Darla's official foaling thread.

[jessj]

still no foal...still no drop in ph. udder pics from this morning. pics arent great because she was in a terrible mood this morning!

 

[jessj]

and to compare, yesterday and today

 

[jessj]

checked on D a little bit ago...no foal.

 

[jessj]

I checked Darla's milk again at her afternoon feeding, but the ph still hasnt dropped. She had to spend about 3 hours this afternoon in her stall while I mowed her pasture. The grass had gotten really tall and thick...in some places it was waist high! (of course i am only 5ft tall...so i guess thats not super super high) When i let her out of her stall she just kind of stood around at the barn. When she finally did go into the pasture I noticed that she was carrying her tail really high. She has been holding it up a little for a week or so, but she has it really high...like as high as if she were going to poop. She had a fresh poop in her stall while i was mowing. She is also walking like she is stiff in her hindquarters. I have noticed over the last 2-3days that she has been laying down or standing quietly in the shade more (instead of constant grazing). I have also noticed that there is less fetal movement. There is also less belly kicking, nudging, and booty scratching, but more rolling. Just my observations...and they are open for comments!! Also, what is the fastest that you have seen the ph drop? Thanks everyone! I really enjoy reading your comments and advice! I am going back out to watch D for a bit before she goes up for the night!

 

[jessj]

WOOHOO!!! I saw a long time friend of mine at the horse show on saturday...he also happens to be my dad's "hay guy". I asked him to call me when he starts baling square bales....he called a few minutes ago and told me to come tomorrow and he will let me have it for $2.50 per bale out of the field, and he will get his sons to load it for me! Now i've just got to make sure that I have room for 30 or so bales in the barn. That should be more than enough for one little mare and one little filly for the winter!

:yeah

 

[Equuisize]

Darla is looking like she is progressing nicely, Jess.

The waiting is awful, even when you know approximate due dates, believe me.

Just have to let nature take it's course. One of these things that Mom knows

best and when she's thru cooking and painting the baby the colors she wants

she'll pop her/him out.,

It's good you're being watchful but sometimes that pot just doesn't boil

fast enough when you're the one doing the watching.

 

[jessj]

LOL Nancy...i am trying so hard to be patient. But if this pot doesnt boil in the next week or so i think that i will probably go bald!!!

And my ears stick out so bald wont be a good look for me!

 

[cassie]

haha I'm exactly the same Jess!! she sounds like she is getting really close though so keep waiting you will be rewarded, lol evenutally!!!

 

[a mini dream come true]

No foal this morning when I left for work. Are there any new updates?

 

[jessj]

sorry for the late update today!! I have been super busy so far since i got to work...first I had to rescue a chicken out of the middle of the road, then I had to go to a meeting! No foal, and no change in the ph this morning. I ran the chicken to my house (you would be suprised at how many of my chickens are "rescues"!) and checked on her again a little bit ago. She still seems to be walking stiff in her back legs...like from the hip. Here is her udder from this morning and I will post it with the yesterdays pic for comparrison below! Thanks everyone!

 

[jessj]

yesterday and today

 

[jessj]

i think it looks alot fuller at the top....maybe that's why she is walking funny?? trying to walk "around" her udder??

 

[MeganH]

It does look to be filling even more, Jess.

 

[jessj]

Just went by to check on D again...no foal. I had to go by my vet friends office just before i checked on her....I told him that if she doesnt have a foal by tomorrow afternoon I am gonna give her some castor oil and walk her up and down the road, and that if that doesnt work by the next day we are gonna strap her to his big dog table and do a c-section/spay.

He thought it was hilarious. His vet tech were all about it. I got a chorus of "yeah lets do it" and " I wanna help". Of course I am just kidding, but i am seriously ready to meet this little baby!

 

[Eagle]

the creases are slowly disappearing

 

[LittleBittyBritches]

Hi,

I am new to the thread, but I just read this whole thread, and have a mare with a due date of today. Do you have any updates on yours?

 

[jessj]

I ran home after work just long enough to put her in her stall and toss her 4pm meal to her! In the hayfield now getting ready to load my truck! Will test her milk and give an update when I get back home!

 

[cassie]

definitly changing !! looking fuller since the other one

how exciting and her teats look to be pointing down more then together a bit more now as well!! won't be too long now!

 

[jessj]

It has been a LONG afternoon! I went and picked up my hay this afternoon. Then when I got home I had to make room in my tack room for it. My dad remodeled his kitchen a few years ago. When he got ready to do the cabinets, he found a guy that was selling an entire cabinet shop....so he bought him out (it took a uhaul several trips to move it all!) He used what he needed then sold enough of them to make his money back on them, but he still has thousands of cabinet doors! So when I bought my house and decided to remodel the kitchen he had me come over and pick out the color and style that I liked. Then he brought ALL of that style doors to my house so that we could measure and get the correct sizes. It made it really simple at the time, but now I had about 150 cabinet doors in my tack room that had to be moved to make room for my hay! And it just so happens that this is the week that my husband is working 6pm-6am. So I FINALLY got all of the cabinet doors moved and just barely squeezed 30 bales of hay into the back of my tack room. I think that 30 bales (really big and heavy bales) will be plenty to get Miss Darla and her lil filly thru the winter! I checked her milk when I got back home and the ph STILL hasnt dropped. Her udder felt even tighter this afternoon than it did this morning. I was in a big hurry and didnt take pics...i wish that i would have now though. She spent the afternoon with her time divided between grazing and trying to "help" me move the hay! Once my neighbor stopped by to talk for about 5 minutes and when I came back around the barn I found about 10 chickens and one mini horse in my tack room!! It is up off the ground so she had to step up about a foot to get in, then I have no idea how she turned around because I had everthing piled up by the door so that I could move the hay in. I finally convinced her to come back out, then put up a baracade so that she couldnt get back in while i worked....crazy horse!

 

[jessj]

I just brought D in for the night and her last meal. She was laying down (sternal) when I went out. I called for her a few times. She rolled a couple of times (or at least attempted too

) then very slowly got up and very very slowly started walking to me. She was absolutely waddling! Bless her heart, I felt so bad for her. She looked miserable. I really hope that she foals in the next few days, this pregnancy is starting to be painful for her. She stopped and took a break about half way then came on to the barn. Im gonna keep a close eye on her tonight.