Equuisize
Well-Known Member
Our 5 fillies were all born in the 312 to 318 range, with one born at 321.
Average days of mini gestation?
- Thread starter wendyluvsminis
- Start date
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So far here our foals tend to be 330-340 days from last breeding date. I'm curious if climate, time of year, or access to grass plays a role. Biologically it seems that there would be an advantage to having green grass available for foals to eat and that chemicals in green grass could signal to a mare that it is time to foal. It also seems that mares could hold on to foals a bit longer if it meant a greater chance of survival.
can we add the following questions:
Do your summer foals have a shorter gestation on average? Do folks that keep mares out on pasture have shorter gestation? Do folks in harsher northern climates have mares that average longer gestation periods?
I'd love to track: birthdate, gestation length, latitude, access to grass in weeks prior to foaling,height of mare, and sex of foal. We could do some regression analysis to see if any of these factors correlate.
can we add the following questions:
Do your summer foals have a shorter gestation on average? Do folks that keep mares out on pasture have shorter gestation? Do folks in harsher northern climates have mares that average longer gestation periods?
I'd love to track: birthdate, gestation length, latitude, access to grass in weeks prior to foaling,height of mare, and sex of foal. We could do some regression analysis to see if any of these factors correlate.
Eagle
Well-Known Member
Great idea Attwoode. Our winter was very hard last year and the mares were kept in for 4 months with exercising only in the indoor school. No grass was around until very late. My mini shetland went at 357 days and the other 2 went at 345 and 354 days.
wendyluvsminis
Well-Known Member
Melidna, so 329 days for Duchi would be March 8th, using the foal calculator. We have had the foaling monitor on her and watched her every night since Feb1st. I am either extremely sleep deprived or I might be developing early onset Alzheimer's. I can't think of the right word anymore! Hoping, praying she has it soon, so I can have a break before the next one is due!
Thanks to everyone for all the great responses!
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Maple Hollow Farm
Well-Known Member
Yep, and she always liked to bag nice and early and make you suffer for a month before foaling. LOL she normally gets an extremely full bag a couple hours before foaling and her first foal she even waxed and dripped milk. I hope she has it soon too!
wendyluvsminis
Well-Known Member
Her bag has been hard for a month, and sometimes feels wet--like dripping? There is no way I can look under her--she is 28-29 inches and I am not agile! Unless we put a special harness on her and winched her up to the ceiling, to check out and photograph her bag! Hmmmm.....We have another little mare, who takes it upon herself to make sure Duchi is excercised daily. "We will run in the pasture! We will run very fast in the pasture and jump over snow banks!" The other pregnant mares gave up run months ago, and look at these two like they are possessed!
Maple Hollow Farm
Well-Known Member
I always just held my camera down there and tried to get a good shot, sometimes would take more than one try to get it LOL! She has always been very full of energy right up until foaling, I loved watching her run and buck with that big ol belly hehehe! All of my young mares like to run the older mares stare grumpily at them just daring them to run near
Matt73
Well-Known Member
I had a very experienced broodmare produced a big, healthy (with a big winter coat, to boot), active filly at 312 days. Lex delivered her first foal at 374 days
Again, a healthy foal. So I would say that anything from 300 to over 365 is normal (depending on the circumstances, of course).
tagalong
Well-Known Member
Heh - that ^ schedule woud have missed all but two of the foals born here. The average here would work out to somewhere between 315-320. Although we have had them arrive fully cooked and bouncing as early day 296! Counting from the last breeding date.
Most mares have not read the book - or if they have, do not care what it says. We had a mare foal three times in a row on day 312... ad then the next year she went to day 333. She is also a mare who never bags up early (so milk tests are useless) and shows very few signs that anything is about to happen until, well - it does!
*looks down meaningfully at her siggie*
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wendyluvsminis
Well-Known Member
I always just held my camera down there and tried to get a good shot, sometimes would take more than one try to get it LOL! She has always been very full of energy right up until foaling, I loved watching her run and buck with that big ol belly hehehe! All of my young mares like to run the older mares stare grumpily at them just daring them to run near. Dont forget to send me pictures as soon as she foal so I can see what her and Echo have! Is her rear getting looser too?
I thought her rear has been loose the past couple weeks. I will take my camera out at chore time and get some shots of her and her precious bundle!!
wendyluvsminis
Well-Known Member
I really hope she has it before March 8th. My hubby is having surgery on March 8th, about 45 miles from here. So I will be going back and forth from the hospital for 4 days, and not tied to the monitor like now!
wendyluvsminis
Well-Known Member
326 days for Duchess! We are so blessed with a strong, 18 inch little black boy! Her previous two sons came at 329, and on day 329 this year, my hubby has major surgery. So we are so blessed that baby came on day 326. Black pinto Momma plus Buckskin (Buck Echo son) Daddy produced a Black colt! I think Duchess produces the same foal, over and over, regardless of whose the Daddy! LOL!
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Genie
Well-Known Member
Congratulations
Becky
Well-Known Member
Congratulations!!!!
Minimor
Well-Known Member
When I'm figuring up due dates I use 320 days. We haven't had very many go over that and I get worried when they do. We lost two foals that went 330-335 days--one was hypothryroid and the other was just too big & came with a hind leg forward & got stuck...so I don't like them taking that long! We've had better luck with 320 days or less. Most of ours have been less, 305-315 days, and one has been 297 days. That one did very well--didn't look preemie at all.
vickie gee
Well-Known Member
Eagle
Well-Known Member
Yippeeeee, congratulations
wendyluvsminis
Well-Known Member
Thank you, everyone! There's nothing like the warm, glow from a successful foaling! We lost our first one this year (2 months premie) on Feb 28th, and this new fella really helps get over that!
:RollEyes
sedeh
Well-Known Member
Congratulations Wendy!
:yeah
I usually figure 330 days plus or minus 5. But I start really watching them when they hit the 300 day mark. One of my mares likes to go around 320 days. Everyone else seems in the 335-340 range. I breed for fairly early foals and it does seem like they hang on to the pregnancy a bit longer than when I had them foaling in the summer. It's nice when you have a predictable mare...but most aren't!
And with maiden mares it's anyones guess.
I usually figure 330 days plus or minus 5. But I start really watching them when they hit the 300 day mark. One of my mares likes to go around 320 days. Everyone else seems in the 335-340 range. I breed for fairly early foals and it does seem like they hang on to the pregnancy a bit longer than when I had them foaling in the summer. It's nice when you have a predictable mare...but most aren't!
