Selection of mares ready to be bred

1
Selection of mares ready to be bred

• Foal heat mares
• Occurs 7 9 days after foaling
• Fertile estrus period
• May last 3 5 days
• May not show estrus, but will ovulate

2
Foal heat mares

• Slightly lower conception rates
• Be selective and screen mares
• Difficult parturition?
• Retained placenta?
• Condition of mare?

3
Foal heat mares

• Uterine lavage
• Flush out uterus
• Day 2 4 or 5 post parturition
• Improved conception rates
• Stimulate uterine involution
• Short cycle mare
• PGF 6 7 day following ovulation
• Shorten interval from foaling to rebreeding about
  10 days

4
Lactational anestrus

• Postpartum mare which do not show estrus
• May or may not ovulate
• Body condition score?
• Foaled early in year?

5
Lactational anestrus

• Restrictive nursing
• Separate foals and only allow nursing 4 6 times
  per day
• Regumate treatment

6
Estrus detection

• Most important part of breeding program
• Inseminate prior to ovulation
• Still showing estrus

7
Estrus detection

• Signs
• Urinate
• Squatting
• Tail raising
• Winking of vulva
• Swelling, relaxation of vulva area
• Much variation between mares

8
Estrus detection

• Tease scores
• 0 out of heat
• 1 passive
• 2 slightly interest
• May be coming in or going out
• 3 urinates, winking, greater interest
• 4 intense behavioral signs

9
Estrus detection - Methods

• Lead stud to mares
• Mares in chute and lead stud
• Group teasing
• Lead stallion into pen of mares
• Teasing cage

10
Estrus detection - Methods

• Covert mares
• Do not show estrus behavior
• Palpate
• Hand tease
• Check cervix
• Follow records closely

11
When to breed

• Pasture breeding
• Stallion will tease and make the call

12
When to breed

• Live cover/AI
• Tease and breed
• Tease every other day
• Breed on 2nd or 3rd day of estrus
• Every other day until no long showing estrus

13
When to breed

• Routine palpations
• Breed when 30 40 mm follicle is detected
• Follicle softens
• Not necessary to predict exact ovulation
• Varies with mares
• Accurate records with day, size, consistency of
  follicle at ovulation

14
When to breed

• Reminders
• Semen lives about 48 hr within a mare
• Ovulated ovum lives about 12 hrs
• Mares tend to ovulate 12 -24 hrs before the end
  of estrus
• Breed while still showing estrus!

15
Artificial Insemination process

• Select mares that need to be bred
• Make artificial vagina
• Collect stallion
• Evaluate semen
• Inseminate mares
• Clean up equipment

16
Artificial Insemination process

• Semen collection
• Artificial vagina
• Temperature and pressure
• Colorado
• 25 lbs
• 300
• Missouri (Haver Lochart)
• 10 12 lbs
• 100