II. Breeding
i. Genetics Rules
To see the in-depth explanation of the way Alleles work, please
click here.
ii. Explanation of Color and Genomes
To see the in-depth explanation of the way Alleles work, please
click here.
iii. Explanation of Fertility
Every horse has a hidden genetic trait that effects their fertility. If you would like to see this trait, you must purchase the Fertility Sleuth from the Marketplace. The way a breeding is rolled works like this:
The stallion's fertility % is rolled first, then the mare's if the stallion was successful. For example:
Stallion's Fertility: 86%
Mare's Fertility: 35%
We will roll an RNG from 1 to 100. If the number falls on 86 or less, the Stallion's half of the breeding will be successful. If it is, then we move on to the mare. Again on the RNG from 1 to 100, if the number is 35 or less, the mare, and the entire breeding, is successful. After this, the paired fertility % are used to determine how many foals are born. This process is a secret to Keen only.
iv. Limits
Foals, eggs, and horses who are injured past 40% cannot breed. Horses who are in training or a competition also cannot breed, as they are busy elsewhere. In some instances a horse may be infertile. If this is the case, they can breed, but will always have a failed breeding. The reason it is allowed for an infertile horse to attempt a breeding is because the owner may not know that the horse is infertile if they have not gotten a Fertility Sleuth for that horse.
v. Hatching Eggs
After your mare lays her eggs, you can wait to incubate them if you wish. Be aware though that the eggs must have a mare available to incubate them, and a pregnant mare cannot incubate eggs. You can use any other mare in the herd to incubate the eggs, but once incubation starts, the same mare must continue to incubate them for the entire period. A single mare can incubate up to three eggs, but they do not all have to come from the same mother. For instance, if you have a mare who has laid a single egg, and another mare who has laid two eggs, you can give all three eggs to a single mare as long as they have not begun incubation yet.
Eggs
will be automatically incubated for you by the mare that laid the eggs if you did not state that you wish to wait. If you did state that you wish to wait, you will have to bring the eggs to Eluna at the Egg Rescue and tel her that you wish to start incubation and which mare you want to do the job. There is no limit to the number of mares that can be incubating or nursing within a herd.
vi. Raising Foals
After the eggs are brought to Eluna to be incubated, they will hatch in around 30 days, or 1 in-game year. After hatching, the foals will need to be nursed by the same mare who incubated them. They will nurse for two weeks, or six months in-game. After they wean, they can move from their mother's herd to another one of your herds, if you have another herd with room for them. If they do not live in a herd with room for them, they will leave the herd 3 real-life months after they hatch, or three in-game years. See the section on herds for more information on foals leaving the herd.
If the nursing mare leaves the herd, all nursing foals go with her.
vii. Time Frames
1. Foals1 real life week = 3 in-game months
From Breeding to Egg Laying: 2 weeks (6 months)
Incubation, start to Finish: About 4 weeks (1 year)
From Hatching to Weaning: 2 weeks (6 months)
Leaves the Herd: 3 years old
Maturity: 5 years old
2. Age RangeHorses: Up to 30 years old
Unicorns: Up to 50 years old
Pegasus: Up to 50 years old
Alicorns: Do not die
3. MaresEggs laid 2 weeks (6 months) after a successful breeding
If the mare who laid the eggs is not going to be the mare who incubates them, this is her Breeding Cool-down:
4 weeks if she laid only one egg
5 weeks if she laid two, and
6 weeks if she laid three eggs.
If she was bred and the breeding was unsuccessful, she must wait 1 week (3 months) before trying again.
If the mare Incubates the eggs and nurses the foals, then she must wait until the foal is weaned before breeding again.
1 Foal weaned = Can be bred as soon as the foal is weaned
2 Foals weaned = Can be bred 1 week (3 months) after the foals are weaned
3 Foals weaned = Can be bred 2 weeks (6 months) after the foals are weaned
4. StallionsA stallion may breed once per week (3 months) to mares in his own herd, no matter if the breedings are successful or not.
A breeding may be stolen only once every 4 weeks (1 year).
viii. Stealing a Breeding
Once every 30 days, a stallion can have a breeding stolen from him by any mare. These breedings are first-come, first-served, and no reservations may be made. Once the breeding is stolen, everything else about the breeding is rolled just like any other breeding, except that the owner of the stallion has the option to attempt to capture the mare.
To steal a breeding from a Lead Stallion, a player other than the Stallion's owner simply sends in a breeding with the stallion. If it has been long enough since the last stolen breeding, then the breeding is rolled. Stolen breedings do not effect the Stallion's owner unless the mare is stolen. In order to steal a mare, the Stallion's owner is asked if they would like to try to capture the mare that stole the breeding. If the Stallions owner does want to try, they have a 20% chance of success. If they do not want to try, no attempt is made and the mare remains with her own herd.
ix. Risks
There are risks to breeding a pair of horses. If you are not careful about the genetics, certain allele combinations can result in the death of the foal(s), either during incubation or shortly after hatching. Please read through the genetics section to make yourself aware of what to look out for.
Inbreeding is allowed, but should be done with care. All horses have a hidden value that cannot be revealed but that will determine if inbreeding is safe or not. If one inbreeding results in a malformed foal or in foal death, chances are that it will happen again with a similar cross. You may wish to only breed more distant relatives for this reason, but all breedings are allowed.
After the eggs are laid, a mare will have a certain amount of injury based on the number of eggs she lays. This injury will correct itself over time.
x. Associated Items
You can purchase a Fertility Sleuth if you would like to know the fertility % of a particular horse. Each one can only be used one time.
You can purchase a DNA Sleuth if you would like to know the exact genome of a particular horse. Each one can only be used one time.
You can purchase a Color Sleuth if you would like to know the general color and marking name of a particular horse. Each one can only be used one time.
Foal-sitting Tokens can be purchased for mares who are nursing foals to allow the mare to participate in training, competitions, and adventures. Once the token is assigned to a mare, it cannot be removed or transferred. If the mare leaves the herd, the token goes with her.
