| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Rach1 |
Posted - 29 Apr 2010 : 10:00:30 PM
Any one got any ideas how to even the balance?! |
| 21 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Rach1 |
Posted - 30 Apr 2010 : 10:45:04 PM
Hi all, I should have been a bit more specific the foals are from a variety of mares over a few years using different stallions. The only connection is me. Thank you soo much for your suggestions - ball warmers? you wanna come and measure them up!!!!! I'm sure Harry would lurve that, I will get my mum to knit some and post a picture. Actually he has very warm testicles! (not taking the p. I'm honestly very gratefull for any input thank you.) I will try the cider apple vinegar thing as i had heard it some where before, but you know how it is - i just thought it was a load of old tosh - not so. I'm actually not really that bothered what sex the babies are. Any YES why cant we sex horse sperm? |
| Tahir |
Posted - 30 Apr 2010 : 9:56:43 PM
That is a very good question Littlearabians. Apparently even though you can purchased frozen 'sexed' semen for cattle, it is not 100% accurate. Maybe nobody is brave enough to offer this for horses. Imagine the possible law suits if a breeder received the wrong gender  |
| littlearabians |
Posted - 30 Apr 2010 : 7:36:52 PM
 Tahir you did make me laugh
Apple Cider Vinegar, ball warmers and perfect timing - Yee ha!!!!
have often wondered why the people that does frozen AI don't use sex selected sperm like one does with cattle? |
| Tahir |
Posted - 30 Apr 2010 : 4:56:26 PM
Was just about to add something along those lines Weirton - better to have a healthy foal than no foal at all
Although apparently you can 'adjust' the ph balance in a mare by adding Apple Cider Vinegar to their feed 3 months before covering which should give a better chance of breeding a filly. I haven't really tried this theory out yet (watch this space), but I have it on good authority that it works. Obviously the stallion and mare's genetics play a major role in the gender of the foal, but possibly the condition of their grazing/forage plays a part too - I dunno, am yet to be scientifically educated  - every day is a learning day!!!
It certainly puts breeding a foal into a new perspective, just think about it...... Apple Cider Vinegar, ball warmers and perfect timing - Yee ha!!!!, and that's without considering that the stallion should perfectly compliment the mare conformationally and temperament wise |
| weirton |
Posted - 30 Apr 2010 : 4:11:49 PM
I'm with Tahir on this one.Male sperm are faster but die quicker and the female sperm last longer.
Our old boy's semen lasted well over five days so we always covered our own mares on day one, or as soon as they would stand and with many years of covering we only had two colts (from a contrary TB mare). Needless to say we didn't risk this on other people's mares, better a foal rather than a bill and no foal. |
| Montikka |
Posted - 30 Apr 2010 : 3:55:22 PM
Yep littlearabians, it's the male that determines the sex of the offspring - didn't Henry VIII have a bl**dy cheek!! |
| littlearabians |
Posted - 30 Apr 2010 : 3:39:39 PM
honey.... maybe... I don't know if any studies has been made about mares fluids killing certain chromosomes... but would be very interesting.
however what I said above has been studied for years and years, and its a fact in all kinds on animals (even humans). |
| sub |
Posted - 30 Apr 2010 : 3:37:37 PM
Hi Rach,
While it's true that sperm carries the gene for gender (X or Y), you can do a few things to hedge your bets.
Warmer balls for girls - colder for boys!! Works for humans 
Get knitting - Harry will look fab sporting some ball warmers!
I did find (with AI anyway) that the closer to ovulation the mare was, the more likely they ended up with a colt.
Y goes faster, but X last longer, so try covering earlier to get the fillies.
Our mare covered naturally both times had one of each so can't say it works either way there - but her filly was the only for the stallion that year, the other 7 foals were colts (obviously!) and the sire of her colt had a pretty even mix, and still does. |
| honey |
Posted - 30 Apr 2010 : 3:15:22 PM
well its all interesting. My stallion has covered several mares, honey who has had three foals and produced three fillies, two to ros. Then another mare that has previously had 6 foals and all colts, she aborted a foal to ros and it was indeed a colt. another mare thats only ever produced fillies she agaain had a fily to ros. and then gizzy whose very stallion like in her behaviour, she was carrying twins and she had a filly and a colt. so im not sure if its all the stallion, maybe the mares bodily fluid has something to do with it too, maybe it reacts with the sperm and kills off one type of chromosone more than the other, why some mares are predominately colt of fillies. Maybe im just waffling on but who knows, i always say when your breeding for a pacific sex, colour, ect buy what you want, then your sure to get what your after lol. But again its the thrills of breeding waiting on that bundle of surprise to be born. |
| alethea |
Posted - 30 Apr 2010 : 1:53:57 PM
I am yet to have a filly, even though i asked very nicely for one! lol.
