# Foaling Help-UPDATED 11/8



## BriarwoodAcres (Oct 23, 2012)

I purchased a mare who was pasture bred with a stallion. The stallion was removed she thinks at the end of Oct 2011. She still hasnt had a foal. We know for a fact she is pregnant. Her belly was bouncing around like crazy when we brought her home. She started making a small bag when we brought her home about 8 weeks ago. We tested her with the hth pool strips and it last read 7.8 a couple days ago. Her milk is sticky when it starts to dry in your hand and is the pretty "gold" honey color.

10/30
















11/1

Today, Her PH was about a 7.8 high 7.5




(This is NOT wax)




11/8


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## targetsmom (Oct 23, 2012)

If she has a bag and her milk is sticky and gold color, I would not let her out of your sight!!! Sounds like she is very close. You might want to post on the Mare Stare Watchers/Chat subforum on here. If you have time.....


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## BriarwoodAcres (Oct 23, 2012)

her bag is pretty empty but she has some. i wish i had a camera and shes also 15 min from me as i board. ill take some photos tonight when i go feed. so everyone can see the difference.


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## rabbitsfizz (Oct 23, 2012)

I appreciate your problems but you are going to have to make arrangements to be with this mare- you could go down and find a happy healthy foal or you could go down and....believe me, you just do not want to know what else you could find!!!


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## BriarwoodAcres (Oct 23, 2012)

Jane I've spent many nights with her, believe me shes not alone lol. Also, the people who live there check on her hourly. if not every half hour. They're just as excited as we are! My grandparents were breedings for 30+ years so I've got some knowledge under my belt but everyone knows as well as I do a mare can write her own book. We had a mare foal early and the foals head was turned under. It was an aweful outcome lets just say. the foal could have survived if he had been closer. Shes wasnt but 290 days i believ we were actually having the conversation to bring her in as I looked out in the field and saw her.


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## AnnaC (Oct 23, 2012)

It sounds as though she is VERY close - dont worry too much about her bag, she may well be one who 'fills up' as she foals. Is she a maiden or has she had foals before.

And yes, do please come and join us over on the Maternity Unit Forum (if you haven't already!)


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## BriarwoodAcres (Oct 23, 2012)

Shes had foals before Here are some photos from tonight. My bf said her belly is slowing dropping as he doesnt see her 4 and 5 times a day every day as I do. he sees her once in a while.


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## minifreishorsefarm (Oct 23, 2012)

Her bag looks tiny, but my maiden mare bagged up in 3 days last year so ya never know by that. By the color of your mare's milk and the test trip result. It can be anytime in the next few days. It can change overnight to white milk or it might take a few days. Plus she does look low. I'd say anytime now! Good luck and happy healthy foaling.






Marsha


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## BriarwoodAcres (Oct 23, 2012)

Her test strip looks about 7.8-8.0 to me when I tested her. not not orange or light orange at all.


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## minifreishorsefarm (Oct 23, 2012)

I'd check it every day (just use small amount) and check to see if her bag is as big at night (or bigger) than it was in the morning. I've personally never had a mare foal with no bag or very small bag, but they have for others so you have to be alert. But I do know the Ph has to go way down from where her's is before they will foal.

Marsha


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## BriarwoodAcres (Oct 23, 2012)

i was testing her daily a couple weeks ago then left it be as she didnt change at all. 2 days ago i swear she tested at 7.8. Maybe i mixed wrong?


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## BriarwoodAcres (Oct 23, 2012)

i feel like i've hit a dead in wall the past few weeks with her. shes not changing. Does her vulva photos and belly photos look different to anyone else?


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## Little Wolf Ranch (Oct 23, 2012)

Honestly if you want to get a better idea about what's going on with her have your vet come out and check her over. Hope things go smoothly for you


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## Little Wolf Ranch (Oct 23, 2012)

Also.....has she had any access to fescue? If she has it may be the reason why her milk isn't coming in....


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## BriarwoodAcres (Oct 23, 2012)

i am not sure what she was on before we got her, I am pretty sure it wasnt fescue. The vet said he doesnt have the tools small enough to palpate her. all he can do is a blood test. He jokingly texts me every now and then asking if I have a foal yet... lol I tell him shes going to wind up in his barn.


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## Little Wolf Ranch (Oct 25, 2012)

If she were mine if call around to find a vet that had a pig scanner for palpation and have them do it.

You need to know what's going on, trust me, I lost a filly this year due to "assuming" everything would be alright by what my vet and colleagues said.

