Deng Liang, Shi Shicheng, Li Jing, Tang Chi, Han Yuwei, Xie Peng
Department of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China.
Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.
Front Vet Sci. 2021 Apr 14;8:626622. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2021.626622. eCollection 2021.
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 m. 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 m. 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.
关于中国驴的种群动态以及健康和福利的基本信息匮乏。本研究的目的是描述中国东北地区小农户养殖条件下驴样本的人口统计学特征、管理和医疗保健情况。对中国东北地区40个村庄的小农户（1658头驴）中随机抽取的731名驴主人进行了横断面调查。分析了驴的组成、管理及其日常医疗保健的数据。被调查的驴群大多（83.8%）是母驴/小母驴，平均年龄为6.2±5.0岁。大多数（91.2%）农场饲养1 - 4头驴。大多数驴用于繁殖和劳作。大多数（93.8%）农场没有褥草，其畜栏平均面积为17.7±10.1平方米。所有动物一年中至少有部分时间在户外放牧。农场户外放牧区域的平均面积为17.8平方米。12.5%的驴身体状况被评为“差”，身体状况评分为1（满分5分）。超过三分之一（37.9%）的驴从未进行过驱虫。此外，它们都从未接种过疫苗或接受过兽医的牙齿护理。它们的蹄子一年修剪一次（45.9%）或两次（27.6%）。据报告，40%的驴在前一年至少患过一种疾病。最常见的疾病是绞痛、呼吸道疾病和皮肤病。驴主人似乎低估了一些驴中最普遍的疾病，这表明应提高他们对驴的管理知识，包括日常医疗保健措施，以确保中国东北地区驴的健康和福利。
