Cost of breeding

[DressageJoy]

I'm thinking about breeding my mare and I want to consider all the costs after the initial stud fee, shipping fee, etc. If I do breed her, it will be through cooled or frozen shipped semen. How much should I expect to pay for vet checks before and after insemination?

I'm also wondering how many of you get your mares checked regularly throughout the pregnancy? It seems like some people get them checked up on all the time, and others breed them and then stick them out in the field til they are due. Any opinions on this?

[Altamont Sport Horses]

You'll need to ask your vet how much he/she charges to do ultrasounds, farm calls if she is at your place and not the clinic While breeding sometimes goes off without a hitch you should not assume that your mare will take on the first, second or even third try. Hopefully your mare will have a full repro work-up before you attempt breeding. Again, ask your vet about prices. Then during any one cycle you may have more vet visits and ultrasounds then anticipated if your mare's cycle or follicle is not progressing normally. And then of course when your vet determines it is indeed time to order semen they have to come back and do the AI so you need to know how much that is. There will be another u/s at that time too. Your vet will probably administer hcG or deslorelin at that time to help move ovulation along. Ask your vet about the price on that. And depending on your vet, if there is more than one dose of semen they may want to come back and inseminate her again on the next day if she did not already ovulate. Depending on your mare, your vet may want to give oxytocin to help flush the uterus if she seems to be holding fluid or if she received a dose two days in a row. 14 days later you will have to get your mare u/s again to see if she is in foal. If she isn't you can do it all over again and pay another shipping fee for semen.

Now if the pre-breeding culture shows an infection then you'll be looking at flushing the mare daily during her cycle perhaps for more than one cycle before you can breed her. That will cost you. And then there is always the chance that your mare could have a progesterone problem that requires supplementation for anywhere from 40 days post breeding to darn near the entire pregnancy.

I'm sure there are plenty of things I have left out that will add up. I'm not trying to be negative...but realize that are many other charges besides u/s and the insemination and of course it doesn't always go smoothly so you could be looking at multiple attempts. I have a good repro vet and still only have 2 mares confirmed in foal despite that 5 were bred by his practice. Go figure, the embryo transfer was successful on the first try as was the breeding with frozen semen. It's the ho-hum ordinary AI with fresh cooled semen that isn't working out so smoothly for us this year.

[siegi b.]

I have found that it costs me on average about $2,000.00 to have a mare safely in foal (fresh or frozen) at day 100 or so..... Mind you, I'm in the expensive area of the East Coast and that certainly makes a difference. I am not including the stud fee.

If you can get a mare there and only pay $1,000.00, I think you're doing well.

Just my opinion....

[Royal Monaco]

I am not a breeder, but I did bred my mare once.

I just made the final count of my breeding experience to a friend who wishes to breed her mare and with a stud fee of 1500$ it costed me 2200$ to have the foal on the ground an inspected post foaling.

[arizonard]

I count on:
-$2000 to $2500 for stud fee
-$300 semen shipping (X2 if frozen)
-about $100 for initial culture and cytology
-around $500 per cycle for ultrasounds and insemination
-about $200-300 in other ultrasounds at days 14, 30 and 60
-Pre-foaling shots at about $150
-Pneumabort shots at about $100
-worming same as the other horses
-foal inspection and registration $200
-+/- regumate if needed ($400)

So for me, breedings with fresh semen at a $2000 stud fee end up around $3500-4000 not including any board/feed/farrier costs, and assuming the mare is already inspected.

[horsetales]

I think ASH gave you most of the items to talk with your vet practice about, since prices vary greatly geographically. I highly recommend checking your mare before you start breeding. I am one of those lucky ones who followed that advice and had a maiden without a clean culture. Getting it taken care of up front, saved me time, money and headaches. I check for pregnancy and twins at 14 days and a heartbeat/pregnancy at 35 days. If the vet is out after that, I may have them ultrasound again. Then I hope for an uneventful 10 months and easy, uncomplicated foaling, but plan for the worse (pneumabort vaccinations during that time)

[Foxtrot's]

Aaah, but raising the healthy foal - priceless.