Better safe than sorry


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## BriarwoodAcres (Oct 25, 2012)

Ive talked to 2 different vets and have decided if she doesnt have a turn around or have the baby by halloween were doing an ultra sound!


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## BriarwoodAcres (Oct 27, 2012)

So I checked on Shiloh this afternoon. Shes starting to progress!!! Her bag is getting bigger, not much but we have improvement and she seems to be dialating!!! Hopefully we will have a baby soon.. if its a filly, we'll have to name her Sandy! haha


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## Miniv (Oct 28, 2012)

Glad you're watching her closely.... It's not uncommon for a mare to "plateau" on her milk tests and the BOOM, there's a change and a baby!

This year we had a very experienced mare who didn't show us a bag until shortly before foaling and even then it wasn't very big. But it was enough for her foal, thank heaven.

We were unnerved enough, even after all of our years, that we milked the mare and fed the foal several times before realizing that mom and baby had it all under control.


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## hoofhearted (Oct 28, 2012)

We fretted..sat for hours..watched all night. The day I almost gave up, and lingered at the coffee pot, I went back to the barn to find a horse with too many legs! Maybe she knows you are watching closely..


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## rabbitsfizz (Oct 28, 2012)

Oh, the bane of everyone who has ever foaled a mare out!! We had a Welsh mare who would NOT foal when we were watching her, we had to put her in the back yard and watch out of the upstairs window form behind a curtain- even then we nearly missed her. Another year we had a foal form her that was nick named "cup of tea" for a while as it was born in the time it took to have one, and Rabbit's daughter o/o his grandmother (yes, yes, I KNOW!!) was called "Curry" for the first week as we just nipped out to get one......foal was born, up, afterbirth passed and foal nursing- and boy, was the mare ever SMUG!!


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## BriarwoodAcres (Oct 28, 2012)

Yep. They know when youre watching. Even if it is upstairs from behind the curtains LOL. We had a grullo mare who we were watching super close as the year before she had trouble foaling ( she wasnt maiden either time) we were piddling in the barn, cleaning stalls, sanitizing buckets, you know, anything to keep you busy and keep a peek on her. We decide to go to the house for a quick luch as she wasnt showing any signs of anything. We were in the house not 20 min and came back sandwich in hand to a lovely pinto colt! SERIOUSLY mares? LOL They kill me!


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## Reble (Oct 28, 2012)

I have found the cow pies are the only thing I have seen most fregent before foaling.


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## BriarwoodAcres (Oct 28, 2012)

10/28




10/23




10/28




10/28




10/17


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## BriarwoodAcres (Oct 28, 2012)

New photos added today!


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## Tremor (Oct 28, 2012)

Here's a tip: Don't physically lift her tail when checking her vulva. Carefully slide it to one side. When you lift it the vulva will tighten up.

In my experience milk strips are the most accurate way to go. In 2011 I used them for the first time and got 6.2 for a ph April 29th and on April 30th at 10 am I had a healthy filly.

I made a powerpoint of the physical changes of a pregnant mare before foaling with the mare in question from 2011. For this mare she was a natural at breeding and foaling. She was very experienced and this was her sixth foal and last foal. (5th live foal). You're free to view it and share it. The link is public to all but not downloadable. I highly suggest you bookmark the link.

Link:

https://docs.google....LXQ2cWhTVjM5YzA


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## BriarwoodAcres (Oct 29, 2012)

thanks so much!


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## rubyviewminis (Oct 29, 2012)

Yes, thanks. I sure hope my mare shows some of those signs this time. Last time, being new to foaling, I pestered her to death poor thing. She just got real round and her flanks filled out and stayed. Pictures of her first foaling showed the notable big V belly drop. And I used the Mother Nature's test strips and also the little strips that only need one drop. They both worked and if it wasn't for those I might have missed the foaling, she foaled 8 hours later. Going over her foaling diary, there was almost no foal movement two weeks prior to foaling, and that foal was a real mover. Also 10 days before foaling her milk was thin and yellowish, and at 8 hours before it looked like skim milk, with a medium sized bag, and nipples finally pointing down. She did everything in the last day.

Lol, I have to add that even watching her on camera for WEEKS, and walking in pj's out to check her anyway,she waited until I got tired of watching her stare over her stall door, I got up to make coffee at 3:00am, walked to the other side of the great room to get my sweats on, and as I was pulling my first pant leg up and turning around, I glanced at the monitor and she was down and flat out! Not 5 minutes! I am sure my sprint was less than 30 seconds and wouldn't you know the foal was big and had a front leg back.

