A female horse and a male donkey have a mule. But hinnies and mules can't have babies of their own. They are sterile because they can't make sperm or eggs.
A horse has 64 chromosomes, and a donkey has 62. The mule ends up with 63. Mules can be either male or female, but, because of the odd number of chromosomes, they can't reproduce.
Most documented cases of mules/hinnies being fertile have been in the female mule (molly/mare mule). A majority of male mules/hinnies are castrated, but one case of a fertile hinny producing live, mature spermatozoa was documented at Texas A&M in the 1950s. Also, mare mules have been used successfully as recipients.
A mule has 63 chromosomes, intermediate between the 64 of the horse and the 62 of the donkey. Mules are usually infertile for this reason. Pregnancy is rare, but can occasionally occur naturally, as well as through embryo transfer. A few mare mules have produced offspring when mated with a horse or donkey stallion.
But while mules have turned out to be extremely valuable work animals, neither mules nor hinnies can mate among themselves to produce their own offspring because of their odd origins.
To be precise, a mule—considered as a vehicle of survival—is a living object, because of owning the genes which constitute a part of an evolving gene pool. Evolutionary definitions are collective definitions and an object cannot be accounted as a living or non-living one without a broader population perspective.
Having an extra chromosome can cause all sorts of problems in other species, but this abnormality doesn't hinder the mule much except when it comes to reproduction. Most mules do not produce viable eggs or sperm, and are therefore rendered infertile.
Most hinnies (female donkey×male horse) and mules (female horse×male donkey) are sterile with few reports of equine fertile hybrids. The main cause of this sterility is thought to be a meiotic block to spermatogenesis and oogenesis.
Sex: Male is a 'horse mule' (also known as a 'john' or 'jack'). Female is a 'mare mule' (also known as a 'molly'). Young: A 'colt' (male) or 'filly' (female).
Those mismatched chromosomes make it hard to make viable sperm and eggs. So mules are sterile because horse and donkey chromosomes are just too different.
After this happened, I've researched on the internet, and what we've found is that this is like a million to one odds that a mule can have a baby. I read that there have been maybe five cases documented in the last 200 years, so it's pretty rare."
All male mules (johns) and most female mules (mollies) can't reproduce. But why are mules sterile? The key is in the chromosomes.
A hinny is the offspring of a male horse and a female donkey, while a mule is the offspring of a female horse and a male donkey. This leads to their personality and appearance differences, but it also means they are typically born without the necessary chromosomes to mate.
The most likely reason that mares lie down after mating is because they are overwhelmed and need to rest to bring their heart rate back down to normal levels. Stallions can be aggressive and hyperactive when courting and mating, and horses are socially sensitive creatures.
Mules can live up to 50 years
Although the average lifespan for mules is between 35 and 40 years, some mules have been known to live until 50, especially if well looked after.
As with other hybrid animals, including both Zonkeys and Mules, Zorses are sterile, meaning that although they still display normal breeding behavior, they are unable to produce offspring of their own.
Mules - when a donkey and horse mate
Mules are the offspring of a male donkey (jack) and a female horse (mare).
Mules are a hybrid of a mare (female horse) and a male donkey, but a mule is more intelligent than either. This has been tested scientifically and shown. It is also an example of something called “hybrid vigor.” More on this below.
Mules have inherited the best qualities of both, being larger and faster-moving than donkeys but less picky about food and stabling than horses, and cheaper to keep. They will pull a cart or carry packs across their backs, and can be ridden.
Yes, horses can mate and produce offspring with all other members of the family Equidae. A cross between a horse and a zebra is called a zorse.
When Donkeys Mate with Other Donkeys. Donkeys mate like several other animals in the animal kingdom do. All you need is a willing male and a willing female, and they'll know what to do. The male donkey positions himself behind the female donkey and raises up on his hind legs to seal the deal.
Like horses, mules can't vomit, which made these journeys even harder, with many mules lost on the journeys.
Befuddling Birth: The Case of the Mule's Foal : NPR.
Mules, the offspring of male donkeys and female horses, are typically sterile.
For a male and female mule to produce their own baby mules, the adults would have to produce gametes. Gametes, eggs and sperm, are created by a type of cell division called meiosis. During meiosis, diploid cells (normal pairs of chromosomes) divide into haploid cells (only half the number of chromosomes).