Most people would say it is safer and cheaper to go look yourself and buy one safely on the ground.

[Fairview Horse Center]

The cost of breeding is directily related to how dedicated and knowledgeable the vet you use for repro is.

I confirm a mare in foal once - usually when I can find a heartbeat about day 25 or 26, but my mares are very good teasers. A mare that has been a problem before I will check later.

[FLIPPED HER HALO]

It cost me around $2,000 for straight forward costs my colt. That includes stud fee, semen shipping (around $110 per shipment x 2 shipments) and vet fees/boarding at breeding farm for 2 cycles etc. Repro work was done by the specialists at UC Davis so costs were cheaper and I didn't have to pay call fees etc since they are scheduled 3 days a week at the breeding barn during breeding season. I give my own vaccinations, so my costs there are a lot lower than the vets.

[camohn]

Last year my vet bill was 2K to get 2 mares bred (pre and post breeding checks, insemination fees, farm call fees, abx and caslicks for the one mare prone to placentitis etc.) so 1K each through about 120 days (for mares than both took on one cover).

[RiverOaksFarm]

It makes a big difference, too, how quickly/easily your mare becomes pregnant, which can also depend on the quality of the semen and how experienced your vet is with AI. My luckiest breeding, I was able to split a shipment between two mares (with the stallion owner's permission) and both got pregnant from that one first shipment, a mare owner couldn't hope for more! My most unlucky breeding involved I think 5 or 6 shipments (one of which got lost by FedEx, but I still had all of the expenses related to that cycle.)

I believe the rule-of-thumb is three cycles for fresh. I'm not very familiar with frozen.

[Signature]

Yep, depending on the cost of the stud fee and how easily and quickly the mare gets in foal, we've had costs per mare range from $750 (got a great deal on stud fee and mare was checked one day, ordered for the next and inseminated once - in foal! cheapest breeding ever... of course she lost that foal at 8 months. ugh.) to $3000+ for 2 cycles of frozen and so forth. Then, this year our luck ran out and we had a new experience with a foal being born dummy foal/dysmature... on top of the frozen breeding expenses we had a $5000 bill from NC State. :eek:

So, it's basically a wide range, but I'd say on average we have about $2000-$3000 per mare including stud fees to get in foal. Then it goes up from there - Regumate if needed, vaccines, feeding, additional checks... :)

[Altamont Sport Horses]

I forgot to answer the question about how many times the mare is checked. I usually end up checking at about 14-15 days and then once later anywhere from 45-120 days. Sometimes they really confuse you when they act like they are in heat even though they are in foal. I've had some so convincing that I just had to get the mare checked because if she wasn't in foal any more then we still had time to rebreed that season. One year 3 mares just didn't "look pregnant" to me at about 120-150 days or so. They weren't showing signs of heat or anything but I was suspicious. Yep, all 3 had slipped. I've got another mare that does not show heat well AND tends to get really round in the belly regardless of pregnancy. I can't be sure she is still in foal until the vet sticks his arm in there.

I like to know as soon as possible so that I can plan rebreeding, know who needs pneumabort shots, who needs to be kept off fescue, etc.

[CatOnLap]

thought I'd bump this one too, as its a timely topic and I was going to ask the same question. I am considering breeding my mare to Wolkentanz II via shipped cooled semen and this was a helpful topic for me to look over.

Now can someone tell me, when you go and pick up the container of "little swimmers" from the airport, how long do you have to get them in the mare?

[clint]

thought I'd bump this one too, as its a timely topic and I was going to ask the same question. I am considering breeding my mare to Wolkentanz II via shipped cooled semen and this was a helpful topic for me to look over.

Now can someone tell me, when you go and pick up the container of "little swimmers" from the airport, how long do you have to get them in the mare?

