One year old fillies can be successfully used as embryo donors

Abstract

One year old fillies are able to conceive but, usually, not to give birth to a living foal. Although embryo transfer allows the production of foals from mature mares with repeated pregnancy losses, no reports are available on the use of one year old fillies as embryo donors. To evaluate this possibility, eleven 12–16 months old Haflinger mares were inseminated with fresh semen and subjected to embryo recovery. Some of the recovered embryos were non-surgically transferred into synchronized mature recipients. Pregnancies were terminated using PGF 2α at day 25. Fillies’ embryo recovery rate and their recipients’ pregnancy rate at day 25 were compared with those achieved in two years old and mature mares of the same breed, subjected to the same management. Embryo recovery rate was 21/44 (47.7%), 12/16 (75%) and 22/26 (84.6%) ( P > 0.01) for one year old, two years old and mature mares, respectively. Five/7 (71.4%) one year old donors’ embryos resulted in a pregnancy after transfer and 4/7 (57.1%) developed until day 25. Significant differences in pregnancy rates after transfer between donors’ age groups were not observed; no short term side effects resulted from the use of fillies as embryo donors. This study showed that one year old mares employed as embryo donors produce embryos both morphologically normal and able to develop in recipient mares at least up to day 25 of pregnancy.