Department of Theriogenology, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.
Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (Sub-Campus UVAS, Lahore), Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan.
Vet Med Sci. 2024 Sep;10(5):e1582. doi: 10.1002/vms3.1582.
The present study aimed to evaluate and compare the overall and breed-specific seasonal breeding patterns, fertility rates, cyclicity, and follicular dynamics of Arab, Thoroughbred, and Percheron mares under the subtropical conditions of Pakistan.
A retrospective analysis of climatic data and breeding records of eleven breeding studs spanning four years (2020-2023) was made to find out the overall seasonality in the breeding pattern of mares. Fifty mares of each breed (n = 150 in total) were scanned by ultrasonography for a calendar year to find the cyclicity pattern and follicular dynamics (follicular growth rate, size of ovulatory follicle, and days from estrus till ovulation).
The statistical analysis of breeding records demonstrated a clear pattern of seasonal breeding (p< 0.05). The highest monthly foalings were noted in March (247 ± 45.37), and overall breeding activities peaked in Spring season (p< 0.05). Breed-specific results of Arab, Thoroughbred, and Percheron mares revealed that Arab mares maintained stable breeding activity throughout the year, with the highest activity in spring and peak conception rate in winter (56.25% ± 32.78; p > 0.05). Thoroughbred mares experienced significant seasonal declines from spring to winter with a peak conception rate in winter (63.89% ± 27.37, p > 0.05). Percherons showed the most pronounced seasonal effects, especially with a high fall conception rate (73.04% ± 19.61) and a sharp decrease in winter breeding metrics (p< 0.05). Furthermore, Thoroughbred and Percheron mares displayed the most pronounced seasonal effects on the percentage of cyclic mares 77.3% and 56% in winters (p< 0.05). Moreover, the follicular dynamics of the three breeds also exhibited significant differences (p< 0.05).
The current study concludes that seasonal and breed-specific variability exists among the reproductive parameters of Arab, Thoroughbred, and Percheron mares in subtropics, necessitating breed-specific reproductive management measures to maximize mare breeding efficiency.
本研究旨在评估和比较阿拉伯马、纯血马和佩尔什马在巴基斯坦亚热带条件下的整体和品种特异性季节性繁殖模式、受孕率、周期性和卵泡动态。
对跨越四年（2020-2023 年）的 11 个繁殖场的气候数据和繁殖记录进行回顾性分析，以了解母马繁殖模式的整体季节性。对 50 匹母马（每种品种 150 匹）进行了一整年的超声扫描，以发现周期性模式和卵泡动态（卵泡生长率、排卵卵泡大小和发情至排卵的天数）。
繁殖记录的统计分析表明存在明显的季节性繁殖模式（p<0.05）。三月份产驹数量最多（247±45.37），繁殖活动整体在春季达到高峰（p<0.05）。阿拉伯马、纯血马和佩尔什马的品种特异性结果表明，阿拉伯马全年保持稳定的繁殖活动，春季活动最高，冬季受孕率最高（56.25%±32.78；p>0.05）。纯血马从春季到冬季繁殖活动显著下降，冬季受孕率最高（63.89%±27.37，p>0.05）。佩尔什马表现出最明显的季节性效应，尤其是秋季受孕率高（73.04%±19.61），冬季繁殖指标急剧下降（p<0.05）。此外，在冬季，纯血马和佩尔什马的循环母马比例（77.3%和 56%）也表现出最明显的季节性影响（p<0.05）。此外，三种品种的卵泡动态也存在显著差异（p<0.05）。
本研究表明，在亚热带条件下，阿拉伯马、纯血马和佩尔什马的繁殖参数存在季节性和品种特异性差异，需要采取品种特异性繁殖管理措施，以最大限度地提高母马繁殖效率。
