What's the shortest time frame

[Becky]

I have two mares that should be really close to foaling. One has a really hard, tight udder this evening, but as of middle of this afternoon, her milk was still thin and just slightly tacky. I would think from her udder she would be ready to foal, but her milk makes me wonder. What's the shortest time frame you've had milk go from thin and watery to thick and sticky?

 

[REO]

I've had mares foal with thin, clear "milk" and foal. And the foal do just fine.

I don't count on thick, really sticky milk before foaling. My one mare who DID get thick milk before hand every time, one year didn't bag big and had watery milk. 20 mins after I checked her, I checked her again on a hunch and she'd had a filly... lost in the sac. So I no longer count on it being thick. Even if it's a mare that usually does. I learned the hard way.

But to answer your question LOL, I've had them not have thick stuff and it became thick right at foaling.

Mares due = me bonkers

 

[Becky]

Mares due = me bonkers

You got that right, Robin!! These mares are driving me nuts this year! Nobody seems to be doing what they usally do. My clues are way off and I can't seem to second guess them.

Sigh..... I guess the good news is that they will foal eventually!

 

[RJRMINIS]

I agree, my mares are not making the bags they did last year.....they are bagging but not getting full and tight bags....it is driving me crazy~!

 

[Bess Kelly]

The one that foaled Sat was checked about 11M Friday night....water clear liquid, just getting a little tacky about 1 min in the air. Full, not tight bag, nipples no longer facing one another, and looser tail. Somewhere between 4 & 6AM she delivered, thick sticky milk in full flow!

They can drive one to drink, these mares.

Don't do lots of breeding now ... but, when I did put 25-40 foals (minis & donks) on ground, I noticed that the earlier foalers tended to have the more irratic signs. The May-July ones, more like they read the book.

I'm thinking the weather and grasses may play a role in their body signals. Don't know but, it would make some sense. After all, most animals do breed and produce during the best of times, even cutting back when things are tough. There's something for all of us to ponder -- and where you live may make a difference for similar reasons. Far North, you only have summer for what, a day or two?

I mean, with snow on ground for 10 months......

Keep it in mind as you note you mares habits and the signs displayed. Most mares will follow a pattern for selves which falls into place a high % of the time. Such as, days of gestation, day or night preference for foaling, etc. Intersting thing to ponder during these long, long nights on marestare.

 

[Devon]

Mares due = me bonkers

You got that right, Robin!! These mares are driving me nuts this year! Nobody seems to be doing what they usally do. My clues are way off and I can't seem to second guess them.

Sigh..... I guess the good news is that they will foal eventually!

Exactly how I'm feeling

I think I see signs which end up not ebing signs shes all over the place

 

[Magic]

I agree, my mares are not making the bags they did last year.....they are bagging but not getting full and tight bags....it is driving me crazy~!

I'm watching a mare like that right now, her bag is filled out but not tight by any means, and if I didn't know that she tends to foal right around this gestation (323 to 326 days, at least the last two foals) then I wouldn't be watching her as intensely as I am yet, but when I finally got some milk out of her, it was quite thick and sticky, and tested ready to foal any time. I think she's trying to pull a fast one on me, like my first mare of the season this year, who was a maiden and her teats were tucked up in a small bag, no way she should have foaled then, but she did. Maybe there is a competition to see who can fool their humans the best?

 

[mmmorgans]

I am finding that my mares are doing some strange things this year too. Mares that should bag nicely - full hard bags - just aren't quite getting there but then they foal. We lost a filly on Sunday because I thought the mare had a ways to go as she had a tiny soft start of a bag on Saturday night. I was totally shocked and felt so badly when I went down Sunday morning to find a dead filly in the stall. The placenta was still attached so it may have been a red bag - not sure. The filly was obviously full term - but something went wrong during the delivery. I so wish I had put that mare on cam - but didn't think she was close at all. Yesterday was a very sad day.

We have another mare that was due March 6th - I hand breed so know exactly when she was bred - she is now at day 366 and we are still waiting - although she has made huge progress over the past 48 hours - she has a reasonably large bag - it is hard - nipples are filling and I can finally get some colostrum (that is slightly sticky) out of her. I have never had a mare go this long before - and of course I am worried. She is a maiden (7 years old) - so I am sure hoping that everything goes OK for her. She is such a sweet mare - I will be glad when she has foaled!!!

We have another mare that has foaled before - due in 3 days - but she is so grouchy I can hardly believe that she is my horse. She doesn't want me checking her bag - doesn't even want me petting her - she is just so miserable. She is huge and looks like she is going to explode. She had a terrible dystocia 2 years ago - but last year had a textbook delivery - so I am worried about her and hopefully this foaling will be as easy as last years foaling.

So - the signs are not always there for these mares this year - it is best to have them on cam and extra eyes on them at all times!!!!

We have 3 cams on marestare:

Goldie (the mare at day 366) is on cam 1 http://www.marestare.com/mistymoonone.php

Ladybug (the grouch) is on cam 3 http://www.marestare.com/mistymoonthree.php

Donna due anytime and 3 mares with foals on cam 2 http://www.marestare.com/mistymoontwo.php

I think that anyone with minis should seriously think about putting their cams on marestare or wefoal - it is invaluable!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[windemereminis]

Hi Becky,

Last week our mare started to drip what looked like skim milk. By Thursday it looked like 2%. This mare was getting 1cc injectable Regumate and SMZ's. When she started to drip milk the vet had us start 4cc's of Regumate orally.

She foaled on Friday evening regardless of the regime we had her on. She was only at 288 days, and it is the typical time frame for her to foal, yet we thought we could buy some time.

The filly only weighs about 11 pounds and is hanging in there. When the mare foaled the sticky colostrum came in and not before. Of course they all seem to be different, but it sounds like your mares are so close.

Good luck!

Janet