 In 1884, a studbook was established for the Poitou donkey in France.During the first half of the twentieth century, the mules bred by the Poitou and the Poitevin continued to be desired throughout Europe, and were called the "finest working mule in the world".Purchasers paid higher prices for Poitevin mules than for others, and up to 30,000 were bred annually in Poitou, with some estimates putting the number as high as 50,000.