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Discussion on Confusing Udders! :-) | |
Author | Message |
Member: judyhens |
Posted on Monday, Mar 21, 2011 - 4:07 pm: I have two mares due within approx. the next three weeks. One due April 6th (324 days) and one due April 12th (318 days). The mare who is 318 days has a hx. of delivery as early as 328 days. She has a semi full, somewhat hard udder, but the milk is crystal clear. The mare who is 324 days has a very soft udder, not full at all, but her milk turned white 3 days ago. We have been stalling her since then at night and have closed circuit tv on her so we can watch her behavior at night. So far she is totally relaxed, eating normally, and sleeping normally. Despite the white milk we see no signs of impending birth. She typically goes close to 340 days. We are leaving for a horse show tomorrow (thru Sat night). Normally we would leave these mares at a birthing center, but it is our understanding that colitis may be going around the clinic (diarrhea, some colic, etc). So....we have someone checking the color of the milk (just a DrOp per day) here. We can get the trailer home within a couple of hours if we need too, or someone here can borrow the truck and trailer next door (we are checking on that ahead of time). Does anyone have experience with a small bag, but white milk or a pretty large bag but clear fluid re: estimation of foaling time? Usually our mares get huge bags before they have white milk. We have relied on milk color change over the past almost 20 years, without harming the colostrum by checking a DrOp of it daily (as validated by IGG tests in foals). This is a little confusing and we want to cover all our bases prior to leaving. Somewhat nerve racking in fact!Blessings, Judy |
Member: mrose |
Posted on Tuesday, Mar 22, 2011 - 11:19 am: In my experience, I've seen mares with no bag or at best almost no bag, foal and have a bag full of milk almost instantly. I've also had mares that had a huge bag, dripping milk for several weeks be almost a month late in foaling. I don't think size of the bag is a good indicator of when a mare is ready to foal. Waxing up and the changing colors of the wax is, imo, a better indicator, and better yet is watching the condition of the mare.That being said, some mares will wax up early and some will show very little wax. But for those that do wax up, the color changes a day or two before foaling out. Is the tail head area soft and tail kind of floppy? Is she restless? Is she eating and drinking or laying off her feed? It's been my experience that these things are much more reliable indicators of a mare getting ready to foal. I don't know if you already do this or not, but I used to keep notes on each of our mares during their pregnency, noting how much weight they gained, habit changes, how soon after bagging, waxing etc. they foaled, any problems they had etc. This made it much easier to know what was going on and what to expect with each mare. |
Member: judyhens |
Posted on Tuesday, Mar 22, 2011 - 11:53 am: Thanks, Sara! Most of ours have been considerate enough to let us use color change of the milk as the indicator of need to stay up 24/7. Unfortunately, this year one of these girls is keeping us guessing. Snow white milk for 4 days now without a huge bag. She is quiet and calm at night. Stands in one place most of the night, then lies down at about 5 AM. Eats periodically and normally. Sticking to a pattern. I think we have about decided to take her to the vet's while we are gone, but leave the one with a larger bag but completely clear milk home. Still a little worried about the mare getting an infection at the vet's, but the foaling stalls are isolated and they have infectious diseases in a separate barn. Thanks for your info. Your input is appreciated. Can't wait to see all these little foals frolicking around!Blessings, Judy 0 0 \_/ |
Moderator: DrO |
Posted on Tuesday, Mar 22, 2011 - 12:28 pm: Hello Judy,I find color and opacity of milk very variable in healthy mares before birth. Many mares are clear the day of birth for instance. I am a bit more concerned about the early appearance of whiteness as a possible indication of impending birth and would consider checking the mineral content to get a better reading. You will find this under Monitoring Mammary Secretions in the article HorseAdvice.com » Equine Reproduction » Pregnancy, Foaling, & Neonatal Care » Normal Birth (Parturition). DrO |
Member: mrose |
Posted on Tuesday, Mar 22, 2011 - 12:31 pm: Judy, after a lifetime with horses, I've learned one thing: you can't trust mares when it comes to foaling! LOL We had a mare that was like clock work. Loved her to death; she even foaled before mid-night every foaling. Mare of my dreams. UNTIL we were scheduled to go on a ski trip with our vet and his family. We had rented a house at Whistler big enough for both our families and couldn't bake out of it. No worries; we knew when our due mare would foal and planned dates when the foal would have been on the ground for several weeks before we left.As the due date got closer, Ms. Wonderful continued to live her life of luxury on extra food and grain, extra bedding, etc. with none of the expected signs of foaling. Then one day she was waxed up; whew- saved, she's going to foal on time. Due date came and went as departure date got closer. There were spousal threats made, to no avail. Three weeks past her due date, still no foal. The only thing that saved my marriage, and probably that of our vet, is I was able to talk a good very experienced friend into horse sitting and trusted our now less beloved mare to her care. The foal arrived, safe and healthy, the day after we left! So....I'm sure you get the drift here! |
Member: judyhens |
Posted on Tuesday, Mar 22, 2011 - 1:18 pm: Oh, Sara - Too funny! Can I ever relate!!!!! Your story just made my day! I am leaving for a horse show and will pass it on to other mare owners wondering when their babies are going to hit the ground. You should write a book!Thanks too, Dr. O. I think this foal would probably be ok even if it was born because it is 325 days now. We used to use the chemical strips religiously. Not sure if we have any at the house right now, but could get some. We are also worried that the white milk might indicate that foaling is soon - even though her bag is not full - and really don't want to have her foal while we are gone to the horse show. My honey just decided to take the mare to the vet's, so that we have someone watching her 24/7. Other than white milk, she is her normal, confident self. This is a Haflinger mare who plays the piano & guitar, adds, subtracts, multiplies, and divides in 3 languages (as long as my husband knows the answer), and smiles when asked to smile. :-) She is an amazing horse! Since we have a lot of other mares due this spring/ summer getting the strips might be helpful. (When we discovered that white milk (that you couldn't see through) almost always corresponded with increased calcium, we pretty much started relying on sight.....) Thanks again!!!! Judy 0 0 \_/ |
Member: mrose |
Posted on Tuesday, Mar 22, 2011 - 1:59 pm: I could really use your mare right now as I'm working on taxes and business budget for next three years. How much would she charge for her help? I could arrange to set up the computer in a very comfortable stall with good lighting and heat, of course. |
Member: judyhens |
Posted on Tuesday, Mar 22, 2011 - 2:12 pm: Actually she is consulting with my husband right now on our taxes. Thinks we need bigger deductions by increased carrot and cookie purchases. Maybe isn't really helping us save so much!:-) Too funny! If we do choose to let her do outside consulting in the future, she would certainly do ANYTHING for treats. Then, when the nos. were complete, she could play a nice song for relaxation (errr....sometimes she just runs the scale and it can be discordant - oh well).:-) Have a blessed day! You crack me up! Judy |
Member: mrose |
Posted on Tuesday, Mar 22, 2011 - 2:41 pm: Have a good day also. Thankfully, the vet is due to arrive to give spring shots. As you can probably tell, my heart and head aren't really into the spreadsheets today! LOL |