19 days before foaling


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## BriarwoodAcres (Oct 29, 2012)

Ruby I love your little mare! Ill have to post more photos tonight when i feed. Hopefully the full moon and the storms coming will kick her into gear!


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## BriarwoodAcres (Oct 29, 2012)

as of yesterday, her milk wasnt salty, it was kinda bland and is a gold color, sticky


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## minifreishorsefarm (Oct 29, 2012)

It has to be like skim milk before she is ready to foal and sweet too. Good that it isnt salty anymore but it also needs to not be so sticky too. She is getting closer.






Marsha


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## BriarwoodAcres (Oct 29, 2012)

does anyone think she could go another 4 weeks?


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## kay56649 (Oct 29, 2012)

You just never know with mares. We kept thinking my mare was going to foal and she didn't for like another month before popping out a beautiful buckeroo great great granddaughter palomino filly (my avatar at about 3 months old). It most likely won't be another 4 weeks, but there are no guarentees!!


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## kay56649 (Oct 29, 2012)

My mare's bag was pretty full, but no milk came out. I went out and checked one morning and she had milk (finally) and she foaled that night around 4-5am. We checked on her every hour, we went out at 4 and she was peacefully eating her hay, and at 5 there was a healthy foal running around and nursing!!! It was amazing and everything went perfect!


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## BriarwoodAcres (Oct 29, 2012)

I am also using the PH strips from walmart, I saw on a website mix 1cc to 3 ccs water? I also saw 1ccmilk to 6cc water? I am doing the 1/3..which is right? I AM using distilled water.


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## Kim~Crayonboxminiatures (Oct 29, 2012)

You can use 1cc to 3cc or 1cc to 6cc ratio, you will get the same results. I have a webpage with signs of foaling and the milk testing info on it.


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## BriarwoodAcres (Oct 29, 2012)

Kim I called you about 6 weeks about how that works! LOL Still waiting on a darn baby!


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## BriarwoodAcres (Oct 30, 2012)

what do you guys think? the test looked like a 7.8 to me in person, it was getting orange.


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## minifreishorsefarm (Oct 30, 2012)

the test has to be 6.4 or 6.0 before she foals. Sometimes it changes overnight or within a few hours.

Marsha


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## BriarwoodAcres (Oct 30, 2012)

Thanks Marsha, I knew it had to be in the 6 ranch. How fast can she drop? She doesnt look dialated to me or ready. Pics are on main page.


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## minifreishorsefarm (Oct 30, 2012)

It really varies, it can be hours to days. Everyone is different.

Marsha


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## rabbitsfizz (Oct 31, 2012)

She does not have to drop, put up a bag, visually dilate or relax her vulva. That is all in a book and mares cannot read. She can and most probably will just have her foal!!

You need to talk to your Vet about having something on hand to stimulate the milk in case she has been on Fescue, though.....


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## BriarwoodAcres (Oct 31, 2012)

We should teach her to read! I am starting to get nervous about her.


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## hoofhearted (Nov 1, 2012)

The minute you stop fretting, there they will be! Works every time around here. I ought to name them something like Second Cup, and CoffeeTime.lol


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## minifreishorsefarm (Nov 1, 2012)

Her hoohoo seems to be getting longer/looser. But holy cow, no bag to speak of. But my maiden mare looked like that about a week before foaling, she filled up that quick. I think she is getting closer. How relaxed are her muscles around her tail?

Marsha


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## rabbitsfizz (Nov 1, 2012)

You really do need to talk to your Vet- there is a medication whose name eludes me that will bring the milk in if it fails to arrive naturally....


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## BriarwoodAcres (Nov 1, 2012)

Marsha her buts like jello! I can bounce my hand on it all day long!

Jane, I've talked to him, he keeps telling me to relax because shes not a maiden mare and her milk will come in, Well...he MIGHT be right but I've seen it happen before. I DO have powdered milk and powder colstorum on hand just in case but I am going to ask for the shot any way. Its Oxytocin... i think is how its spelled. He did however tell me if she doesnt have a bag he wants her in the clinic to monitor the mare and foal.


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## rabbitsfizz (Nov 1, 2012)

No it's not oxytocin- there is something specifically for mares that have no bag- I'll go and try to do a search for it. Your Vet needs to wake up, everything may well go fine, and we all hope it does, but s/he needs to be aware that it may not- if the mare has been on fescue her bag will not come in without help, he should know that!!

