The Drabardi Donkey

How do I breed my Drabardi Donkey?

Surely you know? ;)

Joke aside, you need two donkeys that are able to breed to produce a third donkey.

While breeding is a big part in many ARPG games, it isnt really the biggest part with the Drabardi donkeys. Here the hope is to do more with the donkey itself and any foals that will come out of the deal is just that cute little bonus. The more you develop your donkey character, the better your foal will be.

That being said, if you are ready for a little longeared baby - Carry on...

Breeding - HARPG

First on the list - You need a Breeding certificate
BUT DON'T WORRY! - There are no judging, NO RNG, no stress if you passed or not, no worry to have to redo any hard work - you have already showed your investment in your donkey to get it this far - you earned this!! However - now it's just a matter of the official inspection. You will need to officially submit this to the group so your donkey can get the shiny badge on its import.

Without the Breeding Certificate you can only breed your donkey three (3) times.

In case you bring your donkey over from the island you are allowed to have let your donkey have had a max of three foals before being exported (also depending on age), ie if the donkey had foals prior to being exported these wont count to the three mentioned above (making the total without a breeding certificate to 6 foals) due to the fact those are most likely unknown for the new human owners.

However, if your donkey have more than three previous foals before getting exported you need to 'pay' 1 picture or a text/600WC for each foal your donkey have. This have to be linked in your breeding certificate submission comment.

Criteria to get the Breeding Certificate

1. Earn 100 LP (this shouldnt be to hard if you are somewhat active.)
2. Make the following 3 images or stories (literature) (these cant be included the 100 LP needed, but can be counted AFTER). At least ONE need to be a picture. Literature should be about 600 WC/each. These pictures/stories need to show/be about

- Vet check up
How well does your donkey behave? Does it behave just fine or does it steal the stetoscope or bite the vets bum

- Exterior photoshot 'official reference'
This should be a picture, see it as a chance to show off your donkey's nuances in the character's design that the import sheet missed).

- Show off your donkeys best talent!
What make it so ASS-some? What does it excel at? Or does it prefer to just be a cuddlemonster?

A tip to gain points are to go through the equiBREAK courses as well as the extra training in the group.

After you 'passed'...

When you have done the above and gotten your Breeding Certificate, your donkey have a total of eight slots (or five if you have breed the donkey three times before). Follow the common rules for HARPG breeding (see here under "Breeding Horses" OBS only that paragraph, not the foal one). In other words;

Breeding Horses
# Contacting the stables owner via Note is most often the preferred method in requesting a breeding.
# Make sure you have read through the stable's rules on breeding. Not all horses may be open for breeding and/or owners lay out specific breeding rules in their stable journal.

Once contact is made and both owners Involved know breeding is to take place:
# The one requesting the breeding draws one piece of artwork with the chosen stable's stallion and your mare together.
# This is known as your 'breeding picture', it's like a photo and proof the two were together.
# Artwork is to be drawn by the person requesting the breeding, unless another agreement is made on who does the breeding image.
# The stable owner has the right to decline any breeding applicant.
# Keep your 'breeding pic' G-rated.
# Points are not encouraged for fees. All 'fees' are supposed to be in the form of artwork.
# If points are involved as a breeding fee, this is between you and the breedee - it is not to be modded by us.
# There is no 'deadline' for breeding pictures.
# Sometimes the breedee will want to design the foal. Ask about this in your breeding Note.

Then you...

- Upload the breedingpicture.
- Fill in the form found in the Breeding Journal
- Wait (excitingly) for the Admin to reply on the breeding picture.
- Get results. The gender of the foal and eyecolor (unless rare, see here for possible eyecolors) is up to you to decide but the base color, Drabardi hue and markings will be rolled by an admin based on the parents genotype as well as the inborn stats.
- Make the foals import (ie adult) picture and submit it for approval.
- Have fantASStic fun with your new donkey!

Breeding - The Drabardi Island

Breeding season...what breeding season - These donkeys show love all year around. Breeding season is ALWAYS OPEN! Let's do the horizontal tango then...I mean the Breeding proof....but wait...what is that? The Breeding Proof is exactly what it is in HARPG - a proof that the breeding happened!

