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jos
Member
Username: paardex
Post Number: 581
Registered: 11-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, Mar 9, 2008 - 5:46 am: |   |
Hello All, mid april my broodmare is planned to foal. In your posts I read of Calcium tests and a 'breeder alarm' Stacy used with succes[I asked information on this one] are there any more suggestions?
And the calcium milktest is totally unknown to me how does it work any experiences with it? and where do I buy it?
Any advice greatly appreciated
Jos |
Robert N. Oglesby DVM
Moderator
Username: dro
Post Number: 20229
Registered: 1-1997
| | Posted on Monday, Mar 10, 2008 - 7:25 am: | |
Hello jos,
We have a discussion of the calcium test along with comparison of commercial products at Equine Reproduction » Pregnancy, Foaling, & Neonatal Care » Normal Birth (Parturition). I cannot speak as to the foal alarms (those that detect rolling or the vulvar lips being separated) but we like human baby monitors ourselves. The noise of birthing has always woke us up.
DrO |
jos
Member
Username: paardex
Post Number: 584
Registered: 11-2004
| | Posted on Monday, Mar 10, 2008 - 8:57 am: | |
That's what I had Dr. and it woke me up too. I just am struggling to make a decision with this first mare. She doesn't do well when closed in in a box[boxwalker] SHE would certainly prefer to have her baby in the field and there monitor doesn't work. I do have experience with the rolling over alarm with single, they are very expensive[1000 euros] and with horses left in the field the single is prone to be damaged.
Sorry I missed the other discussions I will look them up.
Jos |
Heidi Hocker
Member
Username: heidih
Post Number: 227
Registered: 9-1999
| | Posted on Monday, Mar 10, 2008 - 9:32 am: | |
I had very good luck with the milk test. I used the Predict a Foal kit. I monitored my mare for several weeks with the test and the day the test indicated high calcium level, my mare foaled within 12 hours. I was boarding at the time, so it saved me a lot of nights sleeping in my car or in the unheated tack room (in Feb. in Wisconsin).
The only time I know of a problem with the test is when I was foal watching for a friend last year. Her maiden mare had no signs, including no fluid in the udder to test, up to the time she foaled. We checked her about 9 pm and she had nothing, my friend went out the next morning to a foal in the stall. |
timothy miller
Member
Username: tpmiller
Post Number: 65
Registered: 11-2003
| | Posted on Monday, Mar 10, 2008 - 10:07 am: | |
Heidi, same thing happened here last year.
Predict a Foal kit was accurate on non-maiden, several months later maiden mare had zero milk and foaled the following AM. |
jos
Member
Username: paardex
Post Number: 585
Registered: 11-2004
| | Posted on Monday, Mar 10, 2008 - 12:39 pm: | |
Thanks guys so much for the 'predict a foal kit' two maiden mares this year. It seems I will [once again] stop sleeping, just naps with one ear open
Jos |
brian anderton
Member
Username: walkingd
Post Number: 10
Registered: 2-2008
| | Posted on Tuesday, Mar 11, 2008 - 4:20 am: | |
Just a thought, I was told some time back to milk a little from mare in the palm of your hand and taste it. If it is sweet or bland it was suppose to mean that it was going to be awhile. If it was salty then it meant the mare would foal pretty soon. Less than 24 hours. I don't have scientific research to back this up but I can attest to the fact that their is a big difference in the taste 24 hrs prefoaling. Sounds a little bad but a poor boy got poor boy ways!! I have used the halter type and it works fine but you really need a camera system to go along with it. I got a lot of false alarms. I have recently bought a Foalert suture type and this will be my first year using it so I don't know any 1st hand info about it. I will say that we saved several colts over the years just by being their to get the colt's head out of the bag. Just our opinion though. Brian Anderton |
jos
Member
Username: paardex
Post Number: 586
Registered: 11-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, Mar 11, 2008 - 12:26 pm: | |
Thanks Brian, I vote for no milk on this maiden mares if I have to taste it! The sutured type was extensively tested in Holland at a government farm and works perfect according to their studies but you do need someone to put it in/on the mare in Holland it is always done by a vet.
My French vets will be very happy to let me use the haltertype and monitor, the first mare frightens them to the point they get white when I tell them she needs her vaccinations and that's her front!
Jos |
