Non-surgical embryo collection in the mare and subsequent fertility of donor animals.
Observations were made on 14 mares which were non-surgically flushed on one or more occasions for recovery of embryos on Days 7-9 after ovulation. Flushing alone shortened the oestrous cycle by about 2.7 days but increased the number of mares failing to ovulate. Flushing followed by an injection of a prostaglandin analogue shortened the cycle by about 4.5 days and hence increased the frequency of ovulations. From a total of 70 flushings performed, 27 embryos were recovered and of 12 mares inseminated during the first oestrus after embryo collection, 6 conceived and foaled. The other 7 mares were used again as donors during the next seasons. They underwent a total of 21 non-surgical embryo collections and yielded 15 embryos. It is concluded that non-surgical embryo recovery and transfer provides a practical means of increasing the fecundity of valuable donor mares without depressing their fertility.
D000818:Animals; D004624:Embryo Transfer / Q000379:methods*; D004971:Estrus / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility; D006736:Horses / Q000502:physiology*; D010060:Ovulation / Q000187:drug effects; D011247:Pregnancy; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood; D011465:Prostaglandins, Synthetic / Q000494:pharmacology
D011465:Prostaglandins, Synthetic; D011374:Progesterone