Effects of Porcine Zona Pellucida Immunocontraception on Mare Body Condition and Foaling Season Length in Two Western Wild Horse Populations
Wildlife managers and the public have expressed considerable interest in the use of contraception to help manage the populations of wild horses and burros (<i>Equus caballus</i> and <i>E. asinus</i>). Field testing has shown that two preparations of the porcine zona pellucida...
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2024-12-01
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| author | Allen T. Rutberg Kayla A. Grams |
| author_facet | Allen T. Rutberg Kayla A. Grams |
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| description | Wildlife managers and the public have expressed considerable interest in the use of contraception to help manage the populations of wild horses and burros (<i>Equus caballus</i> and <i>E. asinus</i>). Field testing has shown that two preparations of the porcine zona pellucida (PZP) vaccine, a simple emulsion (ZonaStat-H) and PZP-22 (which supplements ZonaStat-H with a controlled-release component) effectively prevent pregnancy in individual mares and can substantially reduce population foaling rates. To determine whether some PZP preparations might have secondary effects that harm treated mares or their foals, we examined the effects of PZP-22 vaccinations and the follow-up boosters of either PZP-22 or ZonaStat-H on adult female body condition, foaling season, and foal mortality in two wild horse herds in the western USA, Cedar Mountains Herd Management Area, Utah (CM; 2008–2015), and Sand Wash Basin Herd Management Area, Colorado (SWB; 2008–2014). At both sites in every study year, summer body condition scores improved faster in mares without foals than mares with foals (<i>p </i>< 0.001; CM, <i>n </i>= 234; SWB, <i>n </i>= 172), but PZP treatments did not affect mare body condition apart from their contraceptive effects. Births to mares treated with PZP within the previous three years were delayed and spread out over the foaling season, but foal mortality rates through the first and second year were low, unrelated to date of birth, and virtually identical for the foals of PZP-treated and untreated mothers (all comparisons n.s.; CM, <i>n </i>= 775, SWB, <i>n </i>= 640). Thus, in these two populations, we found no evidence that changes in reproductive timing associated with PZP treatments were harmful to either mares or foals. |
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| spelling | doaj-art-e6b6e0d29bd3490a847d8b05a932c2b62025-08-20T02:50:17ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152024-12-011423355010.3390/ani14233550Effects of Porcine Zona Pellucida Immunocontraception on Mare Body Condition and Foaling Season Length in Two Western Wild Horse PopulationsAllen T. Rutberg0Kayla A. Grams1Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, 200 Westboro Road, North Grafton, MA 01536, USAScience and Conservation Center, 2100 South Shiloh Road, Billings, MT 59106, USAWildlife managers and the public have expressed considerable interest in the use of contraception to help manage the populations of wild horses and burros (<i>Equus caballus</i> and <i>E. asinus</i>). Field testing has shown that two preparations of the porcine zona pellucida (PZP) vaccine, a simple emulsion (ZonaStat-H) and PZP-22 (which supplements ZonaStat-H with a controlled-release component) effectively prevent pregnancy in individual mares and can substantially reduce population foaling rates. To determine whether some PZP preparations might have secondary effects that harm treated mares or their foals, we examined the effects of PZP-22 vaccinations and the follow-up boosters of either PZP-22 or ZonaStat-H on adult female body condition, foaling season, and foal mortality in two wild horse herds in the western USA, Cedar Mountains Herd Management Area, Utah (CM; 2008–2015), and Sand Wash Basin Herd Management Area, Colorado (SWB; 2008–2014). At both sites in every study year, summer body condition scores improved faster in mares without foals than mares with foals (<i>p </i>< 0.001; CM, <i>n </i>= 234; SWB, <i>n </i>= 172), but PZP treatments did not affect mare body condition apart from their contraceptive effects. Births to mares treated with PZP within the previous three years were delayed and spread out over the foaling season, but foal mortality rates through the first and second year were low, unrelated to date of birth, and virtually identical for the foals of PZP-treated and untreated mothers (all comparisons n.s.; CM, <i>n </i>= 775, SWB, <i>n </i>= 640). Thus, in these two populations, we found no evidence that changes in reproductive timing associated with PZP treatments were harmful to either mares or foals.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/14/23/3550<i>Equus caballus</i>wildlife contraceptionwild horseferal horsebody condition scoringfoaling season |
| spellingShingle | Allen T. Rutberg Kayla A. Grams Effects of Porcine Zona Pellucida Immunocontraception on Mare Body Condition and Foaling Season Length in Two Western Wild Horse Populations Animals <i>Equus caballus</i> wildlife contraception wild horse feral horse body condition scoring foaling season |
| title | Effects of Porcine Zona Pellucida Immunocontraception on Mare Body Condition and Foaling Season Length in Two Western Wild Horse Populations |
| title_full | Effects of Porcine Zona Pellucida Immunocontraception on Mare Body Condition and Foaling Season Length in Two Western Wild Horse Populations |
| title_fullStr | Effects of Porcine Zona Pellucida Immunocontraception on Mare Body Condition and Foaling Season Length in Two Western Wild Horse Populations |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effects of Porcine Zona Pellucida Immunocontraception on Mare Body Condition and Foaling Season Length in Two Western Wild Horse Populations |
| title_short | Effects of Porcine Zona Pellucida Immunocontraception on Mare Body Condition and Foaling Season Length in Two Western Wild Horse Populations |
| title_sort | effects of porcine zona pellucida immunocontraception on mare body condition and foaling season length in two western wild horse populations |
| topic | <i>Equus caballus</i> wildlife contraception wild horse feral horse body condition scoring foaling season |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/14/23/3550 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT allentrutberg effectsofporcinezonapellucidaimmunocontraceptiononmarebodyconditionandfoalingseasonlengthintwowesternwildhorsepopulations AT kaylaagrams effectsofporcinezonapellucidaimmunocontraceptiononmarebodyconditionandfoalingseasonlengthintwowesternwildhorsepopulations |