Reproductive performance of Thoroughbred mares in the Waikato region of New Zealand: 1. Descriptive analyses

Abstract

AIM: To describe the reproductive performance of a population of Thoroughbred mares on stud farms in the Waikato region of New Zealand.METHODS: A prospective cohort study was performed involving five stud farms in the Waikato region of New Zealand during three consecutive breeding seasons (2006-2008). A total of 1,482 individual mares contributed 2007 mare years and 3,402 oestrous cycles over the three breeding seasons. Mares were served by 87 individual stallions.RESULTS: The mean first-cycle pregnancy rate (FCPR) was 53.6%, the end-of-season pregnancy rate (SPR) was 85.3% and the foaling rate was 80.2%. There were significant differences amongst farms for FCPR (range 47.3-68.2%; p<0.01), S..