Austria-Hungarian white donkey
The Austro-Hungarian White Baroque donkey or shortly Baroque donkey is a breed whose origin at least until the Baroque period goes back and in the Rococo was bred in eastern Austria and Hungary. At that time, light animals were very popular in aristocratic society, as they were considered to bring light , while dark animals meant more death. For example, black horses were used at funerals , while molds were much more likely to be used as draft horses for ruler's carriages . This is how white donkeys were bred.
This medium-sized breed of donkey has a white-yellow coat, the color is called "cremello", and light blue eyes. The skin and hooves are not very pigmented. The foals often have a more intense yellow color. Scientists are currently investigating which gene is responsible for lightening the color. The manes are mostly standing manes, hanging manes are rarer, just as the whole fur has a rather shorter hair length, animals with long hair are also rarer here.
The stock was largely unknown and was only rediscovered in 1986 in the zoo at Herberstein Castle by Fritz Dietrich Altmann . While another 30 animals were found in Austria, all of which came from Herberstein, the director of the Neusiedler See-Seewinkel National Park , Kurt Kirchberger, found an animal of this breed in Hungary , regardless of this and without knowing about Herberstein . It was also brought to Austria at the instigation of Helmut Pechlaner . A new breeding program was worked out by both of them to counteract inbreeding. For this purpose, three breeding lines were developed, a Herberstein line, a Neusiedler See line and a third in which the two are crossed.
The number of animals entered in the stud book is 320, including 126 stallions and 194 mares (as of October 18, 2019). The breed is therefore highly endangered.
In 2016, the Association for the Preservation of the White Baroque Donkey, together with the Stadl Paura Breeding Association, achieved recognition of the breed by the official authorities. This makes the White Baroque donkey the only breed donkey in Austria. The stud book is kept by the Stadl Paura breeding association , which is officially responsible for this breed. The Association for the Preservation of the White Baroque Donkey looks after donkey owners and breeders. It coordinates the international exchange of breeding animals to build a stable basic population and supports its members in animal placement.
Austro-Hungarian white baroque donkeys can be as old as other donkey breeds at 30 to 40 years of age. In Hungary there are still unknown residual populations that are kept with farmers and used for work. In the Neusiedlersee National Park the donkeys are successfully used in landscape maintenance. Trained animals can be used as riding donkeys for children, carriage donkeys and pack animals (trekking) or as therapy animals (asinotherapy) and are considered loyal companions.
- Herds exist
- in the Neusiedler See-Seewinkel National Park in Burgenland
- in the zoo of Schloss Hof in Lower Austria
- in the Herberstein zoo in Styria
- in the St. Martins Therme & Lodge in Burgenland
- in the Pamhagen steppe park in Burgenland
- in Reiters Reserve , hotel complex in Burgenland
- at the Stralsund Zoo in Germany
- in the West Coast Park & Robbarium St.Peter-Ording in Germany
- in the Tierpark Röhrensee Bayreuth in Germany
- in the nature and animal park Goldau in Switzerland
- in Johannesberg in Lower Austria
- at Gut Aiderbichl Henndorf in Salzburg
The same keeping conditions and feeding recommendations apply to Austro-Hungarian White Baroque donkeys as to other donkeys. The donkey is originally a desert animal and its demands are well adapted to this barren habitat. They are frugal and versatile, and because of their unique color they simply have that "certain something". What is not good for the animals and should therefore be avoided is feeding with particularly young, protein-rich grass in spring in areas with a lot of rainfall.
literature
- Martin Haller: Rare domestic and farm animal breeds , Leopold Stocker Verlag, Graz 2000; 2nd edition 2005, ISBN 3-7020-0893-4 .
Web links
- Association for the Preservation of the White Baroque Donkey - Coordination and handling of preservation breeding
- Austro-Hungarian white donkey
- Baroque donkey: almost extinct now with offspring
- Baroque donkey
- Austro-Hungarian white donkey
- Entry on the Austro-Hungarian albino donkey in the Austria Forum (in the Heimatlexikon)
- The history of the Austro-Hungarian baroque donkey
Individual evidence
- ↑ http://www.barockesel.at/
- ↑ Sabine Oberhauser: Painting white donkey as the star of the Martins Therme. Kronen Zeitung, accessed on January 27, 2019 .
- ↑ https://www.tierpark-roehrensee.de/
