can you breed a mule and a mule together??

[Narrow Way Farm]

My brother is on his honeymoon and took a carriage ride and they had mules pulling the carriage. The lady was saying that you can not breed a mule and a mule together. She said it genetically can't happen. I don't know enough about mules to know myself. It is killing him to know the answer. I too am curious. I know you can breed quarter horses and donkey's to get mules and mini to donkey's to get mini-mules. Someone help me out here. Thanks

 

[shminifancier]

Yes that is correct mules are sterile and as such cannot reproduce....The reason is a mule is a "Hy-bred" By crossing the horse and donkey The horse has 64 chromosomes and the donkey has 62 by crossing them the mule has 63 chromosomes and the Odd number of chromosomes cannot reproduce..

 

[Narrow Way Farm]

That is just so wild!!! Thanks for sharing!!

 

[Ashley]

Not all of them are incapable of reproduceing, that is why you should still have the boys gelded. It is rare that they can reproduce but some still can.

 

[SuziB]

My brother is on his honeymoon and took a carriage ride and they had mules pulling the carriage.  The lady was saying that you can not breed a mule and a mule together. She said it genetically can't happen.  I don't know enough about mules to know myself.  It is killing him to know the answer. I too am curious.  I know you can breed quarter horses and donkey's to get mules and mini to donkey's to get mini-mules.  Someone help me out here.  Thanks

160558[/snapback]

​

Hello,

Genetically, a molly mule (female) MAY give birth about one time in so many million times. It is an exceedingly rare event!

To get mini-mules, one breeds a donkey jack to a pony mare, or a mini-donkey jack possibly to a B mini-horse. A hinny is the product of breeding a horse stallion (probably in this case, a MINI-horse if one wants a MINI-mule) with a donkey mare.

Since mules ARE hybrids, they almost never are capable of reproduction, although the very rare event HAS been recorded. One should NOT hold one's breath, however.

Suzi Barclay

Richland, Montana

 

[chandab]

Not all of them are incapable of reproduceing, that is why you should still have the boys gelded.  It is rare that they can reproduce but some still can.

163382[/snapback]

​

They can also have nasty, testosterone driven personalities, if not gelded, which is the best reason to geld the mule boys.

 

[minimule]

Well, technically, you can bred a mule to a mule but there won't be any offspring.

Sorry, couldn't resist.

All my johns are gelded by 3 months of age. They do still have the "drive" and will follow a mare in heat all over the place. They are sterile either way but why deal with all that testosterone.