Ridges - ITS PINK!!!

[countrymini]

Well, I can sleep peacefully at night now, knowing I have nothing to worry about. I have to face everyone that I've been putting on hold the for last few months and explain that I didn't need to. Also I feel really really tired today just knowing that I could've been sleeping through the last 90 days. But just so you don't feel too sorry for me, there IS a foal in there!!!! But he said that since he had to reach in so far to feel it, it couldn't possibly be due any time soon so she had to have taken in October! So super excited about getting some sleep, so glad I got him out!! He said I also need to be careful with her feed so she doesn't found being THIS big. whoops

 

OCTOBER? Well, sleep now, Hayley, and have a good night's sleep -- but I truly don't believe October. Since she's growing an udder now, and IF I was only going by udder developement, I'd say maybe 6 weeks at the "outside", but there is no way I believe she took in October. I just can't "go there" in my mind -- which can be wrong -- but I just don't believe it.

Sleep well Hayley, and we'll watch the udder grow!

Anna and Renee, what do you think? Am I "full of it" ? I'm just not going with this thought process. Having baby be forward and deep just doesn't make sense to me to say baby won't be any time soon -- and not until September -- she's a maiden, so I would expect baby to be deep and held up tight.

Thanks for the update Hayley. And sorry if I'm disagreeing with your vet, but I'm just not seeing it. Hope you understand, I'm not saying your vet isn't right -- I just don't think he is, but not trying to be a "disagreeable" Auntie -- I'm really a nice lady at heart.

 

[countrymini]

Thats fine Diane, I did wonder about the shape change too. Maybe she has loose muscles? I double checked the dates I had filed and it wasn't october it was september 20th. Which if i filled the calculator out correctly makes her 238 days. The vet also said with the amounts of grass we have here over summer I would've have needed to supplement her with extra hay so maybe i've been over doing it.

 

[AnnaC]

OK here are my comments! Have to say that I agree with Diane. But firstly I have to say that I have always been suspicious about her dates, there is no way that I could believe that she would carry a foal this long. Then I agree with your vet on the feed and grass issue - keep forgetting that you are in Aussieland Hayley and therefore have been through your summer months, plus you have grass. When my girls are foaling in May or June here they have nothing but grass until they come in at nights a month before they are due to have hay overnight and a small cup of balancer night and morning, nothing more, and they are fat, but hard fat not flabby fat. So having gone back and studied Sweety's pictures several pages back, I can see that the dropped belly could be more from her being overweight than having baby already dropped.

But I also agree with Diane. Maiden mares do carry their babies up high and tight so a mistake could be made as to how far along in pregnancy a maiden mare is. Also the udder development that she has so far is not the 'puffy swelling' that an overweight mare sometimes shows, so she IS showing some movement towards udder development which, to me, would put her some 4 weeks to her foaling date.

So yes, you can go back to enjoying some sleep for now Hayley, and we had better put some suggestions forward as to what Sweety should be eating at this stage of the game, remembering that by now your grass will be losing some of it's goodness and we dont want to drastically reduce her feed too suddenly either. Perhaps a good quality balancer to provide her essential minerals and vitamins would be a thought and then to rely on the grass just to provide the necessary fibre?

How about some more pictures this time next week so we can make comparisons to those I have just been looking at?

Sleep well Hayley - you deserve it!!

 

[countrymini]

Thanks Anna. I''m feeling really overwhelmed. Its like my body knows I can sleep tonight and is trying to start now (its only 2.30pm here atm lol) Here''s what i''ve been feeding her and you guys can let me know what I need to tweek. As you said Anna, the grass is starting to slow down a bit.

Not sure if scoops are the same size worldwide but she was getting two feeds morning and night. Combined she was getting a total of 1 scoop oats, 3 scoops lucern charf and 1 scoop breeda. Now that i''ve written it down it does sounds like a lot lol. Any imput into what i need to change would be great

 

[AnnaC]

I remember the breeda from when Cassie was feeding Suzie and it sounded like a good mare and foal feed. To be honest, apart from the breeda your oats and chaff were just filling her up, which she doesn't/didn't need, so I would cancel them out first, maybe cutting her down to literally a handful of each night and morning for a few days before stopping them all together. You could keep going with the breeda - I'm not too happy about cutting ALL her feed out at this stage, we just need to get rid of the 'bulk' side of things - but the problem with any 'commercial' feed is that unless you feed the quantity stated on the packet/sack for the size of horse, then you are NOT getting the necessary amount of vitamins and minerals required, which is why those of us that do use these commercial feeds also feed a balancer or provide a top quality block/tub/lick/loose added to feed/ to make up the difference.

