Breeding developments

So far so good!

We had our first preg- check yesterday morning--Diablo. She is now 21 days in foal to TR Dual Rey. YAYAYAYAYAY! I am so excited for this. Meanwhile, Diablo's son Young N High, who lives in Canada, became the father of his second child, out of Playboys Rondeevous, who is Melody's daughter and also lives in Canada. Big day in Diablo-world. For some reason, when we were ultrasounding her, she was shivering all over the whole time---then I realized it was only about 40 degrees and we were all shivering. This weather is weird.

Also yesterday, we checked up on Haida Girl and Cash, and oddly both had exactly the same 49 follicle, starting to lose shape, which means it is getting ready to let loose of the egg. I ordered some Kit Dual semen for HG and some Peppy Plays for Cash for Cash, and hoped they would hold on until this morning.

Off I went at 7:30 this morning, praying HG would not give me any trouble about getting in the trailer, but leaving her son at home. I should not have worried about her--she was perfect. I was very pleased with her.

We made it to the vet on time, and our first hangup was a missing can of semen. The shipping stallion station had failed to have the can held at the Fed Ex warehouse, so it was jaunting all over southern Illinois in a delivery truck. Usually that means it can be hours before it gets where we need it and it can mess up a whole. Fortunately, Fed Ex was on the ball and got it to the office in record time. It was there by 9:15.

The Kit Dual semen was good stuff---not all the way warm when we checked it, but still pretty active stuff. HG had a 51 follicle, so now we hold our breath that all these good circumstances result in a conception.

The Peppy Plays for Cash semen was excellent as always. Those little fellers were practically jumping off the microscope slide. Cash was down to a 46 follicle, but that is okay--it had changed shape so much that ovulation had to be imminent. Cross your fingers on that one too.

And on top of all that, I get to take the rest of the week off from the vet--I don't have to go back until Monday morning to see if Squeak is ready to be bred.

Meanwhile, Aries is getting pretty close to foaling. She has been waxed up for a while, but is not tonight. It could be any time. I sure hope it is by Thursday morning, since I have to leave town that late afternoon for work, etc, and won't be back until Saturday evening.

I love foaling season, but it sure is a lot more fun when it is not raining non-stop like it has been lately. Tomorrow is supposed to clear up and get close to 80 degrees--now that is prime baby watching weather.

WOW--Squeak pulled a shocker

You could knock me over with a feather. Today was the last preg check of the season--and a late one at that, as they really should have been done the first weekend we were on our Canada trip. Then it took me a week to get Kevin out to ultrasound for me, since I did not even call til the middle of the week.

He came today at 1 pm, and it was about 100 degrees--we were all miserable dropping sweat on the ultrasound machine, but sure enough--Squeak is in foal! She is bred to Peppy Plays for Cash, 1999 Bay stallion by Playgun. In fact, he is the highest money earner by Playgun, with well over 300K in cutting money earned, and came back out to show this year as well, and doing well for himself.

I have to get out my book, but she should be right around 32 days or so.

This just goes to show you how strange the breeding business is. Her first breeding was picture perfect--some of the best semen we had ever seen, a beautiful follicle that ovulated within 24 hours of her insemination, ideal circumstances. No baby. This second go round was not so good--we had to scramble to find someone to do it as Dr M was at some dental vet thingy, we ultrasounded on a Monday to find that she was open and had about a 25 follicle. First opportunity to get semen here was that Thursday, and we did not even ultrasound her at that time to see where she was. Kevin could tell she was in hard heat by how eaasily he could get past her cervix, and she had not yet ovulated, but no telling how close she was at that time. They sent a LOT of semen, and we were bound and determined to get as much in there as possible, but it was a bit of a circus doing it in the stall, with no stocks, and me trying to pull up more semen in the syringe to push through the tube you use to inseminate--just juggling them all and not ending up with a pile in the floor was surprising to me, but we got 'er done.

He had not brought any HcG (to make her ovulate), but I had some in the fridge that the label had fallen off of--we had no idea how old it was, as it appeared to be a full bottle and I had just bought a new one and used it up already--no telling when that one was made. It is one of those you mix from dehydrated stuff, and it only lasts so long. I used that, and oxytocin every six hours, but by the next day I was a nervous wreck that my HcG was no good, so I got a fresh bottle from him (which is five doses but that is how you have to buy it--effectively pitching the other four doses since it is the end of the season). Shot her right up and them put it out of my mind.

