|
22.
Statistics
Identify Trends in Shuttle Use and Book Sizes
|
06/09/2002 |
|
Statistics
relating to the 2000 covering season released by Stud Book Keeper Justin
Blackburne identify trends in both the proportionate use of shuttle stallions
and the average size of books covered by stallions in general.
The number of shuttle stallions standing in New Zealand peaked from two in 1993
to 21 in 1997. That number has dropped slightly, to 16 last year and an
estimated 17 this breeding season.
Likewise, the number of mares covered by shuttle stallions rose from 134 in 1993
to a high of 1396 in 1999. That represented 20.5% of the total number of
broodmares covered, 6783.
An interesting aspect of the highest number of shuttle stallion coverings is
that it occurred in 1999, when there were three less shuttle stallions in
service than in 1997. This statistic correlates to the trend of an increase in
the average number of mares served by individual stallions, rising from 42 in
1994 to a fraction over 55 last year. The only year that did not show an
increase was 1996.
It therefore stands to reason that with these larger books, there are less
stallions at stud (covering 10 or more mares). This is quite marked, dropping
from 190 in 1994 to 126 last year.
The number of mares returned as having been covered continues to fluctuate, but
the bottom line is a reduction of more than 1000 in eight years, from 7988 in
1994 to 6950 last year.
The number of live foals has fortunately not followed that trend, with the most
up-to-date figures identifying a drop in crop numbers of only about 200 over the
same period. The 4330 recorded live foals born in 2001 from 7343 matings is an
average fertility percentage of 80.73.
NZTM
|
