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Reproductive characteristics of foal heat in female donkeys

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 August 2016

A. Carluccio ,
A. Gloria ,
D. Robbe ,
M. C. Veronesi ,
I. De Amicis ,
F. Cairoli  and
A. Contri
A. Carluccio
Affiliation:
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo, Località Piano d’Accio, 64100 Teramo, Italy
A. Gloria
Affiliation:
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo, Località Piano d’Accio, 64100 Teramo, Italy
D. Robbe
Affiliation:
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo, Località Piano d’Accio, 64100 Teramo, Italy
M. C. Veronesi
Affiliation:
Department of Health, Animal Science and Food Safety, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via G. Celoria, 10, 21033 Milan, Italy
I. De Amicis
Affiliation:
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo, Località Piano d’Accio, 64100 Teramo, Italy
F. Cairoli
Affiliation:
Department of Health, Animal Science and Food Safety, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via G. Celoria, 10, 21033 Milan, Italy
A. Contri*
Affiliation:
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Teramo, Località Piano d’Accio, 64100 Teramo, Italy
*
†E-mail: acontri@unite.it
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Abstract

In this study, the first postpartum heat, termed the foal heat, characteristics and performance in female donkey (jenny) of Martina Franca are described. To this end, the follicular development of 42 jennies during foal heat was compared with that of 31 jennies at the third estrus after foaling. Estrus length (7.1±0.9 and 6.8±0.7 days), follicular development and preovulatory follicle size (43.7±3.5 and 45.1±2.5 mm) were similar between jennies during the foal heat and during the third estrus after foaling. The pregnancy rate at day 14 was significantly lower in the foal heat jennies (57.1%) than the third estrus jennies (82.3%). However, the pregnancy rate at day 14 in foal heat jennies increased significantly when the onset of foal heat was ⩾8 days after foaling (93.8%) or when the ovulation happened ⩾12 days after foaling (85.7%). The data provided in the present study suggest that the foal heat in the endangered jennies of Martina Franca could be successfully utilized to reduce the interpartum period if the onset of foal heat occurs >8 days after foaling.

Keywords

donkeyfoal heatbreedingpregnancy rate
Type
Research Article
Information
animal , Volume 11 , Issue 3 , March 2017 , pp. 461 - 465
Copyright
© The Animal Consortium 2016 

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