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 Go Canada!
Posts: 2954
   
| I have a maiden mare I'm looking at breeding in 2016 (she would be 9). The stud I'm looking at has a high stud fee so it would be a significant investment. I would be shipping on her (cooled not frozen). Only looking to breed her the once, and in a year I will have the finances and time to do it.
I have heard mixed things about challenges of breeding a maiden mare. Embryo transplant isn't really an option for me at this time, and I don't really want to breed her to a local cheaper stud first as I only want the one foal out of her (for now). Should I get a breeding soundness vet check done on her? Any other advice is appreciated. |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
 
| I have heard maiden are more difficult to get into foal, and in my experience, I have had more difficulty with the maiden.
My judge cash mare before I got her the people tried ai for 3 yrs no luck, I got her tried hand breeding and ai, she was dangerous and we couldn't.
I had to throw her out in a pasture with a local stud for a year, she caught had a nice baby, now she has caught and is awesome to deal with every year.
My dashing cleat mare I tried for the first time last year, she didn't catch, vet said there is no reason why she wouldn't, and she was turned out with the stud for 3 months.
If you are going to spend high dollar on a stud fee, make sure you know the contract, how much per shipment, is a live foal a guarantee, or is it a confirmation in foal, or is it 3 straws and done, before you sign the contract.
Get the best ai vet around |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 495
Location: Washington | We have heard the same about maiden, there is only like a 60 sum % rate, on first time AI, on a proven a broodmare and lowers when they've never been bred. Usually takes more then one try.
We hauled a 13 yr old maiden a couple hours away to a "local" stud, they still AI'd, but stud was on site. Ultrasound, gave her the shot to bring her in, came back AI'd and ultrasound in 14 days and she was in foal and had her checked again at 30. She took first time no issues. Now we had two mares live cover to our stud and had issue after issue. Took one in for ultrasound everything looked great, she should have taken that last cycle, when really she was already two months along. She wouldn't go/stay out of heat.
Bottom line, use a GOOD vet. Two cases above were two different vets. |
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 Expert
Posts: 2258
| A breeding soundness exam never hurts . I honestly have never had any trouble with settling maiden mares, I bred 4 last year all settled first cycle including a 20yr old maiden mare. We are live covering though and have had mares come in who people had tried to AI and couldn't settle them but you live cover once and they take so maybe some get nervous or stress at the clinic. We might try AI this year on a young mare and embryo transfer of her so I guess I will get some experience at that.
Edited by cutnrunqhmt 2014-11-27 10:01 AM
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 Good Grief!
Posts: 6343
Location: Cap'n Joan Rotgut.....alberta | my maiden caught with cooled, first try was a bust as ups lost the shipment but the 2nd shipment was good and i have a very nice firewater finale mare.....my little black mare caught with live cover as did my sorrel mare..so i have had good luck i guess............i have frozen up here to use but im scared to attempt it as vets wont guarantee a thing..........
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1034
| I have an 18 year old maiden in foal for 2015. It took three tries with cooled semen. Her cervix was not as pliable as a multip mare's would have been, so she retained fluid and we had to lavage. The breeding facility fees ended up costing more than the stud fee. But I'd still do it over again. Hopefully she's easier to get into foal next year! I'm only wanting two out of her. |
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 Heeler Hoarder
Posts: 2067
| I have bred 4 maidens without any problems breeding AI or foaling :) I have a VERY good repro vet though |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 428
Location: God's country | We bred a maiden mare last year. Had a very difficult time getting everyone cycling normally, not just her. Once she started cycling we caught on the first try. She ended up being the easiest out of 4 we bred to get pregnant. We did do a culture on her before breeding and ran her on an antibiotic flush. That was it. Good luck! |
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 Best of the Badlands
Location: You never know where I will show up...... | We've sure not had much problem getting them in foal.
A lot of the mares we use as recipient mares for our embryo transfers here at our ranch are maiden mares under the age of 10. And that's even harder to get to work than just simply breeding one with shipped semen.