ETA Domperidone: Oxytocin will not bring the milk in, it only stimulates the womb action and could be dangerous just after foaling as it could cause a prolapse- milk can only be "brought in" if it is actually there- if that makes sense to you! Domperidone will actually start the milk even if there is none present.

Your Vet needs to get this in for you just in case.


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## cretahillsgal (Nov 1, 2012)

Jane, it is called domperidone. But you have to be careful to NOT use banamine immediately after foaling if you have to use domperidone to bring in the milk.


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## BriarwoodAcres (Nov 1, 2012)

thanks ladies! We decided if she hadnt foaled by halloween or showed good improvement we're getting a second opnion.


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## BriarwoodAcres (Nov 1, 2012)

what do you guys think?


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## minifreishorsefarm (Nov 1, 2012)

I think she has time yet. I know they can have jello butt for a couple of weeks or so. By looking at the pics I'd say you have time yet. The milk isnt changing anywhere near where it needs to be and her bag looks like she has a month or more to go. Do you know if she did have fescue or just guessing because she isnt getting a bag but has other signs? I really think I'd have the vet do an ultrasound.

Marsha


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## BriarwoodAcres (Nov 1, 2012)

I dont know, Ill call the girl tomorrow and ask. I talked to another vet this evening and he told me that they can do a transultrasound (outside of tummy) but he reassured me not to panic as she could go a whole 365.Shes had that same size bag since Sept! He said its 185 to do the test and hes 1.5hrs away. Hes the only vet around that can do this too. But he did tell me not to worry so much. Her PH test tonight was 7.8 high 7.5


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## rubyviewminis (Nov 2, 2012)

Missy's milk test strips slowly went up then frustratingly fluxuated for about 5 weeks. She foaled 6 weeks past the breeders active breeding dates and estimated foaling date.I nearly lost my mind waiting. That last morning samo samo on the test strips and small barely there bag. It was a battle to get even a drop of milk, and we don't have a *stalled barn* here so not being used to bedding stalls I got tired of cleaning mats from nighttime messes. So that last afternoon I kind of got frustrated with her and told her she could just sleep in her dry comfy pen because I was exhausted and tired of waiting for her to foal lol. But for some reason I lifted her tail and finally her teats were fuller and pointing down! She just looked at me innoncently batting her long eyelashes. I got out the small strips and for once didn't have to struggle to get a drop of milk. The strips had jumped in 6 hours to the high end for foaling lol. Mares! What an adventure!


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## BriarwoodAcres (Nov 2, 2012)

WOW Becky! Thats starting to sound like Shiloh, but Its super easy to get milk from her, shes just not filling out yet. Maybe she'll foal this weekend? haha


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## happy appy (Nov 2, 2012)

The one thing that I have noticed is that they get really pointy in the rump. Almost like they are very underweight in at area and the belly really drops and almost like it's being pulled down their sides from their spin.


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## rabbitsfizz (Nov 2, 2012)

Well....they_ can _do and they can go straight up to foaling with an apple bum.

Trouble is as we all know mares do not read or go by the book. When I can buy a book on foaling that was written by a mare I'll pay attention!

I have yet to be able to use the milk strips as I have yet to be able to express milk (and I once drew milk from a mouse for a bet!!!) from any of my pre foaling mares. Once they have foaled I need a bucket and a milking stool- I could start a dairy- but before- nope, not a thing, and they do have "normal" (as in "define normal") bags.


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## Tremor (Nov 3, 2012)

In our last few years of breeding I was in charge of foal watches and what not. My mares were so used to my presence and my hands running ther bellies, lifting their tails, and cleaning their udders. We had our first foal in 2006 and from that point on they all had to deal with me! Lol.

However, out of all of our mares we've only had one mom are who wasn't textbook. She ended up foaling in our dry lot with the herd.....in the rain.

Our other mares have been so textbook it's ridiculous. I didn't even have to check for milk or anything; there were numerous times I would go just by looking at my mare and tell my parents; "Suzy's going to have a foal by tomorrow." That mare ended up having a colt the next morning.


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## rabbitsfizz (Nov 3, 2012)

My original Arab mare, Amira, would not foal unless I was actually there- she liked an easy life- so I could get a good nights sleep, go out around sixish, give her a pat and a small feed and have a foal within half an hour. She never waxed, she never threw a totally full bag, she just virtually tapped it out in morse code that she was going to foal. One year I even went on holiday (she was with a very experienced breeder, her breeder in fact, for the duration) she went a month over her due dates that year (I was not away for a month!!) and had the biggest foal she has ever had! All well, though, and, again, good nights sleep and we went out at five and sat with her and she had her foal- once I started to help,anyway, she never beleived in pushing too much if there was someone to pull


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## Tremor (Nov 4, 2012)

Oh gosh that is funny!