Is there a reason you are doing counter to counter? Usually semen is shipped with Fedex unless there is a real need for same day shipment, and Fedex is cheaper than C to C. When I use fresh semen I arrange the shipment and my vet to get here as close together as possible. I have always had the mare inseminated the same day as the semen arrives. Some stallion swimmers will live for several days in a can but they are better off in the mare.

As far as checking the mare for pregnancy, I have the mare checked at 15 days, at 30 days, and sometimes one more time before starting the pneumabort shots at five months.

[CatOnLap]

I live 10 minutes from the airport, and the stallion is about an hour from the airport, so literally I can get the stuff within about 5 hours of collection if we time the flight right. The Fed-ex depots are several hours away from the stallion in another city. Here Fed-ex will only deliver to a business address in town, which means I'd have to drive to my office 45 minutes away to pick it up. It adds many hours to the delivery time and is more costly than the direct route. But thanks for the info.

[Daventry]

Now can someone tell me, when you go and pick up the container of "little swimmers" from the airport, how long do you have to get them in the mare?

There are many varibales that determine how much of a window you have.

There are two types of containers fresh shipped semen can be sent in - disposables or Equitainers. If you do a search for them on this BB, you'll come up with a wide discussion of pros and cons to each. The Equitainer is the gold standard for shipping semen and is your best bet for the semen staying safe and sound, especially in extreme weather conditions. As for disposables, you may have a limited window for how long the semen will stay in adequate condition, as compared to the Equitainer. As well, some stallion DO NOT ship well in disposables. We happen to own a stallion that DOES ship well in disposables and do give our Mare Owners the option of one container or the other. Due to mechanical plane failure, we had one shipment arrive 3 1/2 days later and the semen was still at 40%, mare hadn't ovulated yet and they got a pregnancy. That isn't necessarily going to be a reality for some stallions out there. Mishandling the semen or processing it wrong at the Stallion Owners end can also cause it to be more fragile. Generally speaking though, if the semen is sent overnight Fed-Ex, it's best to inseminate your mare within 24 hours of it being collected. I know many Mare Owners inseminate the first day and save some of the semen for day two, 48 hours later, and inseminate again. If you have done your homework and asked the Stallion Owners for all of the stats on their semen, you should get the answers you need...which will determine when you should ideally inseminate.

Most Stallion Owners who ship semen on their stallions have tested their semen ahead of time to make sure it ships. Meaning, they know the appropriate extender that works best with their stallions semen, to prolong the longevity of it, and know the stats of the motility at 24 hours, 48 hours, 72 hours, etc. The reason I say "most" Stallion Owners, is because sadly, there are Stallion Owners out there that just collect and ship. No information comes with the semen, sometimes it has never been looked at under a microscope to determine motility or counted for concentration. These are things a Mare Owner and veterinarian/repro specialist should be aware of.

I once contacted a very well known and reputable Stallion Owner who was going out of business and selling EVERYTHING. I emailed to ask if they had a sperm counter or microscope for sale. No kidding, she said to me "we've never used a sperm counter or microscope - he's always had great semen over the years so didn't need to check it ever". What? :eek::eek: How do you know if the semen was great if it's never been looked at? :confused: Even a stallion with the best semen in the world can have variables if they've become sick or injured, overused, some stallions have different stats in the spring or fall, etc., etc. When we received shipped semen in the past, we've only ever dealt with Stallion Owners like Hilltop Farms, W. Charlot Farms, etc. so always had exceptional service and knowledge about their stallion's semen. This was the first time I actually realized that not all Stallion Owners are created equal...not even the top ones. I know a few people have horror stories on here about the semen that arrives.

Anyways, do your homework and speak with the Stallion Owner. A reputable one will be willing to supply you with all of the stats you need and willing to work with you to get a foal. It may also be a good idea to speak to others that have bred to the stallion in the past as well.

