( 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