Also when he checked the semen back at the office, it was a little wierd. The first drop he checked was at only 30% motility--I realize it only takes one, but I like it up around 70% plus. I had told him how good the semen was the first time, so he checked another drop on a different slide and it was up around 70% where it should have been. It threw us both that there would be such variety in it, and he was sure the slide he used was in good shape and clean, but not much we could do at that point if it was not great stuff--it was what we had


I knew we would be gone when she needed ultrasounding--on July 5 would have been sixteen days I think. I just told myself there was no way she could be in foal, we would not find out until after the season closed at Center Ranch because we would not get back from Canada til after that---just put it out of my mind.

This is how I came to be so shocked when he checked her today--I told him not to even get the ultrasound out, just palpate her as I was sure she was open. He got almost done and then told me to fetch the ultrasound, he was pretty dang sure she was bred. Shocked I tell you, shocked! Madison was there helping and we were bobbling all around the stall, changing places so we could all eyeball the ultrasound screen---after all that HcG, we were scanning for twins or more, and there does appear to be a tiny cyst next to the conceptus, or perhaps a twin falling apart, but we all voted and decided to believe it is ok. Tango was helping as well, which made Squeak wiggle so it took a while to determine that the heart was actually beating as opposed to Squeak just shifting, but there it was. I swear I thought it was a mirage and at 105 degrees, it damn sure could have been.

But it is NOT, we all saw it, it is there, no doubt about it.

Squeak is going to be a mama!

YAY!

Sqeak goes on vacation

Miss Squeak went on vacation today, to this pretty barn.

First thing this morning, she went to the vet to be inseminated. I have to give Center Ranch credit--we did not think she would hold off until Thursday morning when we could get the Peppy Plays for Cash semen. They had some squirrelly business about their counter to counter shipping that made that not a real option, so I was a bit concerned.

Somehow in the midst of that debacle, they just decided to collect him on a non-collecting day and ship me some yesterday, which arrived today. It was fantastic stuff, great motility, aggressive little swimmers. Now lets pray she does her part.

On Tuesday, Squeak had both a a 45 and a 43 follicle. Today she had regressed to a 35 and a something over 40 that is losing its shape--because it concerned Dr M that the second follicle would screw up the progress of number one, and because we had so much semen, he decided to save a dose and do her again today, just in case she takes her time ovulating. He NEVER does that. She was given ovuplant, so surely she will get on it ASAP.

This necessitated the use of a more local facility so she would be handy to him when he can get to her, and I can get on with my life doing something more than driving up and down the interstate and missing work. He had previously suggested this place, which is 15 minutes from him, to use in the event these last two girls needed to be bred while we were on vacation. Might as well start early I guess.

She settled in perfectly and these people know what they are doing. They are not phased by her blindness at all, and I was thrilled to see that within minutes of being settled in her stall, she was perfectly content, as was baby Tango. They complimented both of them, which always makes me feel good.

She will likely be able to come home Friday afternoon, but I am considering leaving her there while we are gone, so that Madison does not have to care for her and any potential problems.
I will decide that I guess on Friday, after she is checked to confirm ovulation....by that time Diablo will be there as well, confirming that she needs her semen shipped on Friday too.

This place may turn out to be a Godsend. They raise TBs, and the state inspector was there while I was there, seeing a baby born last nite. Having them handy to Dr M, makes life so much easier on him, and I may well be able to use them in the future to avoid making multiple trips to get one checked out and bred, etc.


I do know this--when I take Diablo tomorrow nite, I will take many more pics to show the facility, the long legged TB babies, etc.

I had a further adventure today, but it took its toll and I have to go to bed. I will post pics tomorrow, from my visit to the BLM Mustang Adoption Center.

Happy birthday to me

Besides splurging on the camera, yesterday brought an opportunity to add to our list of outside stallions we will be using in 2008. I got a breeding to Peppy Plays for Cash. I really like his sire Playgun, but have not been able to justify spending the money to breed to him. I like that Peppy Plays for Cash has won so much money and is still showing today--that suggests long term soundness, and a mental toughness. My initial thoughts are to breed Squeak to him, if her vision continues to improve.




Peppy Plays For Cash (Playgun x Peppys Dreamgirl)

Performance Record: LTE: $300,000+
Highest Earning Playgun Stallion

22 Major Finals Including:
2005 West Texas Futurity Non-Pro Classic Champion
2005 West Texas Futurity Open Classic Champion
2004 Non-Pro Finalist At Five Major Aged Events
2003 Brazos Bash Open Derby Reserve Champion
2003 NCHA Super Stakes Non-Pro Derby Champion
2003 Abilene Spectacular Non-Pro Derby Champion
2003 Memphis Non-Pro Futurity Champion
2003 Finalist in Open and Non-Pro At Nine Major Aged Events
2002 NCHA Open and Non-Pro Futurity Finalist