springfallstud
Well-Known Member
Read recently on various sites lots of people are doing this. We never have but will short cycle after the foal heat.
Thoughts??
Thoughts??
Covering on foal heat
- Thread starter springfallstud
- Start date
scotsmare
Well-Known Member
Would be interested to hear other folks views on this, one of our mares didn't take on first service and will now produce a May foal rather than an April one next year, we'll need to cover her sharpish to try and bring it back a month. Stud we use doesn't think it'll be a problem though?! Are they prone to not taking on the foal heat?
KenRehill
Well-Known Member
I'd cover on the foal heat rather than short cycle.
springfallstud
Well-Known Member
Why is that Ken??
Damien
Well-Known Member
We have bred many mares on their foal heat and have had fantastic success and last year two mares were bred with frozen semen and they held. Two mares this year had heamoragic follicles on foal heat have Pged and they are being bred tomorow day 22 post foaling.
Either or, we have semen on tap so providng the mare is well cleansed its no real extra expense but when dealing with vets and as the stats conclude that pregancy rates are lower they will encourage you to miss the foal heat and short cycle. Increases your chances minimising your expense of collection and shipping fees if you have to go again.
Either or, we have semen on tap so providng the mare is well cleansed its no real extra expense but when dealing with vets and as the stats conclude that pregancy rates are lower they will encourage you to miss the foal heat and short cycle. Increases your chances minimising your expense of collection and shipping fees if you have to go again.
KenRehill
Well-Known Member
...........because I prefer not to use drugs if at all possible. But if the foal heat isn't a good one we would leave it until the next natural cycle.
S_N
Well-Known Member
I don't have a problem with covering on a foal heat (whether AI or natural), as long as the foaling was relatively straight forwards and there is no brusing of the cervix or other damange to the birth tract. If not covering on the foal heat, then PG and away you go and fingers crossed.
AndyPandy
Well-Known Member
Think about the massive insult to the uterus during pregnancy and parturition... especially the later, with all the kicking, pushing, stretching, possible left-over membranes... it's pretty amazing that the uterus can maintain a pregnancy so soon after giving birth.
Having said that, foal heat breeding does work, but generally with higher success rates in mares who ovulate more than 10 days after parturition. The uterus clearly has an amazing ability to repair itself, so perhaps delaying foal heat by even a few days would help?
Try giving Regumate from the day of parturition for 8 days. She should not come into estrus until 3 days after the end of Regumate treatment, and therefore will not ovulate until up to 16 days after parturition, giving her uterus plenty of time to recover, and increasing pregnancy rates significantly.
Obivoulsy, as stated before, the foaling should have gone smoothly, with no dystocia, no retained placenta, no fluid etc etc. before even considering breeding on foal heat.
Having said that, foal heat breeding does work, but generally with higher success rates in mares who ovulate more than 10 days after parturition. The uterus clearly has an amazing ability to repair itself, so perhaps delaying foal heat by even a few days would help?
Try giving Regumate from the day of parturition for 8 days. She should not come into estrus until 3 days after the end of Regumate treatment, and therefore will not ovulate until up to 16 days after parturition, giving her uterus plenty of time to recover, and increasing pregnancy rates significantly.
Obivoulsy, as stated before, the foaling should have gone smoothly, with no dystocia, no retained placenta, no fluid etc etc. before even considering breeding on foal heat.
nikkiportia
Well-Known Member
We often cover on foal heat. But only if the vet decides the mare is suitable, ie uterus has good tone and there's no damage anywhere. And subject to clean swabs of course (which is often the hardest part!)
The other thing we have to consider is how strong the foalie is, because obviously with TB's we have to travel to the stallion. Saying that, most are within 5 miles of us, so doesn't normally pose a problem. And the foals are much easier to control in the covering barn at that age. There's nothing worse than trying to restrain and older foal who thinks it's all a bit exciting, and wants to join in! lol
We are pretty successful with it, and most get in foal. In fact, a part of me wishes we could cover more on foal heat, as some mares are a pain to come into season again, even when PG'ed on 20 days. We've had some that end up with 2 tries on PG, an implant and still take forever to come back round. Even though they've had a normal foal heat.
The other thing we have to consider is how strong the foalie is, because obviously with TB's we have to travel to the stallion. Saying that, most are within 5 miles of us, so doesn't normally pose a problem. And the foals are much easier to control in the covering barn at that age. There's nothing worse than trying to restrain and older foal who thinks it's all a bit exciting, and wants to join in! lol
We are pretty successful with it, and most get in foal. In fact, a part of me wishes we could cover more on foal heat, as some mares are a pain to come into season again, even when PG'ed on 20 days. We've had some that end up with 2 tries on PG, an implant and still take forever to come back round. Even though they've had a normal foal heat.