Assessment of load carrying capacity of donkeys under different work types in Beed district of Maharashtra

Introduction

Livestock plays a vital role in the Indian economy by supporting the livelihood of about 20.5 million people. According to the 20th Livestock Census (2019), the total livestock population of India is 535.78 million, showing an increase of 4.6% over the previous census. Among various livestock species, equines-particularly donkeys (Equus asinus)-occupy an important place in rural production systems due to their ability to perform efficiently under harsh environmental and management conditions. Donkeys are domesticated odd-toed ungulates known for their docile nature, endurance and adaptability to difficult terrains. They were first domesticated in Africa around 5,000-7,000 years ago and later spread to Asia and Europe. At present, the global donkey population is estimated to be approximately 50 million, with major populations concentrated in Asia and Africa. In India, however, the donkey population has declined drastically, with the 20th Livestock Census reporting only about 1.2 lakh animals, representing a reduction of 61.23% compared to the 19th census (2012). Currently, four recognized breeds of donkeys, namely Spiti, Ladakhi, Halari and Kachchhi, are registered with NBAGR. Donkeys are indispensable working animals in dry and mountainous regions due to their remarkable ability to survive under limited feed and water availability and to carry loads across difficult terrains. They play a significant role in agricultural and non-agricultural activities such as transportation of goods, construction work and tourism. Despite their substantial contribution to the rural economy, the economic value of donkey labour is often underestimated and remains largely unaccounted for in formal economic systems (Ravichandran et al, 2023) [7] . In traditional sectors such as brick kilns, donkeys are extensively used for transporting raw bricks from moulding sites to kilns under challenging environmental conditions. These animals are frequently exposed to extreme heat, long working hours and rough terrain, which adversely affect their health and productivity (Bhardwaj et al, 2022) [2] . Overloading is another major concern in working donkeys, as animals are often made to carry loads exceeding their physiological capacity, leading to lameness, fatigue, injuries and behavioural changes (Bukhari et al, 2022) [4] . Donkeys are primarily used as pack animals for transportation of materials, particularly in rural and hilly regions where mechanized transport is limited. Donkey rearing is generally economical, as these animals can thrive on poor quality feed resources and under minimal management conditions. Despite their importance, there is a lack of scientific information regarding the work types and load carrying practices of donkeys under field conditions. Understanding the nature of work, type of load and working patterns is essential for developing suitable management strategies and ensuring animal welfare. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to assess the load carrying capacity of donkeys under different work types in Beed district of Maharashtra.

Materials and Methods

The present investigation was carried out in Beed district of Maharashtra to assess the load carrying capacity of donkeys under different work types in field conditions. Geographically, the study area is located between 18.27° N to 19.28° N latitude and 74.54° E to 76.57° E longitude in the Marathwada region. The area is characterized by semiarid climatic conditions with an average annual rainfall of approximately 699.30 mm. The terrain consists of dryland farming systems interspersed with rocky landscapes and fertile river plains, making it suitable for the utilization of pack animals such as donkeys.

Survey of work types and load carrying practices

To document the different work types of load carried by donkeys, a field survey was conducted across the Beed district. A total of 50 donkey owners were randomly selected from 10 villages, namely Satephal, Tokawadi, Chanai, Dagadwadi, Lokhandi, Shirsala, Ramnagar, Dhayguda Pipala, Chandapur and Nandghol. The villages were selected based on the availability of donkey population as per livestock census data. A pre-structured and pre-tested questionnaire was used to collect information from the respondents. The questionnaire was designed to record detailed information on the types of work performed by donkeys, nature of load carried, working duration, preferred working time and general management practices followed by the owners. The responses obtained from the donkey owners were compiled and analyzed to understand the existing work patterns and utilization of donkeys under field conditions.

Statistical Analysis

The data obtained from the survey and experimental trials were compiled, tabulated and subjected to statistical analysis using completely randomized design (CRD). Appropriate statistical tests were applied to evaluate the effect of different load levels and working conditions on the performance of donkeys.

