( Continued from page 36)
6.5 % reported that they didn’ t get any of their
mares in foal The remaining 25 % reported variable results
Percentage of mares with colts that got in foal: 14 % reported that they got all their mares with
colts in foal again 5 % reported that they got three out of four mares with colts in foal again 16 % reported that they got one-half of their mares with colts in foal again 31 % reported that they failed to get mares with colts in foal again The remaining 34 % reported variable results
Number of times each mare was bred that is not in foal: 25 % reported their mares bred only one time 23 % reported their mares bred an average of two times 20 % reported their mares bred an average of three times 8 % reported their mares bred an average of six or more times The remaining 24 % reported variable results
Average amount spent on mares not in foal: 33 % reported an expenditure of approximately $ 100 10.5 % reported an expenditure of approximately
$ 200 12.5 % reported an expenditure of approximately
$ 300
13 % reported an expenditure of approximately $ 500 The remaining 31 % reported figures varying from $ 50 to $ 750
Percentage of colts that lived to be at least a yearling: 39.2 % reported that they had never lost a colt 8.5 % reported that they had lost one in ten colts 10.7 % reported that they had lost one in four colts 10.7 % reported that they had lost one-half of their colts
1.0 % reported that they had lost all of their colts The remaining 29.9 % reported variable results
Should stallion owner receive part or all of stud fee L mare does not get in foal?
YES- 47.6 % NO- 52.4 %
Should stallion owner guarantee a live foal? YES— 71.4 % NO— 28.6 %
Were your mares well cared for at the stallion station *: YES- 76.5 % NO- 23.5 %
Which is more important in producing colt- the stallion or the mare?
42.1 % believe the colt is 50 % DAM and 50 % SIRE 26.4 % believe the colt is 60 % DAM and 40 % SIRE 31.5 % vary in opinions ranging from 85 % DAM— 15 % SIRE to 80 % SIRE-20 % DAM
The first thing looked for in a breeding stallion is: Conformation and quality of individual... 49 2 % Breeding and natural ability................ 40 0 % Show ring record, production, ability of......... / 0
get, color, size, reputation of stud, honesty of owner.........................’ 10 8 %
Should a limit be set on the number of colts retrisf^r^ to a stallion in a single season? registered
YES— 55 % NO— 45 %
70
Would you favor a rule that all colts should be tattooed with their registration number?
YES-74.8 % NO-25.2 %
SURVEY SUMMARY— Overall results indicate that we are getting about sixty mares in foal for every one hundred mares bred. Small breeding operations have a much higher percentage of conception than do large breeding operations. Natural breeding produces a higher percentage of mares in foal than artificial breeding, and pasture breeding produces the highest results of any method.
Results also indicate that we are getting only about forty live colts for every one hundred mares bred. This is perhaps comparable to national averages but somewhat lower than some breeds, such as Thoroughbreds. No specific results were obtained as to the number of times the average mare was bred that did not get in foal. The national average regarding money spent on each mare that did not get in foal was about $ 100. This indicates that there are more mares being bred to lesser stallions with low stud fees than there are being bred to top stallions with high stud fees. The opinion in the business regarding payment of stud fees is about equal( Yes and No). It appears that most mare owners do not mind paying one-half of the fee when the mare is bred and the remainder when the mare is pronounced in foal, provided they can get return privileges if their mare aborts. All they want is a live colt, and they do not expect the stallion owner to assume complete responsibility for producing the colt. At least three-fourths of the mare owners would like to be assured of a " live foal” and would be more willing to pay the stud fee and for the care of the mare if it were guaranteed.
Most mare owners believe that the DAM is dominant in the quality of the colt and most stallion owners believe that the SIRE is dominant. It looks as if our opinions are geared to our own specific interests.
Almost half of our breeders state that " conformation and quality of the individual” is the first thing that they look for in selecting a stallion. We would like to believe this, but feel that their opinions as to what constitutes " conformation and quality” is geared somewhat to their own stock. Strength is added to this by the comment of one person who said, " We need to geld more stallions. Other people’ s, of course.” Reading between the lines of many comments, we believe that people put a lot more emphasis on the name” of the stallion and where he is standing than they are willing to admit.
The opinion regarding setting a limit on the number of colts that could be registered to a given stallion is divided about 50-50, pro and con. Some interesting
comments on this projected the idea that our better colts by top stallions would be worth a lot more money if the supply were limited. Others stated that to limit the number of colts by a top stallion would be thinning down the blood that has made this breed
great. Two interesting and opposing theories. comments regarding the prospect of tattooing colts ton the inner lower lip as they do in the Thoroughbred Dusiness) were interesting. About three-fourts indicate tnat they feel it would be a good idea. They tempered
comJTients > however, by indicating that it wo Rro. i 10 J3 ® a standard procedure sanctioned by t Breeders Association.
Voice of the Tennessee Walking Horse