Alarm Bells Sound as Broodmare Fertility Falls

“Stud Masters should know their fertility figures for comparison” said Dr Kevin J Doyle MVB, “as Stud Book figures show fertility our broodmares have decreased as low as 59%.”

With the Australian Stud Book releasing statistics on 1 January 2025, it states the Returns for Live Foal Born in 2023 were 11,481, a drop to 59% on the on the Live Foals per Coverings.

In 2019 the Returns for Live Foal Born was 13,704 with a 64% Live Foals per Covering, while in 2020 it was 12,854 foals at 65%, 2021 as 12,823 foals at 65%, and 2022 as 13,057 foals at 64%.

“The only major change in broodmare management over this period is the exceptional prophylactic use, or more likely mis-use of Antibiotics and Altrenogest, AB’s and ALGT, and no significant infectious agents or caterpillar involvement have been reported.”

“Between January and June, 55 to 270 days after ovulation, is a faultless time to perform Foetal Sex Determination, and the perfect time for High-Risk Pregnancy Evaluation beyond doubt.”

“If a mare has problems that suggest she is high-risk, then this is the appropriate time to deal with her problem and provide maximum opportunity to carry a normal foal for the full term.”

“Ultrasonography is the common and reliable method of High-Risk Mare evaluation for Placentitis, along with monthly SAA blood test and uterus and placenta thickness measurement.”

“Mares diagnosed with Placentitis must have a post mortem of the placenta after she foals or aborts to confirm that the diagnosis was correct.”

“Foals of high-risk mares, correctly diagnosed with a Placentitis, generally have poor high quality colostrum, and their foals require high quality supplement within 12 hours of birth.”

“If performed immediately after birth to evaluate SAA, most foals born with Placentitis are compromised, and respond well to strict protocol which eliminates foal intensive care.”

“Foetal Sex Determination and High-Risk Evaluation, inclusive of scan and Serum Amyloid A, SAA, blood test, is a total cost of $350, followed by monthly SAA Blood Test and Ultrasounds.”

“Examinations to measure and record the CTUP is at 180, 210, 240, 270 and 300 days with the 5 minute scan costing $200 per test for a total cost for 6 examinations not to exceed $1,500.”

“This careful monitoring maximises the mare’s chances of a successful outcome, and if, or when, an abnormality is encountered a basic fee may have to be increased, while testing can be incorporated with other routine procedures with 30-plus mares in a day.”

Now in 57-years of Equine Practice at Scone in the Hunter Valler, Dr Doyle experienced that pregnancy losses in a large number of mares that he has Foetal Sex Determined between 55-270 days of pregnancy is less than 2% per annum over the past 25 years.”

“98% of mares I scanned for foetal sex produced a normal live foal at term, all had normal pregnancies with a normal CTUP measurement of the normal 5mm to 17.5mm thickness.”

“Mares with Placentitis have a CTUP that is less than 17.5mm in thickness and an elevated SAA, while a normal SAA and a normal CTUP mare do not require empirical use of AB’s and ALGT.”

“Accurate and early detection is vital for effective treatment to produce a favourable outcome, namely, to prevent abortion and delay premature labour – AB’s, ALGT and Anti-inflammatories are the optimal treatment if there is an elevated SAA and increase CTUP for these mares.”