Results and Discussion

The present investigation was undertaken to assess the work types and load carrying practices of donkeys under field conditions in Beed district of Maharashtra. The information generated through a structured survey of donkey owners provided a clear understanding of the utilization pattern and nature of work performed by donkeys in the study area. A survey of donkey owners/keepers showed that, the participant pool was exclusively male. All 50 participants accessed during the survey of present study were male only. This gender distribution aligns with the findings of Bukhari et al. (2022) [4] who has reported that, a vast majority of survey participants 98.50% in donkey-keeping studied were men, reflecting the male dominated nature of this donkey sector. Donkey owners/keepers were primarily composed of middle-aged individuals 33-42 years, accounting for 64% of the participants. It was observed that about 76% donkey owners/keepers had nuclear families, however only 24% owners/keepers were living with joint families. 40% donkey owners had their owned Pakka type of house, whereas, remaining 60% donkey owners were arranged their living with kaccha type house about 86% donkey owners/keepers were landless, however only 14% donkey owners had marginal land holding. Majority of donkey owners rely on their donkeys for their livelihood. The findings revealed a highly uniform and specific work profile of donkeys. It was observed that all the respondents (100%) utilized their donkeys exclusively for load carrying on their back, and no other work types such as carting, pulling or agricultural operations were reported. This indicates that donkeys in the study area are primarily used as pack animals rather than multipurpose draught animals. Similar observations were reported by Shinde (2018) [18] ,

Socio-economic status of donkey owners

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who stated that working donkeys are mainly engaged in load carrying activities for extended durations under field conditions. The type of load carried by donkeys showed a highly consistent pattern across all respondents. It was found that 100% of donkey owners reported brick transportation as the sole load carried by donkeys. This indicates a strong association between donkey utilization and brick kiln or construction-related activities in the study area. Such continuous involvement in brick transportation may impose considerable physical stress on animals due to repetitive workload and harsh working conditions. Similar concerns regarding heavy workload, overloading and associated welfare issues in working donkeys have been reported by Bukhari et al. (2022) [4] .

Sex-wise utilization of donkeys

A clear preference for female donkeys in load carrying work was observed in the present study. It was recorded that 94% of the donkeys used for work were females, whereas only 6% were males. This indicates that female donkeys constitute the major workforce in load carrying activities. The higher utilization of female donkeys may be attributed to their better adaptability, docile nature and ease of management under field conditions. Similar trends in donkey utilization patterns and management systems have been reported by Tesfaye et al. (2016) [11] , who highlighted gender-based roles in donkey husbandry practices.

Working hours

The working schedule of donkeys showed a clear preference among the respondents. It was observed that 80% of donkey owners preferred morning and evening hours for load carrying work, while only 20% of respondents used their animals during afternoon hours. This pattern suggests that donkey owners tend to avoid working during peak heat stress periods, thereby reducing the adverse effects of high ambient temperature on animal performance and welfare.

Earlier studies have indicated that limited awareness regarding welfare and environmental stress factors affects donkey management practices (Tesfaye et al, 2016) [11] .

The results indicated that donkeys were engaged in load carrying activities for 6 to 10 hours per day, with an average working duration of 8±0.86 hours. Such prolonged working hours highlight the intensive utilization of donkeys in the study area and their significant contribution to the livelihood of their owners. The present findings is agreement with Shinde (2018) [18] , who reported that working donkeys are commonly utilized for more than 6 hours per day under field conditions.

Animal Regarding Breeding management of donkeys, it was reported that, all the owners were allowed their animals for natural breeding by random selection method. Usually, a male animal was found kept along the flock of female donkeys for breeding purpose, however no specific scientific breeding strategies were followed by the donkey owners/keepers in this region. Singh et al. (2007) [12] agrees with selective breeding was adopted by only a few owners due to limited awareness and a shortage of high-quality jacks. In relation to the identification of pregnancy in animals, it was a common observation that, Generally female animal considered pregnant on the basis of not returning in normal oestrus and pregnancy diagnosis done by rectal method by veterinary doctor or Veterinary Science diploma holder local practitioners, only 28% donkey keepers were aware about pregnancy diagnosis of pregnant female however, remaining majority 68% owners were not found aware about the importance of pregnancy diagnosis method. Regarding health management of donkeys, majority of the donkey owners were unaware about the importance of vaccination and deworming like scheduled health programmes. Tesfaye et al. (2016) [11] found agree with Majority of respondents 94.2% in the study area lacked any knowledge or information regarding donkey welfare. It was also recorded that, 98% donkey owners had veterinary services at their level either by Government veterinary doctors or private diploma holder veterinary practitioners.

Conclusion

Donkey husbandry practices is restricted to socially and economically weaker section, rely completely for their livelihood upon providing load carrying services by female donkeys primarily. In survey area, transmission of brick, in and around brick kiln was the major work type accomplished by donkeys. Donkey sector needs to be addressed practically on scientific platform to restricts with journey towards the verge of extinction. Generally female donkeys can be managed easily as draft animal as compared with the male donkeys.

References

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