Our Poitou baby has arrived!!

I came across Poitous at a sanctuary in France some years ago. They were stunningly beautiful!! (They mostly had the dreadlocks ;) ) There must have been about 20 of them there - all ages, including babies! The biggest must have been 15hh or more, if I remember rightly!

I'd love one! :D Well jel! x
 
Snoozinsusan: I was there on Sunday, as well. Tweed and Carl (the smallest mini donkey in the UK) are so lovely.

The Poitou has never been a beast of burden. Their main purpose is to produce mules with a French draught horse called a Mulassier or Trait du Poitevin. Both the Baudet du Poitou donkey and the Trait du Poitevin are critically endangered. In 1977, there were only 44 pure Baudet du Poitou donkeys left in the world. Equally, the Mulassier numbers stand at only around 500 worldwide. The union of the Baudet du Poitou with a Mulassier mare reportedly produced the finest working mules (Mulassier means "mule-maker"). The Mulassier mare's first foal is produced by a Poitou donkey, but, subsequent foals are sired by pure Mulassier stallions.

Poitou donkeys are not normally ridden or driven, although I have seen photos of the odd Poitou under saddle or pulling a cart.
 
Why do the Poitou's have such dense coats for a donkey from France, were they many eons ago from mountain areas? Just interested as didn't know anything about them. Think they're all adorable though from these pics!
 
RutlandH2O said:
Three days earlier than expected, our newly weaned Poitou jenny foal has spent her first night with us. She is the most precious creature, not only for the way she looks, but because she has such a lovely, affectionate, self-confident, curious temperament. I can barely wait to go outside to give her another cuddle!

The first photo is Champagne (this is a C year for Poitou registrations in France) being lead to our waiting trailer at Hamerton Zoo Park.

The second two photos are at our farm when she arrived yesterday.

DSC_1560.jpg


DSC_1578.jpg
Click to expand...

Aw she looks like a teddy bear :D too cute I want one now lol :)
 
Just gorgeous! I met my first poitous at the Donkey Sanctuary, who I think were pivotal in the drive to increase numbers. Your baby is too beautiful for words, enjoy :)
 
Poitou are usually about 14.2hh+ I think you're thinking of Americam Mammoth Jackstock
KalicoR1.jpg

Heidi_Kalico.jpg

which can teach up to 17hhs(World record I think) and yes mammoths are ridden
Bishop2005-01.jpg


jack_horner_jump.jpg


The Poitou got known because it was taken over for a time by the Donkey Sanctuary and some were bought over in the hope that they'd make riding animals for RDA but because they had only been bred for mule breeding they were found to be lacking conformation for riding animals (Should've gone to Spain and saved the Andalusian but they don't have the Aaah Factor ;) )
There are Americam Mammoths in this country now http://www.hamertondonkeystud.com/breeds3/
 
MochaDun said:
Why do the Poitou's have such dense coats for a donkey from France, were they many eons ago from mountain areas? Just interested as didn't know anything about them. Think they're all adorable though from these pics!
Click to expand...

Whereas most donkeys tend to be from desert or arid regions, Poitous are from the salt marshes of Poitou-Charente. I have not been able to find any information as to why they have developed such a coat, but it has been around for many, many hundreds of years, if not a thousand.
 
jinglejoys said:
Poitou are usually about 14.2hh+ I think you're thinking of Americam Mammoth Jackstock
KalicoR1.jpg

Heidi_Kalico.jpg

which can teach up to 17hhs(World record I think) and yes mammoths are ridden
Bishop2005-01.jpg


jack_horner_jump.jpg


The Poitou got known because it was taken over for a time by the Donkey Sanctuary and some were bought over in the hope that they'd make riding animals for RDA but because they had only been bred for mule breeding they were found to be lacking conformation for riding animals (Should've gone to Spain and saved the Andalusian but they don't have the Aaah Factor ;) )
There are Americam Mammoths in this country now http://www.hamertondonkeystud.com/breeds3/
Click to expand...

