Kandy due soon, need help determining when!

[Krmal90]

Kandy is a maiden mare and due anytime (pasture bred). So far we have not really been experiencing really any textbook signs. She has been bagging up a little at night the past week and then it shrivels back up during the day. She had been looking very wide up until today, I think her belly has dropped but it's hard for me to tell. Baby was not moving for a few days but today baby was kicking and moving so hard. She has been swishing and nipping all day and calling for the other horses. Hasn't been eating much hay for about a week, only wants grain and light grazing. She looks very loose all over. I was hoping she would have it today but maybe I'm all kinds of off... what do you all think??

 

[Krmal90]

Here are pictures from the 15th

 

[JFNM miniatures]

Is there some way you can test her milk with pH strips ? It usually gives a good idea if baby is on its way or not. pH will drop from about 8.0 to 6.4-6.0, even below 6.0 sometimes. Did it with my mare and worked very well. She dropped to 6.0 or lower and 24 hours later, we had a baby.

All you need is pool pH test strips (fresh, otherwise you'll get a bad reading) and one or two drops of milk. Also, look at milk consistency.

Hope this helps.

 

[Krmal90]

Is there some way you can test her milk with pH strips ? It usually gives a good idea if baby is on its way or not. pH will drop from about 8.0 to 6.4-6.0, even below 6.0 sometimes. Did it with my mare and worked very well. She dropped to 6.0 or lower and 24 hours later, we had a baby.

All you need is pool pH test strips (fresh, otherwise you'll get a bad reading) and one or two drops of milk. Also, look at milk consistency.

Hope this helps.

No milk comes out

 

[elizabeth.conder]

JFNM Miniatures is right. Ph tests are an extremely helpful tool. Don’t worry about no milk at this point. It should come in as she gets closer. Can you get a picture from directly under her udder to help us see how big it is? She does look pretty slacked off. What was her conditioning prior to being heavy in foal?

 

[Krmal90]

JFNM Miniatures is right. Ph tests are an extremely helpful tool. Don’t worry about no milk at this point. It should come in as she gets closer. Can you get a picture from directly under her udder to help us see how big it is? She does look pretty slacked off. What was her conditioning prior to being heavy in foal?

This is how she looked March 19th, around the time I got her. How many more weeks would you guess? I'll get an updated photo of her udder in the morning.

 

[elizabeth.conder]

It is extremely difficult to predict solely off of size. In the more current I guess it looks like she “could” be dropping. But it’s hard to tell without previous similar pictures.

 

[JFNM miniatures]

No milk comes out

I honestly think she may need to bag up a little more, especially if you say no milk is out. Being a maiden mare, it is possible that she won't bag up until last minute, but still. If you could check often so see if she begins to milk... My mare wouldn't let her milk down until someone on the forum suggested it gently wiped he udder with a warm cloth. I did it two times, and then she started giving me about one or two drops, enough to test. Just an idea. But check on her often. Things can change very fast.

 

[Krmal90]

 

[Krmal90]

These are pictures of her udder this morning. Baby is still kicking a lot.

 

[Taz]

Going by the book it looks like she still needs time to get her bag going but they don't all read the book. Do you have a camera on her at night? You said she's not wanting to eat hay right now, have you increased her grain or added hay pellets, beetpulp or anything else to replace what she's not wanting? Do you know aprox. when she was bred?

 

[MBENES]

I am following your posts closely, as I am going through the same thing with my mare, acquired March 13th. The main difference is that Consuelo foaled on May 29 last year and was put to pasture with a stud "right away", so theoretically she should be due beginning May 7. But I have also read that minis sometimes foal earlier than full size horses. I hope your girl and you have an easy time of it. I have been watching foaling videos to get a better idea of what I will be experiencing. I have sheep, but this is very different!

 

[Ryan Johnson]

Welcome to the forum.

Id also say she has a little while to go yet. Keep a close eye on her udder for further development. In the last udder photo it looks as though it is just starting to develop an udder.

 

[Krmal90]

Going by the book it looks like she still needs time to get her bag going but they don't all read the book. Do you have a camera on her at night? You said she's not wanting to eat hay right now, have you increased her grain or added hay pellets, beetpulp or anything else to replace what she's not wanting? Do you know aprox. when she was bred?

I was giving her a really good quality Bermuda which she decided a week ago she no longer wanted. I've since slowly bumped up her grain (Purina Enrich+, recommended by my vet) and today got her some Timothy hay which she is enjoying.

 

[Taz]

Awesome! That was in no way a criticism, please don't think so, I'm a worrier.

 

[Krmal90]

Awesome! That was in no way a criticism, please don't think so, I'm a worrier.

No worries!

 

[Maryann at MiniV]

I HATE maiden mares!!!! You can't count on "the book". She may or may not give you a full bag prior. However if you can get ANY liquid it would be wonderful. And having some Ph test strips (available at a pool/hot spa store or Walmart) would be nice. Otherwise, just check how sticky the liquid is. The more colostrum, the more sticky like honey it will feel on your fingers. Also, her butt muscles will get more relaxed. I started calling it a "jello butt" decades ago, and everyone now refers to it that way.
Maiden mares often hold their foals up higher than experienced brood mares, but you should see if the foal drops low to go into foaling position. It can be a day in advance or as quick as a few hours.

 

[Krmal90]

Kandy was feeling good today I guess, she started running across the pasture faster than any prego mama I've seen! Checked her udder last night, it was too dark for a picture, but her udder may have felt a little more full? I also thought maybe her belly was a little more "V" shaped than normal. She seems to be more sunken in at the hips...but I dont know, seems baby does somersaults in there cuz it's always changing shape lol

 

[Krmal90]

Ok, I feel like we're actually getting somewhere today! Her udder actually looked a bit more filled in today!

 

[Taz]

Looks like the foal might be riding lower...and over to the left. LOL!