Equine Breeding Management Flashcards
1
Q
what is breeding management?
A
- activity of controlling the mating and production of offspring of animals
2
Q
types of breeding programs
A
- natural service (thoroughbreds)
- artificial insemination (most common globally)
3
Q
factors that affect pregnancy rates
A
- breeding managment!! (#1 factor affecting preg rate)
- stallion fertility
- mare fertility
-
early pregnancy detection
- twins
- early embryonic death
- ~30% lost in first 30 days of pregnancy
4
Q
evaluating stallion fertility
A
-
history
- athletic
- breeding
-
breeding soundness
- annual exam
- physical health
- semen quality
- venereal disease
5
Q
evaluating mare reproductive health
A
- fertility history
- foaling history
- type of breeding program
- breeding soundess exam
6
Q
approach to equine breeding management
A
- heat detection (when is mare in estrus)
- monitoring the repro tract
- induction of ovulation
- breeding
- post-breeding mgmt
- pregnancy detection
7
Q
when do horses cycle?
A
-
seasonally polyestrus
- longer days (June/July)= shorter esturs period
- shorter days (December/Jan)= longer estrus period
8
Q
equine estrous cycle
A
estrus: follicular phase
diestrus: luteal phase
9
Q
heat detection in mare
A
-
estrus
- 4 to 7 days
-
estrogen influence
- tail up, urinate, wink
- position herself to be bred
-
diestrus
- 14 days
-
progesterone influence
- ears back, strike, kick
- not receptive!
10
Q
monitoring reproductive tract of mare
A
-
transrectal palpation and u/s
- ovaries: follicular dvpt
- uterus: tone and edema
-
cervis: tone/relaxation
- fully muscular in mare
- cervix relaxes and widens (estrogen/estrus) or becomes toned and long (progesterone/diestrus)
11
Q
transrectal ultrasonography
A
- mare with fluid/edema (wagon-wheel)= indicates estrus
- seeing CL on u/s= mare is in diestrus
12
Q
where do the follicles develop in the mare ovary?
A
- on the inside (inside out)
- ovulate through ovulation fossa
13
Q
ovarian palpation in mare
A
- palpation through rectum
- can’t palpate CL
- can see with ultrasound
*
- can see with ultrasound
14
Q
“short cycling”
A
-
prostaglandin- takes mare out of diestrus (lyse CL and bring her into heat)
- PGF2a - endometrial origin
- analogs - Dinoprost, Cloprostenol
-
causes luteolysis
- 5 days post-ovulation
-
results in onset of estrus
- depends on follicular activity
- 5-7 days average
- take away CL (progesterone) and see if she gets pregnant
- depends on: time of year and size of follicles
15
Q
how is ovulation predicted in mare?
(when do we know to breed them)
A
- follicular size (≥ 35 mm)
- follicular texture (softening)
- follicular shape (irregular shape means you’re close to ovulation)
- uterine edema
