Reproduction and foaling
Dr. Bo Weeks and Linda Weeks both offer a wealth of experience in equine reproduction: Dr. Weeks, as an equine veterinarian with a strong focus on reproduction, Linda Weeks, with a Master of Science degree in Equine Reproductive Physiology and many years of breeding farm management. Rocky Bay Equine is a full-service equine reproduction facility, we cover all of your breeding needs. From reproductive evaluations to embryo transfer, stallion management and semen collection and mare foal-out services, rest assured that your horses will receive the best care from our knowledgeable staff. Read on for more information about each service area.
Comprehensive Mare Breeding Service
The objective of this service is to provide horse owners with the most current technology available for their mares. This overview includes some of the mare breeding services offered, contact us for more more details and fees.
Mare breeding services include; breeding with live-cover, artificial insemination (AI) with fresh semen, with shipped-cooled semen, or with frozen-thawed semen, as well as embryo transfer. Mare breeding services are provided for outpatients or mares may be stabled in our boarding facility. Most services are charged on a per-procedure basis.
In order to determine the optimal time for breeding, mares in heat are examined with transrectal palpation and ultrsonography as frequently as necessary based on the method of breeding. Mares being bred with natural cover or AI with fresh semen are generally examined every other day while they are in heat. Mares being bred with shipped-cooled semen are generally examined on a daily basis while they are in heat. Mares being bred with frozen-thawed semen are generally examined on a daily basis when early in heat, and then four to six times daily when a pre-ovulatory follicle develops. After breeding, mares are examined for pregnancy 14 to 16 days post ovulation. Routine hormone treatments are administered as necessary to bring mares into heat ( ie., prostaglandin) and to hasten ovulation (ie., hCG or Deslorelin). In addition, uterine treatments (ie., antibiotic therapy and/or uterine lavage) are performed as necessary based on ultrasound exam or other diagnostic technique (ie., uterine culture).
Mare Breeding Package
Rocky Bay Equine Veterinary Clinic is pleased to offer a money and time saving program for breeding your mares. This package allows us to follow your mare closely through her heat period, providing optimal timing of insemination and uterine treatments.
The Mare Breeding Package Includes:
Board at the clinic (up to 7 days): stalls, paddocks with shelter and pastures are available.
Ultrasound examinations: daily, or as often as needed, to determine follicle progression and optimal timing of insemination
Ordering of semen to be shipped from the stud farm
Artificial Insemination: as needed.
Additional services are available (at additional cost) including; hormone treatments (hCG, Oxytocin, etc.), uterine therapy (lavage, antibiotics, etc.), sedation, board beyond initial 7 days.
Foaling Service
The staff of equine professionals at Rocky Bay Equine Clinic will foal out your pregnant mare and provide routine care for the newborn foal.
Foaling Services Include:
24-hour monitoring
Large (24 ft X 12 ft ) foaling stall with video and audio surveillance
Veterinarian on call for each foaling
Umbilical cord care (navel dipped with Nolvasan solution 3-4 times)
Enema administered to foal to decrease risk of meconium impaction
Mare dewormed after foaling to limit parasite infestation of foal
Newborn foal and postpartum mare examinations by veterinarian
Additional services are available (at additional cost):
Antibody level in foal’s blood measured at 18-24 hours of age
Supplemental colostrum or colostrum substitutes (if needed)
Veterinary services for non-routine events (ie.dystocia, retained placenta, neonatal disorders)
Foal heat breeding services for mare.
Stallion Services
Rocky Bay Equine's experienced stallion managers offer a full range of stallion services.
We are available to assist with training stallions for live cover breeding or to mount the phantom for semen collection using the artificial vagina (AV).
Semen Evaluation is performed immediately following collection, the semen is then processed for fresh use or cooled for shipping. Evaluation includes determination of: gel-free volume, percent progressive motility, sperm concentration, morphology, extending, cooling & evaluation at 24, 48, and 72 hours.
Semen Processing includes sperm concentration and progressive motility determination, mixing the appropriate volume of raw semen with semen extender, and packaging this into the semen shipping container (provided by the stallion owner or available from us.)
Shipped semen is generally transported to the mare owner via Federal Express, which arrangements we can take care of (fees billed to the mare owner.) If semen is shipped for same-day or weekend delivery using commercial airlines (counter-to-counter), the stallion or mare owner is responsible for transport to/from airport, or for paying RBE staff a fee to transport to/from airport.