Hopefully next time
Alethea
Aristotle Arabians |
| littlearabians |
Posted - 30 Apr 2010 : 1:39:57 PM
its got NOTHING to do with your mares time of ovulation... its the stallions sperm that decides... a mare only passes on the female gene... it is the sex gene of the sperm that reaches the egg that decides the sex of the foal... is this a female, you will have a filly, is this a male you will have a colt.
but Tahir has got it right... tests has shown that male sperm swims faster then female... but the female lives longer.
don't blame your mares for only producing boys... its the stallions fault |
| carole ferguson |
Posted - 30 Apr 2010 : 1:05:11 PM
My Asti was about three weeks early - as was her full sister. Ishtar went to stud on 4th May 1987- produced Astarte on 24th March 1988- then went to stud early July the following year - Tallahassee born 12th May 1989 - Then again a neighbour's part-bred arab mare went 366 days and produced a colt. No hard and fast rules for anything. |
| pathannay |
Posted - 30 Apr 2010 : 12:31:39 PM
God knows what my secret for eleven fillies out of five different mares was - but its been broken now!!! all I hope is that this colt is not the first of a run of eleven colts!!!!!!! |
| s.jade |
Posted - 30 Apr 2010 : 11:52:47 AM
The knack is to tell the stallion what you want before he covers your mare
My Nazika had nearly all colts, but when we put her to my El Rashid 5yrs ago I begged him for a black filly, and guess what, he obliged! Same with last years, asked him nicely for a bay filly.... voila!
I'm sure it works....  |
| nn |
Posted - 30 Apr 2010 : 10:33:33 AM
I was told that if your mare ovulates early then its a colt, late and its a filly.
Arabella ovulates quickly and i have still have three filly and only one colt.
Ranger has only produced one colt so far. 
Nicky
www.romarnicstud.co.uk
See us on facebook |
| Tahir |
Posted - 30 Apr 2010 : 10:31:19 AM
Apparently if you cover well before ovulation you will get a filly, if you cover close to ovulation you will have a colt, because the colt sperm swim faster and reach the egg and then die off within 24hrs - the female sperm are slower swimmers but can last up to 36hrs.
We tried this with a mare that had a run of colts - 3 day seasons and only receptive on day 2 - we covered her in the morning, she had a filly when we'd previously been covering her in the evening!!!
Food for thought
|
| Cate |
Posted - 30 Apr 2010 : 10:20:49 AM
Someone somewhere also noted if they covered on the third or fourth day they always got filles.
The mare in my photo never produced a filly, 4 colts and the ones she aborted I think were colts also! She had a very stallion like attitude, and a very deep strong neigh. Not sure that has anything to do with it, but even the whisperer noted how stallion like she was. |
| SueB |
Posted - 30 Apr 2010 : 10:04:06 AM
They say cover your mare early in the morning to get fillies as she is more alkaline?? or is acidic? We tried Early mornings but our chap is too tired and can only just about get up let alone cover a mare
In the end we gave up and notice our ratio of fillies to colts is now even. If some stallions sire mainly colts you can bet the next year they will be mostly fillies!!
My own theory is our rainfall. If you receive acid rain you get more of one sex. (I can't remember which!) |
| Pasha |
Posted - 30 Apr 2010 : 10:00:09 AM
Lol! Must be something in your water |
| RiffRaff |
Posted - 30 Apr 2010 : 09:50:23 AM
Send your mare to Pat Hannay she has the opposite ratio (or there abouts!)
There was also a rule about carrots and apples one gives fillies and one gives colts cant remember which way round it was will have to check with my other half as he always comments when im feeding my horses with these! |
| Anne C |
Posted - 29 Apr 2010 : 10:28:16 PM
Apple cider vinegar!! Secret weapn to get fillies!!
Edited for spelling! |