Next you just need to fill in the form in the Breeding Journal and your breeding will be confirmed in the comments of your breeding-proof picture/text! If everything look fine, an admin will reply with a date of birth and if the birth lands in any of the "good" seasons, your foal will reccive the extra LP. Be sure to save the admin comment link in your donkeys journal as proof! The gender and eyecolor of the foal is up to you to decide (eyecolor depends on the parents unless rare) but the basecolor+drabardi hue will be rolled by an admin based on the parents genotype as well as the inborn stats.When you have got the results - then its just for you to start with the design and send it in for registration!

HOWEVER some things to remember and think about: IMPORTANT! Check the donkeys herd ranking!!! A Submissive jack might have a little trouble woo-ing the ladies. The donkeys are normally breeding with a donkey of the same type, but can interbreed with the type closest to their own type, ie Barri/Baro, Baro/Kalpana, Kalpana/Pesha.

The donkeys should at least be four years old before breeding for the first time. They get old so there shouldnt be a rush. Before breeding the donkeys together, the parents of the foal need to have two RP/images made each before they can breed - either art or literature. (That doesn't mean those two RP/images have to be with eachother).

They must also be in the same territory for the magic to happen - but not necessarily in the same herd. DO NOTE that it's a bit odd if the jack have a herd somewhere else and the jenny belong to another jacks herd/harem/territory/home range. Both need a good reason to leave that and find eachother if so. If one or both are nomads it make more sense.

Drabardi donkeys don't breed for the fun of it.

Even if the Drabardi mate and give birth all year around there are times when it's better to be born. Foals born in Spring get 2LP to put at the skill of their choice and foals born in Summer get 1 LP in bonus. This is to reflect that the wet season arrived and food is more plentiful at this time. Foals born in Autumn and Winter get none (sorry).

Gestation are two seasons - that means that Island jennies are pregnant for four real life month's (Real life donkeys are pregnant for roughly a year. I try to make this as realistic as possible but at the same time making it fun. Its a trial at first however, so we see how it goes.) Foals are due four real months after a breeding note is sent to the group and are not official until then. Unlike for their HARPG sisters, a life for a wild jenny living on the Drabardi Island is tough and harsh, and even more so being pregnant and giving birth. There are many dangers about. Therefore it's common for the jennies not to breed every time they go into heat. This is to be able to gain back strength and give their foal as much care and devotion as they can so it will have a good chance to survive to adulthood.

In reality this means you need to wait at least two real months between one foal and the next one. (This as an attempt not to overbreed the spieces). Dont forget the Drabardi often live to a old age and all donkeys are pretty and worthy of your attention. If you want a quicker way there is always the HARPG-side of the Drabardis.

For the breeding to be acknowledged you need a in-game story or art, ie 'the breeding proof'. This breeding proof need to be uploaded and submitted in the form.

Inbreeding and Other breeding

Inbreeding is 'allowed' within the Drabardi but you should be aware of the defects and consequences. You need to be the most careful within the three closest generations, ie if you can see one or more of the same donkey in within the same 3-gen pedigree (of the foal), the donkey in question is in great risk of turning out inbred and risk a resulting defect.

Inbred Drabardis will also have a high risk to pass the defect to their offspring in turn.

Any inbreeding 'penalty' is bred out within three generations (if not number 1 below).

The inbreeding 'flaws' wont show in the import image except perhaps blindness but any defect WILL be noted in the information part. Inbreeding penalties will be randomly rolled.

Breeding with horses and other donkeys (real and fantasy)

'Official Drabardi mules' are not yet released. You are however free to breed your (HARPG) Drabardi donkey with suitable horses (both realistic and (all kinds of) fantasy) to create your own 'Djolano' or 'Didikai'. These will still take up a slot for your donkey.

You cant breed a "mule" on the Drabardi island since you would need a horse living there. Since no horses are allowed to come to the island due to the strict rules you can only get a "drabardi mule" in the HARPG world.

A male Drabardi donkey (jack) bred to a female Grast (horse mare) produces a Djolano (mule). Djolano's can be either male or female. Sometimes the term Djolano is used for the males and Djolana for the females. The proper term is Drabardi Grast Djolano/Drabardi Grast Djolana. All male Djolano's should be gelded, since stallion Djolano's are very sexually active, even though they are sterile. They might become aggressive.

A male Grast (horse stallion) bred to a female Drabardi donkey (jennet) produces a Didikai (hinny). Didikai's can be either male or female. Sometimes the term Didikai is used for the males and Didikaia for the females. The proper term is Drabardi Grast Didikai/Drabardi Grast Didikaia. All male Didikai's should be gelded, since stallion Didikai's are very sexually active, even though they are sterile. They might become aggressive.

