The pattern of breeding and management within the New Zealand Thoroughbred breeding industry 2005-2015. (II) The mare population

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dc.citation.issue1
dc.citation.volume64
dc.contributor.authorChin YY
dc.contributor.authorRogers CW
dc.contributor.authorGee EK
dc.contributor.authorStafford KJ
dc.contributor.authorCameron EZ
dc.date.accessioned2024-01-25T00:21:18Z
dc.date.accessioned2024-07-25T06:36:39Z
dc.date.available2022-05-05
dc.date.available2024-01-25T00:21:18Z
dc.date.available2024-07-25T06:36:39Z
dc.date.issued2024-01
dc.description.abstractContext: The New Zealand Thoroughbred breeding industry is heavily focused on producing horses for the export market and there has been a reduction in the number of horses racing in the past 20 years. The impact of these production constraints, and changes in production focus, have not been described at a national herd level. Aim: To describe the breeding management, reproductive performance, and careers of the New Zealand Thoroughbred broodmare herd during the 2005/06-2015/16 breeding seasons. Methods: The demographics, population structure, reproductive efficiency, breeding management and career descriptors of Thoroughbred mares were examined using descriptive analysis. Gestation length was modelled using a linear mixed effects model. The impact of different variables on breeding career were quantified by calculating odds ratio. Results: There was a consistent reduction in the size of the national broodmare herd over the 10 years investigated. Half of the mares not retained for breeding were mares that were breed to low-cost stallions. Despite a short (∼100 days) commercial breeding season few (20%) mares were mated early in the season (September), with most mating (70%) occurring between October and November. The 27 days mean foaling to conception interval (FCI) suggests that FCI was artificially shortened and most pregnancy was achieved within first oestrus cycle post-partum. Mare career length and lifetime productivity was positively associated with the stud fee of the first stallion that the mare was mated to and number of foals registered for racing. Conclusion: Mare replacement and loss within the national herd was disproportionately associated with mares that were producing foals for a contracting domestic racing market. There was a constricted breeding season with most mares being mated within the first oestrous cycle post-partum. Mare retention and breeding success were positively associated with the service fee of the sire and progeny that had raced, reflecting the commercial pressure of the industry on mare management. Implication: The changes in the broodmare herd and management reflects the increasing proportion of the industry focusing on breeding foals that will appeal to the export market. The economic drivers for early born foals provide management challenges as these are not aligned with the optimal reproductive season of the horse.
dc.description.confidentialfalse
dc.edition.edition2024
dc.identifier.citationChin YY, Rogers CW, Gee EK, Stafford KJ, Cameron EZ. (2022). The pattern of breeding and management within the New Zealand Thoroughbred breeding industry 2005-2015. (II) The mare population. Animal Production Science. 64. 1.
dc.identifier.doi10.1071/AN21534
dc.identifier.eissn1836-5787
dc.identifier.elements-typejournal-article
dc.identifier.issn1836-0939
dc.identifier.numberAN21534
dc.identifier.urihttps://mro.massey.ac.nz/handle/10179/70531
dc.languageEnglish
dc.publisherCSIRO Publishing
dc.publisher.urihttps://www.publish.csiro.au/AN/AN21534
dc.relation.isPartOfAnimal Production Science
dc.rights(c) 2024 The Author/s
dc.rightsCC BY 4.0
dc.rights.urihttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.subjectagribusiness
dc.subjectanimal production
dc.subjectbreeding
dc.subjecteconomics
dc.subjectequine
dc.subjectfarm management
dc.subjecthorses
dc.subjectpopulation dynamics
dc.titleThe pattern of breeding and management within the New Zealand Thoroughbred breeding industry 2005-2015. (II) The mare population
dc.typeJournal article
pubs.elements-id453396
pubs.organisational-groupOther
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