Foaling Alarms

[luvmyracker]

Which foaling alarm do you use? Please let me know what you like about it and what you don't. I'm in the market to buy one and I'm not sure which kind to get!

 

[Mona]

I use the BreederAlert system along with a video(camera) system. I find they work best together, because with only the alarm, you would be running out to the barn MANY times throughout the night on false alarms. PLUS, many mares will "hold it" if they see you there, whereas with the cameras, you can see what she is doing without disturbing her.

 

[LC Farm]

I also use breeder alert with cameras. I have a light on in the stall so i can see all night with the cameras. I have been very happy with both.

 

[Joanne]

We have several breeder alerts and also have a four cameras and two monitors.

I cannot imagine foaling without them!

Very happy.

 

[Boinky]

Well i haven't been able to afford a breeder alert or the other one.. but I had really good luck using a foal buzzer (for the halter) in conjunction with a video monitor. I actually also use a baby monitor for better sound as well. I can really hear whats going on and i can see on the monitor well. I've had some false alarms where the halter would shift a little too much and go off or the mare would lay down or just silly things like that. the previous years i've had to go outside in the cold to check ect..but with the monitor this past foaling season it worked AWESOME i could just open one eye and peek and see what was going on and go back to sleep or do what needed to be done. It isn't super expensive or technical but it does the trick if your around the farm waiting and watching.

 

[carolcrit]

Well i haven't been able to afford a breeder alert or the other one.. but I had really good luck using a foal buzzer (for the halter) in conjunction with a video monitor. I actually also use a baby monitor for better sound as well. I can really hear whats going on and i can see on the monitor well. I've had some false alarms where the halter would shift a little too much and go off or the mare would lay down or just silly things like that. the previous years i've had to go outside in the cold to check ect..but with the monitor this past foaling season it worked AWESOME i could just open one eye and peek and see what was going on and go back to sleep or do what needed to be done. It isn't super expensive or technical but it does the trick if your around the farm waiting and watching.

I use equipages along with thecameras and i always have black lites in the foaling stalls that way the other horses go to sleep and mares too because it is dark but you can still see very well they are at walmart

 

[ClickMini]

I would just like to remind everyone to not rely 100% on the pagers/buzzers. Sometimes a mare will really be in trouble and not go down far enough to set off the alarm. That happened with my mare though luckily we were already watching and saw what was going on. Set your own alarm and wake up long enough to take a peek, for your little mama's sake.

 

[Becky]

I have both a Breeder Alert and an Equipage system. That combined with a camera and monitor is the only way to foal!

 

[wildoak]

We have an Equipage system plus cameras. There are some false alarms, some mares like to lay down and sleep on their sides, but with the cameras you can at least watch them sleep in the warmth of your house LOL. I did have one mare foal without laying her head down enough to set off the alarm, we just got lucky and saw her - otherwise, we have never missed a foaling with the alert on.

One other caution - CHECK YOUR BATTERIES OFTEN.

Jan

 

[Riverdance]

I use Equipage along with stall cameras for a steal barn. They are expensive, but have saved foals, so well worth the money. So far I have 2 stalls set up, but need to get a 3rd one done. Though with 3 under alarms, I will never get a nights sleep.

I find the Equipage to be better than the Breeders Alert as there are less false alarms. It is hard enough to have the alarms go off when the mares are laying down during the night, without the alrams going off because a mare has rubbed herself along a stall wall or got it caught in a feed bucket.

 

[minih]

Though with 3 under alarms, I will never get a nights sleep

We have equipage and have had three set up under them before. You are right, no sleep. Even with the cameras you spend your night turning off alarms, and checking the tv screen. Really hard when you have a full time job to go to in the morning.

 

[kmh]

We use the Equipage and have 3 cameras, I would not do without the alarm or cameras ever again. The trips it saves running to the barn is well worth it. Yes there are false alarms when mares lay out flat to sleep, but I would rather have a false alarm than miss a foaling in case a mare is in trouble.

We had a mare last year that did not lay out flat (thus she did not set off the alarm) and was foaling....we are also on Mare Stare and thankfully someone saw her about 4:00 AM and called to wake us up. She had the foal just fine on her own, although we were right there in the barn with her after we got the call.

Steph

 

[REO]

We have Equipage and cameras

Oh and almost no sleep LOL