[goodmorning]

I count on:
-$300 semen shipping (X2 if frozen)
-around $500 per cycle for ultrasounds and insemination
-about $200-300 in other ultrasounds at days 14, 30 and 60
-Pre-foaling shots at about $150
-Pneumabort shots at about $100


These numbers seem a bit high to me, and I live in the expensive New England area. However, I am also blessed with a very good repro vet so a frozen semen breeding is aorund the $700 range including a U/S at day 12, 30, and 56ish (thats when my vet likes to do fetal sexing) - a fresh breeding is about $400...I do my own vaccines except for rabies, but that's also a necessary vet call to make sure all is well and take out the caslick.

I'm curious though - when you are paying that much for frozen semen shipments, are you buying it directly from the SO -- most of the agents are not charging that much?

[patch work farm]

I read this with interest to see how many various answers you would receive. Frankly, the comment that buying one is less expensive is most likely the more appropriate answer.

I have had mares take on the first breeding and bam, I am done. Last year I had a maiden that took MANY tries, changed vets in the middle of it and by the time I was done, the cost was over $5,000, it was most likely more but my denial is greater than my curiosity (my other mare was under $1500 including stud fees). It all depends, some of the best laid plans are more disasters than not.

Aside from what everyone else has told you, keep in mind that different SO have different protocols. Depending on the farm, in some cases THEY will dictate how many ultrasounds you have to have and the vet must sign it to prove they did the u/s. Do your homework ahead of time (with stallion owners, not all of us-as you can see you got a lot of different answers). Sorry, this wasn't meant to be negative, just realistic. There is no "usually" when it comes to breeding. That said, there are some very easy mares but you just never know what might come up that you weren't expecting. Good luck whatever you decide!

[hunterjumper22]

My mare just had her first check (maiden mare), ultrasound and palpation at the VET was $50. No farm call if I take her there. She will get checked next week that will be $50 plus if we start her on a course of Regumate that will be $60

[honeychile]

It really depends on your luck!

When I bred my mare in 2005 with fresh, it was, not including the stud fee:

$300 collection/FedEx shipping fee
$150 Ultrasound at three week mark
$45 Palpation at 60 days.

I trailered to the clinic for the ultrasound, and did the inseminations myself. If you have the opportunity to learn how to inseminate, I urge you to do it. Saves a lot of money! Thankfully she caught first try, and my total was $495. This year I will be breeding her with frozen, and I am expecting to pay around $750-1000 per insemination. Crossing my fingers she takes first try again!! :yes:

Actually, I'd prefer not to add up these figures. Denial works best for me! :lol:

[chestnutwithchrome]

This is a very interesting and informing topic. I didn't realize just how blessed I was to work at a equine vet clinic this past year while I got my mare pregnant. I got all my ultrasounds and AIing for free as I rode with a Repro Vet, and my mare was a good girl and took on the second cycle. By getting single doses of all the vaccines out of leftover bottles of vaccines from the field care vets I saved a bunch, and when my foal hits the ground next month I figure I am only out about $500 total including the cost of the shipped semen.

[CatOnLap]

" Frankly, the comment that buying one is less expensive is most likely the more appropriate answer."

Not when the stally's weanlings are going for $10-15K...
but great info from all.

[railmom]

" Frankly, the comment that buying one is less expensive is most likely the more appropriate answer."

Not when the stally's weanlings are going for $10-15K...
but great info from all.


Well there is no guarentee after spending the money and breeding your mare that she will get in foal or produce a live foal. Not even considering if it will be a nice one! Sometime the 10-15K is the best deal :)

[justonemore]

Well there is no guarentee after spending the money and breeding your mare that she will get in foal or produce a live foal. Not even considering if it will be a nice one! Sometime the 10-15K is the best deal :)

So true...I spent 5k last year (not to mention many miles and many hours) and do not have a foal coming. 10k for a nice live baby sounds like a pretty good deal!

[TrotTrotPumpkn]

So true...I spent 5k last year (not to mention many miles and many hours) and do not have a foal coming. 10k for a nice live baby sounds like a pretty good deal!

That's just too depressing to contemplate right now...