes of epidemiological control (12).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…More recently, the feasibility of establishing intensive donkey farming systems in China to supply the demand for hides has been investigated (11). More than 70% of donkeys in China are raised under extensive conditions on smallholder farms, which reflect the population dynamics of extensive donkey farming systems.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Survey of Smallholder Farms Regarding Demographics, Health Care, and Management Factors of Donkeys in Northeastern China

Liang

Shi

et al. 2021

Front. Vet. Sci.

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Essential information on the population dynamics and the health and welfare of Chinese donkeys is scarce. The objectives of this study were to describe the demographic characteristics, management and health care of a sample of donkeys under smallholder farm conditions of northeastern China. A cross-sectional survey of 731 randomly selected donkey owners on smallholder farms (1,658 donkeys) in 40 villages of northeastern China was conducted. Data on the composition and management of the donkeys and their routine health care were analyzed. The surveyed donkey population consisted of mostly (83.8%) jenny/filly donkeys with a mean age of 6.2 ± 5.0 years. Most (91.2%) of the farms kept 1–4 donkeys. The majority of donkeys were used for breeding and labor. Most (93.8%) of the farms did not have bedding, and their mean stable size was 17.7 ± 10.1 m2. All of the animals were turned out for at least part of the year. The mean size of the turnout areas on the farms was 17.8 m2. The condition of 12.5% of the donkeys was evaluated as “poor” with a body condition score of 1 on a scale of 5. More than one third (37.9%) of the donkeys had never been dewormed. Also, none of them were ever vaccinated or received dental care from a veterinarian. Their hoofs were trimmed once (45.9%) or twice (27.6%) a year. Forty percent of the donkeys were reported to suffer from at least one medical problem in the preceding year. The most common medical problems were colic, respiratory disorders and skin conditions. Owners seemed to underestimate some of the most prevalent diseases in donkeys, suggesting that their knowledge of the management of donkeys, including routine healthcare practices should be improved to ensure the health and welfare of donkeys in northeastern China.

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The Potential for New Donkey Farming Systems to Supply the Growing Demand for Hides

Cited by 31 publications

References 50 publications

Global donkey and mule populations: Figures and trends

Global donkey and mule populations: Figures and trends

Donkey skin trade: is it sustainable to slaughter donkeys for their skin?

A Survey of Smallholder Farms Regarding Demographics, Health Care, and Management Factors of Donkeys in Northeastern China

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