Djolano's and Didikai's can be bred from any horse or pony breed. Consequently they are listed by the using type rather than the size or breed of horse parent. Djolano/Didikai's come in all horse, normal donkey and Drabardi colors as well as a few odd mixtures and unique patterns on their own depending on the other parent. Crosses will not bear the four clover mark but can carry the Drabardi hue.

Markings on a Drabardi cross

A male Drabardi donkey (jack) can be crossed with a female horse (of any breed) to produce a "Djolano" (mule). A male horse can be crossed with a female Drabardi donkey (jennet or jenny) to produce a "Didikai" (hinny). Horse-Drabardi donkey hybrids are almost always sterile, just like regular horse-donkey hybrids.

However they still retain the lucky four-leaf clover marking and are perhaps lucky for their owners in their own right even if they don't inherit any of their donkey parents' magic. They can also inherit the special Drabardi hues and markings but they are far less saturated.

The Drabardi donkey usually passes light points onto Djolano offspring, just like a real donkey would. Many Djolanos will have dun shoulder crosses and leg stripes as well. The crosses of dun Djolanos usually differ from those of donkeys, with the shoulder stripe being very wide and faded, resembling a shadow.

Spots
Djolanos and Didikais have the genetic potential to display all of the paint patterns of horses (overo, sabino, tobiano, etc) as well as the Drabardi donkey patterns.

Appaloosa Djolano
If you want color on a Djolano your best bet is to make a cross with an appaloosa patterned horse. Djolanos from appaloosa patterned dams are often the loudest. The spots are easily passed on by the mare to the Djolano foal in the form of frosting/roaning, blankets, snowflakes and leopard patterns. Spotted Djolanos may have BIG spots, or many smaller spots. In some cases, as with spotted horses, some Djolanos may be solid with no white or appaloosa characteristics (skin mottling, white sclera around the eyes, striped hooves, etc), or spots that only appear in maturity.

Pinto Djolano
Another way to get good color in a Djolano is to breed from a spotted Drabardi jack. Foals from these matings show loud markings that are clearly variations of the Drabardi donkey spotted pattern. Djolanos from solid-colored mares can still have a huge quantity of white with very flashy spotting. A spotted Didikai from a spotted Drabardi jennet and solid colored stallion can result in an adapted spot pattern.

Most Djolano from tobiano mares have only four stockings (or sock and stocking combinations) and a white tail tip. White facial markings are rare in these Djolanos. Most Djolanos that are patterned similarly to tobiano will still have some sort of dislocation of the white, as if the Drabardi spotting is trying its best to come through.

Twisted spotted Djolano
There have been Djolanos observed with very unusual patterns that did not fit into any category. Sometimes a Djolano will combine both of its parents' colors, resulting in a totally unique color or "twisted" pattern. For example, a Djolano may have dark leopard spots overlaying the dark areas of pinto markings, indicating a spotted Drabardi jack x spotted mare mating.

At this point there are no ready-made "official" Drabardi "mule" linearts, even if I hope there will be in future.

Much depends on how the donkey breed itself is received. You are however - of course - welcome to cross your HARPG Drabardi to your own horses, as long as the donkey has its breeding certificate.

Please note there are no horses on the Drabardi island and remember however that these cross-foals still take up a slot!

Djolano types

Miniature Djolano: Bred from various types of pony mares or miniature Horse mares (or similar size/type). Around 10 hh at the withers is considered the average height for miniature Djolano's. Here you also use a Pesha jack. Sometimes these are called Pesha Djolano's.

Saddle Djolano: Bred from mares of riding horse breeding (or similar size/type) and a Kalpana jack. These vary in size from small to very large depending on the mother but have riding type conformation and looks.

Pack/Work Djolano: Bred from mares with some draft blood or of heavy work types (or similar size/type) rather than for saddle type conformation. Here you use a Baro jack.

Draft Djolano: These are the largest Djolano's and are bred from various Draft mares and a Barri jack. The larger and heavier the better with these Djolano's, but elegance is preferred as well.

Gaited Djolano: Bred from the Saddle-Gaited horses including for example Tennessee Walker, American Saddlebred, Foxtrotter, Paso Fino, and Peruvian Paso (or similar size/type). A Kalpana jack showing a smooth single-foot type gait is desirable as the sire of these mules.