Environmental factors affecting fertility traits of Thoroughbred and Halfbred horses reared in Turkey

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate environmental factors affecting fertility traits of Thoroughbred and Halfbred mares raised at a stud farm in Bursa between 1985 and 2000. The factor that showed the greatest influence over the fertility traits was the breeding month of mares. The effect of breeding month on first servicing period~ service period and foaling interval was statistically significant. The effect of sex of foal on gestation length was statistically significant. The least square means of gestation length, first servicing period, and foaling interval were 337.6 days, 62.9 days, 81.7 days, 413 days for Thoroughbred; 333.4 days, 51.3 days, 70.3 days and 400 days for Halfbred, respectively. Ratios of pregnancy, sterility, parturition and abortion were 67.07, 31.14,52.10 and 14.97% for Thoroughbred, 71.34,27.07, 56.69 and 14.65% for Haltbred, respectively. It can be concluded that reproductive performance of Haltbred and Thoroughbred horses are low in this stud farm. Better performance levels can be obtained by culling old and infertile mares and better management.