This has been an interesting few days......... We (actually more Larry) has been jumping through hoops helping another miniature horse breeder in our area. She was only expecting two babies and doesn't have a lot of experience. One of the mares due we had sold to her three years ago, so we felt some "responsibility".
The first foal - a colt - was born without a problem, two days ago. The second mare used to belong to us. She had bred the mare to her stallion before and had an RH Factor baby which sadly didn't make it. But she liked the foal so much she decided to do the cross again.
Both of us warned her from the very beginning what she was asking for........ We even called our mutual veterinarian and he verified to her that she was asking for problems.
So as the time got closer for the birth, Larry started hammering at her about what she needed to be prepared for........As it turned out, we wound up supplying her with a muzzle for the baby, the selenium shots (for BOTH newborns), heat lamps, and extra colostrum. As it was, she wouldn't have even had ANY colostrum if we hadn't called the vet and insisted she get some. In the end, Larry still had to buy more colostrum AND some seramune (which the vet recommended.)
Oh, I should insert here.......a few days ago we moved one of OUR mares, by the name of "Nova", to the barn because she was developing a bag.....not a full one, but one to watch. We were unable to get milk from her to test, she had not dropped, and her hindend had not softened when I checked her last night at feeding time. We were allowing her barn and paddock access for the day and night.
Anyway, at 1 a.m. this morning our friend called to let us know that her RH Factor COLT had been born. She had more questions........and started the process of feeding the foal the purchased colostrum, muzzled the foal, and milked the mare out...... She was up for the rest of the night. So, Larry called first thing at dawn to check with her and offered to go up and "spell" her with the feedings to give her a chance to rest. He left here just as our daughter, Brianna's, bus picked her up.
A few minutes later Brianna is calling me from her bus driver's cell phone and yelling " MOM! MOM! NOVA HAS HAD HER BABY!"
As I'm trying to get my barn coat and boots on, Larry comes back in. He asks me "What's wrong?" I assumed that Brianna had called his cell phone too and hollered at him......" I'm going out to get Nova's baby - Stupid!"
(It turns out he'd come back to get the camera.) Needless to say, he stayed a bit longer for his OWN foal.
As it turned out, Nova foaled out, from what we estimate, at almost the same time our friend's mare did! Nova came up to the barn door loafing area and did it all on her own. She is a Bond Snippet granddaughter of our breeding. And her husband is an Alamos Locomotion grandson (Buckeroo).
We herded mom and baby (who was scampering) into a foaling stall, doused the navel, bedded the stall with hay, wormed mom, and gave baby her selenium shot. Yes, a HER. We got a FILLY. And the little one promptly needed to go for mom's teat for a security suck. Thank You God!
I do believe SOMEONE was watching out for us! I stayed home all day to make sure all was well....... Larry left and spent the day with our friend and her new foal. He came home for dinner and has gone back up to their place again for the night. That baby is doing okay but the owner thinks may be constipated on the combination of colostrum, seramune, and now Foal Lac that he's getting. (Keeping our fingers crossed.)
So that's the story.........so far......
The first foal - a colt - was born without a problem, two days ago. The second mare used to belong to us. She had bred the mare to her stallion before and had an RH Factor baby which sadly didn't make it. But she liked the foal so much she decided to do the cross again.
So as the time got closer for the birth, Larry started hammering at her about what she needed to be prepared for........As it turned out, we wound up supplying her with a muzzle for the baby, the selenium shots (for BOTH newborns), heat lamps, and extra colostrum. As it was, she wouldn't have even had ANY colostrum if we hadn't called the vet and insisted she get some. In the end, Larry still had to buy more colostrum AND some seramune (which the vet recommended.)
Oh, I should insert here.......a few days ago we moved one of OUR mares, by the name of "Nova", to the barn because she was developing a bag.....not a full one, but one to watch. We were unable to get milk from her to test, she had not dropped, and her hindend had not softened when I checked her last night at feeding time. We were allowing her barn and paddock access for the day and night.
Anyway, at 1 a.m. this morning our friend called to let us know that her RH Factor COLT had been born. She had more questions........and started the process of feeding the foal the purchased colostrum, muzzled the foal, and milked the mare out...... She was up for the rest of the night. So, Larry called first thing at dawn to check with her and offered to go up and "spell" her with the feedings to give her a chance to rest. He left here just as our daughter, Brianna's, bus picked her up.
A few minutes later Brianna is calling me from her bus driver's cell phone and yelling " MOM! MOM! NOVA HAS HAD HER BABY!"
As I'm trying to get my barn coat and boots on, Larry comes back in. He asks me "What's wrong?" I assumed that Brianna had called his cell phone too and hollered at him......" I'm going out to get Nova's baby - Stupid!"
As it turned out, Nova foaled out, from what we estimate, at almost the same time our friend's mare did! Nova came up to the barn door loafing area and did it all on her own. She is a Bond Snippet granddaughter of our breeding. And her husband is an Alamos Locomotion grandson (Buckeroo).
We herded mom and baby (who was scampering) into a foaling stall, doused the navel, bedded the stall with hay, wormed mom, and gave baby her selenium shot. Yes, a HER. We got a FILLY. And the little one promptly needed to go for mom's teat for a security suck. Thank You God!
I do believe SOMEONE was watching out for us! I stayed home all day to make sure all was well....... Larry left and spent the day with our friend and her new foal. He came home for dinner and has gone back up to their place again for the night. That baby is doing okay but the owner thinks may be constipated on the combination of colostrum, seramune, and now Foal Lac that he's getting. (Keeping our fingers crossed.)
So that's the story.........so far......