We've only had to help twice; both with the same mare.

My mare who the slide show is about was SO good at foaling. She was a SPEEDY mare too! I narrowly missed the birth of her last foal in 2011 because it literally lasted about a minute and a half. Her fully literally landed in my lap. It was impressive. Mind you this was her fifth full term pregnancy too.


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## BriarwoodAcres (Nov 4, 2012)

I checked her milk tonight and her ph tested a strong 7.5. Her total hardness is at 0. Is that normal or does her TH have to jump to 3-400 for her to foal or is it just her pH? She doesnt seem to show any different signs then the other day. her bag is harder to milk and I am only getting 1/4 cc out of her as I milk her so i am not taking to much I dont believe, Yesterday her vulva seem more swollen, like towards her butt cheaks. Opinions?


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## tagalong (Nov 5, 2012)

> It has to be like skim milk before she is ready to foal and sweet too. Good that it isnt salty anymore but it also needs to not be so sticky too. She is getting closer.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


This is not always true. Sticky is a sign of colostrum coming in - and a mare can show that yellow, sticky fluid and then foal within an hour - or not foal for a couple of weeks. As Jane has pointed out, not every mare cares about what the books tell you. We have had experienced mares not have any milk come in until the foal was already born - and then the next year they looked like milk cows with huge udders a couple of weeks in advance.


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## BriarwoodAcres (Nov 5, 2012)

i checked her tonight and her milk is getting white, not sticky and a small smidge of yellow but mostly white... hmmm!! Still testing 7.5 and 0 for her Th


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## BriarwoodAcres (Nov 8, 2012)

she still looks the same as she did last. still testing 7.5 but her milk is like skim now. and i cant get much of any to test her? I wasnt ever milking more then 1/4 to 1/2cc


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## Little Wolf Ranch (Nov 8, 2012)

If you are having problems getting milk, try making a loose fist and "buming" your hand against her udder - it simulates what a foal would do to get her milk to drop and you should get a little bit more to test with.

Have you tried to Foal Time Strips? You only need one drop of milk, no mixing, no measuring - just instant results and I believe you can get them overnighted to you?


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## BriarwoodAcres (Nov 8, 2012)

i havent tried those. ill have to look into them. I do bump around on her bag as a foal would but that only seeems to help a little. I am at my wits end with this pregnancy! lol


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## minifreishorsefarm (Nov 8, 2012)

I love the foal time strips, so much easier to do too. One or two drops onto the paper is much easier to get a sample. I just tried to get their website up and its not working anymore. Maybe they went out of business or ??

Marsha


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## BriarwoodAcres (Nov 10, 2012)

i dont think shes going to ever foal


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## rabbitsfizz (Nov 10, 2012)

Get in the car and drive away leaving no-one at the place- she will foal within ten minutes.......guaranteed.


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## BriarwoodAcres (Nov 10, 2012)

there is no one there this weekend. The owners are on a mini vacation and one boarder is super close to the barn, about 3 min. Then i am about 15. so were checking on her a lot this weekned! LOL hopefully she will foal. its nice here this weekend. in the 60s then i think its dropping to the 40s and 50s again.

...owners of the property.


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## chandab (Nov 10, 2012)

minifreishorsefarm said:


> I love the foal time strips, so much easier to do too. One or two drops onto the paper is much easier to get a sample. I just tried to get their website up and its not working anymore. Maybe they went out of business or ??
> 
> Marsha


They have a new website: http://www.ibisequine.com/Foal-Time_Milk_Test_Kit.html


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## minifreishorsefarm (Nov 10, 2012)

Thanks Chanda!

Marsha


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## shalakominiatureshowhorses (Nov 10, 2012)

hope she foals soon! cant wait to see little foal pictures!


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## rabbitsfizz (Nov 11, 2012)

Don't make me come over there...















coz we had all this a few years back and I threatened to hop on a plane and scare the bejabers out of the mare......I seem to remember it worked!


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## BriarwoodAcres (Nov 11, 2012)

buahahaha Jane thats funny. Her stool was kinda loose last night and some this AM. She doesnt seem to be to interested in grass today so maybe were getting some where...maybe...


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