pH not dropping

[txminipinto]

Dang it, error ate my post!

2nd take: I've done the pH testing on the milk for several years and have never had any problems with it. I've accurately predicted foalings within 24 hours. Until now. First mare of the season was perfect. Foaled exactly when I thought she would. These last two have been driving me crazy.

Both have normal gestational histories. Mare 1 is at 345 days (which is 10 days over due for her) and mare 2 is at 337 days (still within normal). Both mares have huge bags with colostrum, loose vulvas, etc. All the signs we look for. I've been testing these mares for 2 weeks and neither has dropped from the 8.4 pH. Even bought a new box of tests in case the original one went bad. No change. By now, I would have seen a drop into the low 7s.

Started testing hardiness which I haven't done before because I haven't needed to. Mare 1 has increased to 1000/1000 in the last 24 hours. Mare 2 is bordering on 1000.

I hate to think these strips are right and I'm a long way from foaling. Any thoughts?? I don't dilute the colostrum/milk. Did an experiment last year and found that I didn't get different results with diluted colostrum vs undiluted.

 

[kaykay]

Carin I think some just do not test well. I tested one last year and it showed PH was 8.4 and calcium only up slightly. But I knew her bag was hard and tight and that her colostrum was in so I watched her anyway. She foaled just over 2 hours after I took the test.

I have had other friends have mares test not ready and then foal so I just never trust them.

 

[txminipinto]

They've worked exceptionally well up until now on these last mares. Am hopeing to hear from others who test every mare and have done so for years. I guess I'll find out when they finally foal.

 

[palsminihorses]

Carin, I have used the 'pool strip tests' for several years now. Recently one of my mares tested 400 on the hardness, but the PH was still too high for foaling. Well, I tested her at 7:00 PM, and she foaled at 7:30 AM the next morning!!

I have a mare now that I have been testing. The hardness was at 400, but the PH wasn't low enough on Tuesday evening. I tested her again last evening (Wed), and her PH had dropped to the lowest orange square. I felt sure she would foal last night, but she's waiting for it to storm tonight!! LOL

Pam

 

[vickie gee]

This year was the first time I had used them. The lady at the pool store where I bought them said if they were anywhere close to the expiration date they could be inaccurate. Honestly an abrupt spike in the calcium/hardness convinced me we were "close". The color I was getting on ph was not a close hue to anything on the chart. But by the time the change happened with the calcium all the classic foaling signs were already there anyway. I probably got more rest those last few nights just by telling myself that according to the strips it was not time yet. Same thing with allowing myself to go on in to work because the strips would be predicting when very close. When the change in calcium was noticeable I went on in to work and scheduled the next day off thinking "it is going to be tonight, maybe tomorrow". Well the foaling happened that very day while I was at work. Next time I will still be using strips but will consider a change to mean that the time is drawing very near.

 

[txminipinto]

Well, I have my answer! Last night I tested Design (345 days) and the strip said NOPE. Hardiness was at a 1000 but the pH was still way too high. Still didn't trust it so still woke up every few hours for nothing. Tonight, I tested around 9pm and holy moly, we're testing ready! 3 hours later this little guy showed up!

Lesson learned: Do not write off the test strips. They do indeed work very well. Now just waiting on the last mare.

 

[Kelsey - Vandy's Farm]

This year was the first time I had used them. The lady at the pool store where I bought them said if they were anywhere close to the expiration date they could be inaccurate. Honestly an abrupt spike in the calcium/hardness convinced me we were "close". The color I was getting on ph was not a close hue to anything on the chart. But by the time the change happened with the calcium all the classic foaling signs were already there anyway. I probably got more rest those last few nights just by telling myself that according to the strips it was not time yet. Same thing with allowing myself to go on in to work because the strips would be predicting when very close. When the change in calcium was noticeable I went on in to work and scheduled the next day off thinking "it is going to be tonight, maybe tomorrow". Well the foaling happened that very day while I was at work. Next time I will still be using strips but will consider a change to mean that the time is drawing very near.

Sorry if this is a dumb question.... But do you use separate pool test strips for hardness/calcium and pH?

 

[Eagle]

Congratulations Carin, Thanks for sharing your experience with us.

 

[AnnaC]

Many congratulations!

Anna

 

[txminipinto]

Kelsey, I use one test strip that has both pH and Hardiness/Calcium on it. Just have to be careful that the colors don't run if you over saturate the pads. In my experience, they haven't been wrong yet.

Thanks, the colt is doing well this morning. And might be a black sabino.

 

[vickie gee]

Kelsey,

Not a dumb question at all. It is just one test strip. But I cut mine so that I can dip the calcium test and the ph test separate.

Carin,

Congratulations on your handsome colt. Glad all went well. This year was my first time to use the strips. My experience was that the calcium will change gradually enough to give you a warning and then get to the ready stage and could remain there for days. I believe we want so badly for the ph change to show ready we grow impatient, at least that is what I did. To me, it looks like the ph will change very rapidly (in some) that you could miss it. Next time when the calcium peaks to around 400 I will just go on full alert and stay on it.

 

[Kelsey - Vandy's Farm]

Kelsey,

Not a dumb question at all. It is just one test strip. But I cut mine so that I can dip the calcium test and the ph test separate.

Okay thanks! How to you test them separately? We have just been diluting it and then dipping the strip in for ten seconds. I watch how fast it changes and then compare the color....

Well, I have my answer! Last night I tested Design (345 days) and the strip said NOPE. Hardiness was at a 1000 but the pH was still way too high. Still didn't trust it so still woke up every few hours for nothing. Tonight, I tested around 9pm and holy moly, we're testing ready! 3 hours later this little guy showed up!

Lesson learned: Do not write off the test strips. They do indeed work very well. Now just waiting on the last mare.

Congratz!!!

Beautiful.

 

[vickie gee]

Kelsey,

I just dip the tip of the test strip enough to immerse the color block area of the calcium only. On mine that one is at the top so I am just dipping that one area, not letting the second block get wet. I only leave it in a couple of seconds. I do the ph one the same way. I have cut off the block above it so that I can dip it and not go any deeper than the ph square. I guess you could dip the whole strip, but normally my sample has so little depth (in a shot glass) it would be difficult to immerse the whole strip at once. I just dip in one and get a reading and then just repeat into the same milk/distilled water sample with the other half of the strip I have cut and get another quick reading for it. I like to test the calcium first because it seems like it is the first to show even a slight change and the change is so much more obvious than the ph one.

 

[txminipinto]

I don't dilute my samples. I did an experiement last year where I took two samples and dilute one 1:1. There was never any difference between the two. MOST of my mare do a gradual change on the pH over a week or longer. This is the first year I've had a mare do a sudden change to ready in 24 hours AND this particular mare was tested before and had gradual changes. So who knows. Each year and every mare is different.