Colts or Fillies – 60 Day Sex Scans…….

Knowing the gender of a foal before it is born will help us manage several different aspects of our breeding program. In particular, we would like two non-characteristic (NC negative for the LP (Leopard Complex gene)) fillies to continue our breeding programme.

NC fillies will be perfect for our recent imported Stallion DFR Patahas Redheart (Blu) who is homozygous (LP/LP) for the Leopard Complex gene. Thus giving us a characteristic foal (LP/lp) 100% of the time with the advantage of his pedigree and statue.

The mares had their 60 day scans…..

Peyres Catori Cat (Catori) has been inseminated with Kiss My Finest Heart’s (Heart) semen.

Catori and Heart are both LP/lp for the Leopard Complex gene, therefore we have 50% chance of a characteristic foal (LP/lp), 25% chance of few spot or snow cap foal (LP/LP) and 25% chance of a non-characteristic (lp/lp).

Princess Pascale (PP) has been inseminated with Hevans EV Catorrius’s (Reus) semen.

PP is LP/lp and Reus is lp/lp for the Leopard Complex gene, therefore we have 50% chance of a non-characteristic foal (lp/lp) and 50% chance of a characteristic foal (LP/lp).

We have purposely increased our chances of non-characteristic foals this year by not using an LP/LP stallion but we have no control over the gender, it will always be 50 / 50!

The 60-day ultrasound identified both mares are carrying single live fetus which is obviously fantastic news. Eventually, the genital tubercle was located (both mares fetus were quite lively and it took a while to find the view required) didn’t help that both mare’s bladders were full either. The genital tubercle (which eventually will become the penis in a colt and the clitoris in a filly) develops on the midline of the fetus, between the hind legs. At around 55 days, the structure moves toward the umbilicus in a colt and toward the anus in a filly.

So, our wonderful Vet John Campbell (JC) gave us the news we didn’t want to hear….COLT’S!

On a serious note, we are grateful both mares are in foal, we are very grateful both fetus are “single” and “alive” and we only pray the gestation and births follow suit!

The advantage of knowing we might have colts (nothing is 100% guaranteed) is we can prepare to advertise and sell our Stallion (Reus) full brother and his first 100% FPD progeny out of PP. We also are able to either make plans for our NC filly foals in 2018 with the same mating’s or use Blu to create a GAP 6 with 100% success for characteristic foals to sell? Mmmmmm…..

Both mares were inseminated on the 6th May 2016 (“normal” gestation is 335 – 360 days, 342 days average) due date being April 16^th 2017.

Let’s hope our news is wrong and those fetus were too quick for JC to accurately identify?