Edited by rockinas 2014-11-28 7:23 AM
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  The Color Specialist
Posts: 7530
Location: Washington. (The DRY side.) | Sure glad I don't mess with shipped semen! I've bred numerous maiden mares over the years. (Live cover) ALL have gotten in foal first cycle bred including the 2 that were 20yo. I've also foaled out 2 that were only 3 when they had their first foal. So they were 2 when they were bred. (I didn't breed them, I don't breed 2 year olds.) |
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 Expert
Posts: 1591
Location: East Texas | I havent had any problems with my maidens. I bred 4 maiden mares last year. A 4yo, 6yo, 7yo, and a 16 yo. The 4yo and 6yo didnt catch on the first try, but I was breeding to a fairly big name stud, that the didnt tell me about his low quality shipped semen, until after I got the first batch and it was barely viable. They each took on the second shipment. So I assume it was the low quality semen that didnt get them in foal on the first try. I bought a 15yo daughter of Shawne Bug last year, that is a maiden, I had two other daughters and couldnt pass her up for the price, so I am praying that she gives me no problems this year. |
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Expert
Posts: 2685
| This will be my 1st year breeding maidens. Both 10yo. I am feeding them the fertile mare from THE for a month before breeding them. One live cover, one shipped cooled. AI from a very good repro vet that breeds 100s of mares a year and specializes in ET. I am not concerned with the AI mare. A little concerned with the live cover mare. |
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Expert
Posts: 3300
| I've never had a problem |
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Veteran
Posts: 111
| RoaniePonie11 - 2014-11-28 12:18 PM
This will be my 1st year breeding maidens. Both 10yo. I am feeding them the fertile mare from THE for a month before breeding them. One live cover, one shipped cooled. AI from a very good repro vet that breeds 100s of mares a year and specializes in ET. I am not concerned with the AI mare. A little concerned with the live cover mare.
Where do u order THE from? im from Canada and want to see if i can get it shipped here. :) |
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Expert
Posts: 2685
| trulyaroyaljem - 2014-11-28 2:59 PM
RoaniePonie11 - 2014-11-28 12:18 PM
This will be my 1st year breeding maidens. Both 10yo. I am feeding them the fertile mare from THE for a month before breeding them. One live cover, one shipped cooled. AI from a very good repro vet that breeds 100s of mares a year and specializes in ET. I am not concerned with the AI mare. A little concerned with the live cover mare.
Where do u order THE from? im from Canada and want to see if i can get it shipped here. : )
I think her name on here is Wyomming Barrel Racer. I believe she has shipped to canada in the past. On Facebook, Krystal Peterson. She is awesome. The has the Black Friday THE thread on here right now. |
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| It took 2 tries to get my maiden mare to take. She is 10. |
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boon
Posts: 4
| If nothing else get her cultured! Make sure you pick a fertile stallion that ships well and make sure your veterinarian is well versed in AIing horses! All mares were maidens once so as long as she's clean and you pick a good fertile stallion and your vet knows what they are doing you should be fine. Good luck :) |
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Expert
Posts: 3300
| It's like saying you can't get knocked up your first time. A little silly right lol |
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 More bootie than waist!
Posts: 18425
Location: Riding Crackhead. | I bred my mare once she was retired at the age of 15. I had her cultured a month or so before breeding. Bred AI via cooled and she took the first time. If your mare is healthy and been vet checked I don't see what the problem is. |
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 You get what you give
Posts: 13030
Location: Texas | I haven't had any problems getting mares in foal because they were maiden, but I have had problems getting mares in foal who were dirty. Maiden or not, I would culture her before you start (try to culture her when she's coming into heat) so you can clean her up before you try and AI. The culture will save you a ton of money in the long run. |
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 Neat Freak
Posts: 11216
Location: Wonderful Wyoming | I haven't had any issues breeding maidens, they were all live cover however. It's the older maidens-15+ that can be a little harder per my repro vet. But a good vet usually knows all the tricks and can get it done.
And yes I distribute THE and can ship to Canada if there is something you need. |
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Go Canada!
Posts: 2954
| Thanks for all the replies - feeling a lot more optimistic about it now.  |
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Challenges of Maiden Mares