Re: RC: RC: New Foals in Cold Weather

[Bette Lamore <woa@stormnet.com>]

Hi Janice
Well as you can read in my past note, we bred 22 AI, foaled out 20
and--the additional info---we sold the other two mares in foal---yes
they ALL got pregnant and we will NEVER do that again. We had monitors
everywhere and the "two weeks from hell". Yes it was very effective. We
started the regumate February 1 for 15 days. Then we took them off,
waited 2 days, and gave anyone who wasn't already showing signs of stage
1 heat a pros shot. My vet told me we were simulating pregnancy during
the regumate so that when we took them off, they were in "foal heat"
which is when they are most fertile. That was his theory; any thoughts,
Heidi?
Most of my clients for Hal (95%) are out of state and usually cross
country (a profit is never known in his hometown...). So we have used
chilled semen exclusively and with total success, but then Hal is highly
potent (I only use 3-5cc. of semen to 50cc extender for first day breed
and put 2-3cc. semen to 50cc. in 2nd baggie to be used 2nd day-- his
little sperm are so active that they "knock each other out if I try to
crowd them. I've been told by the vets at the other end (including Dr.
John Thomas who stood Ofir and Yatez) that Hal's motility was the best
he'd seen after shipping. I was given the tip to dilute his semen to a
ridiculously low amount (Heidi will attest to that as many breeders mix
extender 1/2 and 1/2) by a show breeder in the modwest who's stallion
was also extremely potent. Perhaps the stallion you were breeding to
either is not that potent or has poor motility to start with OR is
really potent and they have the wrong concentration of semen OR the
extender they are using with him is wrong for his semen. I'll tell you
this, AI can work very well when you get all the parts right. Most of
ours (90%) take on the first heat and if they didn't I told the owner to
have the vet take a look and there was a urinary infection. The only two
mares we could not get in foal (and one was John's) were maiden and of
advanced age--- too late-- their uteruses were no longer viable. We
simply transferred the breedings in both cases to other mares and
Voila-- on the first take. 
So I'm saying, don't give up on AI because you had one bad season.
Traveling to breed can be a pain! Just make sure you have a good vet on
your end and that the stallion has a proven track record in AI. Ask for
references. I give themm out and every stallion owner should be willing
to do the same. I hope you had a live foal guarantee, by the way.
Bette Lamore
Whispering Oaks Arabians 
(Please drop in if you get the chance at   http://www.stormnet.com/~woa

Janice Taylor wrote:
> 
> >At one time I foaled out 20 in Jan (bred
> 22 mares AI at same time after regumating them to synchronize<
> 
> What is your conception rate with this?  Were you using cooled semen?  My
> first experience with one mare this year was unsuccessful and the vet bills
> were awful.  I loved the 'easiness' of it, but the loss of a year, and the
> expense make me wonder. Guess I'll be hauling her this spring.
> 
> Jan
> 
> =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
> Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/RideCamp
> =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.    
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/RideCamp   
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=