Effects of Age and Sex of The Foal on The Gestation Length of Thoroughbred Mares
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of age and sex of the foal on the gestation length of thoroughbred mares. The study covered six stallions (of average age of 10.25 years) and 34 mares (of average age of 10.51 years) with descent records (pedigree), English Thoroughbred horses raised and actively used for breeding at a study farm called Ljubičevo, located in Serbia. The following average morphological body measures were established: body weight (473.10 kg), withers height (159.55 cm), body length (160.54 cm), chest circumference (188.00 cm), and tibia circumference (19.21 cm) were found to be within the scope of standard measures for this breed and particular ages e.g. 9 to 15. The average gestation length, regardless of the sex of the foal, was 336.57 days. The gestation of mares carrying male foals was somewhat longer (337.70 days) than of mares carrying female foals (335.80 days). The difference (1.90 days) in gestation length was not statistically significant (P>0.05). A weak positive correlation (rp=0.321) was observed between the age of the mare and the gestation length (regardless of foal sex). Additionally, a medium correlation (rp=0.444) was observed between the mare's age and the gestation length in the case of male foals, and a very weak correlation (rp=0.210) in the case of female foals.
Keywords
References
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Details
Primary Language
English
Subjects
Agricultural, Veterinary and Food Sciences
Journal Section
Research Article
Authors
Milena Milojevic
0000-0001-6997-1532
Serbia
Mitrovic Streten
0000-0002-1453-5626
Serbia
Tugay Ayaşan
*
0000-0001-7397-6483
Türkiye
Tatjana Zdralic
0000-0001-6737-5155
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Vladan Djermanovic
0000-0001-6748-5442
Serbia
Publication Date
October 31, 2020
Submission Date
February 22, 2020
Acceptance Date
April 17, 2020
Published in Issue
Year 1970 Volume: 23 Number: 5
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