Donkeys constituted a significant part of someone’s wealth at the time. They were used for transport as well as in farming,1 and they would often go astray in their search for food.2 Most probably the head or chief servant was sent with Saul to find the donkeys, perhaps even Ziba (2 Samuel 9:9; 2 Samuel 19:17).3
3 Now the donkeys of Kish, Saul’s father, were lost. So Kish said to Saul his son, “Take one of the young men with you, and arise, go and look for the donkeys.”