Hi! As I read your post and everyone's replies, it's an exciting time, isn't it? We recently had a standard donkey born from our BLM jenny and that was a whole new experience. We have witnessed several mares (minis and full-sized) and one mini donkey so we're not really new to foaling but I get a "gut feeling" when they are getting close. Subtle changes are the key as far as I can tell. Our BLM donkey has probably had as many as 8 babies, having been in the wild until last Dec and she's 9 now. Anyway, her nipples were very enlongated even before she bagged up. Actually, they filled in and looked shorter as we got close to the delivery date. She exhibited all of the "normal" signs we all watch for but on the day she foaled, she got very crabby around the gelding donks. That night, we had her alone and her constant walking began. They are very stoic animals and don't show pain until it's very bad. She stomped her back feet as though she had flies on them, but just a few times. Then, we saw what we'd never seen before: she spread her back legs as though she was going to pee and she had a huge contraction. She did this a couple more times but never layed down. I thought she was going to deliver standing up! On the third one of these, the bag started coming out. Then, she layed down. One leg was way ahead of the other. Next, the head and then, FINALLY the other leg...whew! The sack broke from the first leg force but the head was so far back that the sack was over the nostrils. I couldn't stand waiting but we sure didn't know what this wild donkey would think of us going near her at this time! We decided I had to get that sack off the nostrils so I went in the corral with cookies, which the jenny loves. I slowly walked to her face and talked to her and gave her a cookie. She seemed fine with this! As I walked and talked, I worked my way down her back patting all of the way. I got to the baby who was now out to her girth but not moving and I pulled the sack over those huge wet, heavy ears and left it there. Mom was still relaxing and not at all worried! I gave her another cookie as I left and she stayed down for a much longer time than I'd seen others do. In fact, the baby began moving almost as soon as I removed the sack and was trying to get the front end up before the hips were out of her mother! This has been a very unique experience having the BLMs and they sure are different than our domesticated ones.
Watch for the suble differences in your jenny's actions is my advice. Take care, sleep when you can and good luck!
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