3,695. Multiple Donkeys Giving Birth

Hilchos Bikkurim 12:20

If two donkeys that never gave birth before give birth to two males, the owner gives two sheep to a kohein. If they give birth to a male and a female, or to two males and a female, the owner gives one sheep to the kohein.

Hilchos Bikkurim 12:21

If the aforementioned donkeys give birth to two females and a male, or even to two males and two females, the kohein isn’t owed anything. Not only that, the owner doesn’t even have to put a sheep aside to keep for himself. This is because of the multiple doubts involved, namely: maybe one donkey gave birth to a male and the other gave birth to two females; or maybe one gave birth to a female and the other to a male followed female or a female followed by a male. There are likewise many doubts when two males and two females are born.

Now let’s say that there are two donkeys, one of which gave birth before and the other one didn’t. They give birth to two males and the offspring get mixed up. In such a case, the owner gives one sheep to a kohein. If they gave birth to a male and a female, he puts a sheep aside but he keeps it instead of giving it to a kohein. This is because the animal’s status is in doubt. Again we follow the rule that the burden of proof is on the one who wants to take property from another (i.e., the kohein must prove that the male is the firstborn).