But firstly I would suggest that you weigh the amount of breeda that your scoop holds - all scoops differ in size and all feeds differ in weight - so we can get an idea of exactly how much breeda she is getting at the moment, also can you check on the back of your breeda sack for the correct amounts to be fed to a horse of her size (they usually have a chart or something that will say so much breeda alongside either hay or grass for optimum health). Meanwhile, on your next trip to town I suggest to try to find a good quality tub/lick for her - either a general one giving all the necessary vits and mins or sometimes you can get one suitable for breeding stock, but either way she will be needing something if we are going to cut down on her feed intake.

 

[countrymini]

She has a trace element block in her paddock. Forgot to mention that. Will follow your instructions and see how we go, thanks

 

[Eagle]

It is clear that she has movement in her udder which doesn't normally happen until around 6 weeks before:

May 5th

/monthly_05_2013/post-44615-0-68808700-1367742692_thumb.jpg

Yesterday

/monthly_05_2013/post-44615-0-40536200-1368577609_thumb.jpg

But her tummy hasn't really changed much in shape over the months due to her being chubby (no critisism here as my girls were always XXL to)

13th April

/monthly_04_2013/post-44615-0-12504800-1365891658_thumb.jpg

Today

/monthly_05_2013/post-44615-0-81755200-1368577448_thumb.jpg

We can only go on pics whereas the vet is hands on but I would think she would foal way before October

 

She's such a pretty lady, and I'm so looking forward to this little one. Ditto to all Anna and Renne have said, since she's more familiar with the feeds available.

I'm still guessing more in the 4-6 week mark with that udder changing, but can't wait to see her changes as you change her feed.

 

[Eagle]

I agree Diane, her being a maiden makes tummy changes unreliable as they hide them so much better

 

[AnnaC]

Well, did you enjoy your sleep????

Dont forget to find out how much a scoop of your breeda weighs!

 

[countrymini]

Haha, kinda. The thought to check her every 5 seconds was still there so this might be a hard habit to break. Hopefully tonight will be better. Will weigh the breeda this morning

 

[Wings]

I'd actually cut the breeda before I touched the oats.

In no way would I call them filler and the Lucerne chaff balances them out beautifully.

I do think you could do with a rebalance though, it sounds like a lot if you have good quality grass. Per feed mine usually get a scoop of Lucerne, 2 cups of whole oats, 1 cup of breeda + supplement. That's an 'average' that gets tweaked a bit but they only get that when they come off the big paddocks and up to the 1/4 acre where they only have pick and as much grass hay as they want.

I've had all of mine balanced out awhile ago but it's probably due to be double checked, I'll have to hit up my feed queen friend

Like I said on fb I hope the vet is right, a spring foal will be so much easier on you and Sweety, even if August can be a bit gross!

 

[countrymini]

I measured the 'scoop' and it holds 560 grams of dry breeda. On the bag it says 'pregnant mare 1 - 8 mths 300kg should get 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 kgs per day. Sweety's probably half that weight so I probably haven't been overfeeding it. Altho if you are only giving a metric cup Bree and your girls are fine I probably could cut it back. The amount on the bag increases when they are over 8mths then again when lactating. I was definitely going overboard with the Lucerne chaff.

Think I forgot to mention this but I had Bindi checked as well. She is not pregnant. I didn't know enough about stallions when I had Wazza but looking back his balls were definitely not showing when I got him but they were there when he left so I think he may have been performing all right but was shooting blanks till mid 2012. That would explain Bindi not falling pregnant with the amount of months she was with him.

Anyways, I am so relieved we have a proper date, feels like all this year has been waiting for this baby to come on time from different stallions and possible cover dates lol. Did I mention I'm not going to breed again?

You breeders are troopers!

 

[Eagle]

That seems a lot to me if you add oats and chaff plus grass. I personally would cut her back slowly.

Sorry to hear that Wazza was shooting blanks poor little chap, I am not sure if he would want us all to know that. Lol

 

[countrymini]

No probably not lol. He thinks he is a little stud muffin. Am going out to visit him soon when I get time, will have to get some photos to share.

 

Can't wait for the new photos of Wazza. Such a pretty boy! And shhhhhhh--we promise not to tell him you told us a secret about his manhood. LOL

 

[cassie]

wow, gosh what a suprise, so glad that you will be able to sleep now though

gosh I hope that little baby keeps cooking till at least september... August will be still very cold for a little one to enter the world but I'm glad you won't be expecting a June foal (yuck! lol) love the Breeda! Smartie gets it too (as he is a bit hard to get the condition on it works really well )

 

[countrymini]

Shared this on fb, but had to share it here as well. Pretty much sums me up, which is really sad. Good news is I have two months to hit the gym before I'm housebound, again.

 

LOVE IT!