The Donkey Sanctuary didn't actually take over the Poitou breed. The late dame Elizabeth Svendsen, the Donkey Sanctuary's founder, was smitten with the breed and did bring several Poitous over from France. You are correct, the breed is not suitable for riding and having them for the RDA (Riding for the Disabled Association) was not a success.

My Poitou baby came from Hamerton. Her best friend, up until weaning, was a Mammoth Jack filly who is on her way to Finland in a few months. They have several Mammoths, including quite an impressive stallion.
 
Snoozinsusan: I forgot to mention...your lovely part-Poitou looks so much like a Poitou. It is said that the Poitou coat is such a dominant breed trait that even a 1/8th Poitou will look like a purebred.
 
RutlandH2O said:
Three days earlier than expected, our newly weaned Poitou jenny foal has spent her first night with us. She is the most precious creature, not only for the way she looks, but because she has such a lovely, affectionate, self-confident, curious temperament. I can barely wait to go outside to give her another cuddle!

The first photo is Champagne (this is a C year for Poitou registrations in France) being lead to our waiting trailer at Hamerton Zoo Park.

The second two photos are at our farm when she arrived yesterday.

DSC_1560.jpg


DSC_1578.jpg
Click to expand...

What are your plans for her? Is she going to be used for breeding donkeys or are you going to be adventurous and put her to a cob stallion for a nice big hinny?
 
ZoeRPM said:
What are your plans for her? Is she going to be used for breeding donkeys or are you going to be adventurous and put her to a cob stallion for a nice big hinny?
Click to expand...

Interestingly, the breeding of Poitou anesses (jennies) to horse stallions is never practiced, at least in regards to producing working mules. One very informative French website devoted to the merits of the Poitou and the Trait Poitevin draught horse, basically said crossing an anesse to a horse stallion wouldn't even be discussed because nothing of any value is produced by such a union.

My plans for Champagne are to watch her mature over the next four years, while endeavouring to develop a very special relationship with her. She is so people oriented, in spite of her strong herd mentality, that I feel certain this will be an experience to treasure.
Seeing as she is a Livre A (fully purebred) Poitou, with the assistance of people more knowledgeable than me, I would like to put her to a Livre A Baudet du Poitou (stallion) in an effort to produce another purebred in what is a critically endangered breed.
 
RutlandH2O said:
Whereas most donkeys tend to be from desert or arid regions, Poitous are from the salt marshes of Poitou-Charente. I have not been able to find any information as to why they have developed such a coat, but it has been around for many, many hundreds of years, if not a thousand.
Click to expand...

Thank you :)
 
I had never even heard of these I must confess. They are gorgeous I wont be letting my daughter see any photos though she would love one !!
 
Thanks, again, everyone for your kind remarks. I can't get anything done. I followed her, and my other two donkeys, around the field today, trying to get the definitive photo of her. Unsurprisingly, there are several that capture her character. I only wish my five year old Poitou, Thea, would be nice to her. Champagne knows to keep out of Thea's way, and has even popped a few kicks at Thea defending her space. I have the baby secured in a gated section of their barn during the night so that she is able to eat and lie down and sleep in peace.
 
How lovely to see Poitous again. There is a wonderful lady here in the New Forest who has a number of Poitous and breeds them. My ponies are Poitou immune-d, we used to livery there. They never used to bat an eyelid when the jacks came past off on a walk round the village. The Poitous are quite a shock when you aren't used to them! Perhaps one day you will be bringing Champgne down to the forest to come to stud?
 
PennyJ said:
How lovely to see Poitous again. There is a wonderful lady here in the New Forest who has a number of Poitous and breeds them. My ponies are Poitou immune-d, we used to livery there. They never used to bat an eyelid when the jacks came past off on a walk round the village. The Poitous are quite a shock when you aren't used to them! Perhaps one day you will be bringing Champgne down to the forest to come to stud?
Click to expand...

Is that Annie Pollack at Norley Farm? I've heard so much about her and her donkey stud. She does have two lovely, proven Livre A Baudet du Poitou (stallions). Who knows what the future holds?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top