Erica
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- Aug 21, 2003
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OK, I have always just used the Calicum; and they have always been very accurate and are this year......but I have one mare who is throwing things off. A maiden (CC), ok, she's been testing "Ready" - orange on calicum I think this is going on the 4th day tonight. So I started thinking, maybe my strips are just old (though they are working for my other mares, the ones that have foaled so far, the day of foaling all turned orange, and not before) have new strips in the mail should be here tomorrow. But today I went and got some pool test strips as well to see what they say.......
This mares milk is thick, sticky, udder is tight, not "huge" but full, but again she is a maiden so??
You guessed it, her Hardness is all the way to the right (brightest purple) and her pH all the way to the left (orange/yellow color) - just as soon as it hit the milk/water. Thought hummmm....let me test some of the others who have been testing about 1/2 way on the calicum test, did and they are, I guess where they would normally be to be about a week off, on the hardness (blue) and pH (bright pink) not even close to all the way ready.
So my question is, since I haven't been using these pH/hardness tests before, when you say "ready" on them, is it usually a 24hr? 36? 12? till foaling..........I know that will be a blanket statement, and not all mares the same, but just wondering everyone that uses them's experience.
I went and looked at wildoaks thread from a few days ago but didn't see anything too much about the pH/Hardness, just calicum.
So not sure if it will be tonight or not, but all you marestares, this is CC who is on cam (other two on cam have babies so you should be able to tell which one is her) she's testing a fast calicum ready, and a fast pH/hardness ready.....
This mares milk is thick, sticky, udder is tight, not "huge" but full, but again she is a maiden so??
You guessed it, her Hardness is all the way to the right (brightest purple) and her pH all the way to the left (orange/yellow color) - just as soon as it hit the milk/water. Thought hummmm....let me test some of the others who have been testing about 1/2 way on the calicum test, did and they are, I guess where they would normally be to be about a week off, on the hardness (blue) and pH (bright pink) not even close to all the way ready.
So my question is, since I haven't been using these pH/hardness tests before, when you say "ready" on them, is it usually a 24hr? 36? 12? till foaling..........I know that will be a blanket statement, and not all mares the same, but just wondering everyone that uses them's experience.
I went and looked at wildoaks thread from a few days ago but didn't see anything too much about the pH/Hardness, just calicum.
So not sure if it will be tonight or not, but all you marestares, this is CC who is on cam (other two on cam have babies so you should be able to tell which one is her) she's testing a fast calicum ready, and a fast pH/hardness ready.....
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