If your mare double ovulates, it increases the chance for an embryo.
OR
Single/double ovulation doesn’t make a difference in getting an embryo. You’ll either get an embryo (or two) or you won’t get anything.
I was planning on using the not so good semen only if the mare had more than one follicle. Vet said it didn’t make a difference, if the semen was good you’d either get an embryo or not. So his suggestion is to use the better semen on the double ovulations and then flush and use the bad semen on the single ovulations and then leave it.
I was thinking about using the “bad” semen on the double ovulations only and leaving it/them and the better semen on the single ovulations.
Well, here’s some interesting research and information on single/double and multiple ovulations that will hopefully help you to decide ;):
◊ Triple ovulations are naturally seen at a rate of 0.6 to 1.4%;
◊ Quadruple ovulations are naturally seen at a rate of 1 in 2050 (0.05%);
◊ Multiple ovulations tend to result in a smaller follicular size at the time of ovulation;
◊ 50% or more ovulations are asynchrous (not same day);
• Pregnancies have been observed with ovulations as far as 6 days apart on a single breeding.
◊ Older mares will tend to have a higher incidence of double ovulation;
◊ Incidence of multiple ovulation is lower earlier in the breeding season (Davies Morel MCG, Newcombe JR: (2008) The efficacy of different hCG dose rates and the effect of hCG treatment on ovarian activity: Ovulation, multiple ovulation, pregnancy, multiple pregnancy, synchrony of multiple ovulation in the mare; Animal Repro Sci 109:1-4;189-199)
◊ As double-ovulating mares tend to be repeat “offenders”, not breeding on an impending double ovulation will not necessarily preclude the occurrence from occurring on the next estrus;
◊ It is recommended that one breed and then closely monitor by ultrasound for a twin pregnancy, dealing with it as required if one is identified;
◊ Not breeding will guarantee 0% conception, compared with only the chance of complete pregnancy loss if a singleton twin pregnancy reduction is attempted;
◊ In one piece of research (Allen W.R. (2003). 29th Asian Racing Conference) it was shown that in single-ovulation mares 58% conceived, while double-ovulation mares had an 86% chance of conceiving overall, be that a singleton or twins.
• If this is coupled with a recorded 97% success rate in twin to singleton reduction it makes double ovulating mares more fertile at an 83% singleton pregnancy rate, and therefore more desirable in the broodmare band!
◊ It appears that the incidence of double ovulations in mares is increasing.
• In 1987 only 3.2% of successful matings of Thoroughbreds in the UK resulted in twin embryos. By 1998 the figure had risen to 8.4%. And by 2003 the twin conception rate reached 11%. (Allen W.R. Thoroughbred Breeding and Racing Seminar. Cheltenham. UK. Nov. 2005)
o Is this a reflection of more routine use of better quality ultrasonographic evaluations?
I was planning on using the not so good semen only if the mare had more than one follicle. Vet said it didn’t make a difference, if the semen was good you’d either get an embryo or not.
Well now you have research that indicates otherwise! It “does” make a difference!
I was thinking about using the “bad” semen on the double ovulations only and leaving it/them and the better semen on the single ovulations.
I’d do everything in MY power to attempt to get mares to double ovulate EVERY time I breed if I could ;). I LOVE it when I see a mare ovulate on multiple follicles. Indeed, one of the mares that we have left to foal triple ovulated AND conceived on all three ovulations last year. I would much rather have to reduce than have nothing at all to work with!
I recall one of the vets I was using early in my breeding “career” declined to inseminate the chilled semen that was sitting in his office (I had already paid to have collected and shipped, obviously), because my mare was going to drop 2 follicles.
I could have killed him!!! And people ask why I finally learned to do most of this myself…:mad:
And this may explain why so many twins go undetected even when the mare is checked several time.
I never check my mares any earlier than Day 16 or 17 post ovulation, but I can see it really is important to check them again within 3-6 days.
Oh – and the mare who I mentioned – she later went on to conceive TRIPLETS from ONE dose of frozen semen (Wolkenstein II if anyone is interested ;)), even though the vet only saw one follicle. Twins were seen at Day 16 or 17 post ovulation, then the vet check 3 days later to see if they were reducing on their own and found embryo #3!!
We hope ours ovulate two, like Kathy said! Our vet is extremely fantastic at pinching twins, so we’d much rather have two than none.
I agree that you need to check multiple times when you know there are multiple follicles. In 2009 we had a mare abort twins in January, when we had checked her conscientiously at 14, 28 and 45 days and never saw twins. The next time we bred, she double ovulated, so we checked at day 14 and saw one. Checked day 16 and there were then two! One of course smaller… so that must have been how the first set got missed. That happened again this year as well, checked at 14 and there was one and at 17 there were two, and we successfully reduced. Good luck!!
[QUOTE=back in the saddle;5691053]
“Bad” semen stallion in question is Hohenstein so I really want to stack the deck in my favor as much as posssible.[/QUOTE]
Our vet is extremely fantastic at pinching twins, so we’d much rather have two than none.