I'm so confused!

[PaintedMeadows]

Thank you everyone. you have all been great. My hubby built the run-in shelter and it is set into the ground about 5" so there are no drafts on the bottom or in the corners at all. He is going to put some sytrofoam insulation in the roof and around the sides. The front will be completely closed in with a door for me to come and go. It will have both a heater and heat lamp and a ton of straw on the ground for warmth and be comfy. He also has an indoor/outdoor thermometer that he is going to put in it so I can monitor the warmth inside and adjust the heat accordingly. My clipper blades are too dull to cut through her hair so I am borrowing my vet's. I need to raise her water bucket so the foal can't get in, right? I love the baby in the sweatshirt!! So cute!! I have a 3 year old son and a 7 year old daughter so I should be covered if I can't get anything else. Thank you everyone. I feel much better today.

 

[Charlotte]

Riverdance and Becky have the right of it. She would be ready to foal NOW from that breeding date! Don't go another night without being prepared.

A completely closed in shed with a foot or two deep of straw or hay packed down and heat lamps and baby blankets will work if baby has no 'issues'. Iff issues, then more warmth will be needed.

I've had maidens foal with what would be called by most 'no udder', but because I check several times per day I noticed a slight change a few hours before foaling.

Good luck and keep us posted!

Charlotte

 

[Lucky-C-Acres-Minis]

Riverdance and Becky have the right of it. She would be ready to foal NOW from that breeding date! Don't go another night without being prepared.

A completely closed in shed with a foot or two deep of straw or hay packed down and heat lamps and baby blankets will work if baby has no 'issues'. Iff issues, then more warmth will be needed.

I've had maidens foal with what would be called by most 'no udder', but because I check several times per day I noticed a slight change a few hours before foaling.

Good luck and keep us posted!

Charlotte

Have to agree with the above, with her March 22 breeding date her 330 due date was February 14th, so she's fair game at ANY time.. What does her back-end look like? Is she mushy around the tail head?

 

[PaintedMeadows]

Her stall will be done by tonight. Her back end doesn't look loose at all and no mushiness. No bag at all just two nipples that are flappy and nothing else. She is pale pink inside and no v. I took the stud out on March 25 but saw her bred on the 22nd. He never went back in until the end of August. Her mom always carries to at least 346 days. Do mares often go the way their Moms did?

 

[ohmt]

Not always...but I suppose they could. Almost all of my mares DON'T follow their mommas ways. Which is good in some cases...others not so much! I had a maiden mare go a month past her due date last year. She REALLY looks preggers to me. It's good that you're prepared even if she isn't baking anything.

 

[qtrrae]

What a pretty little mare and I do think she looks pregnant!

I am glad that you have everything ready for her, it doesn't pay to take a chance with all the very cold weather we have been having.

Good luck and we will be patiently waiting to hear about that new foal.

 

[PaintedMeadows]

Thank you. I really hope she is pregnant but after last year I am afraid to get my hopes up. This gal's momma got huge! I don't know if you all remember the thread "My Peach Ball won't Pop" but that was her Mom and she had a false pregnancy and it really shook my confidence. We shall see what happens with Merryweather. I would love if she could hold out another month cause the weather would be quite a bit better here but I doubt she will.

 

[Riverdance]

Sounds like you got everything covered and the foal should be nice and warm. I noticed that you are in Canada, so your weather is colder than ours. With my mares, very few of them go before 340 days. I think is has something to do with our cold weather and our light. It is still dark here until almost 7;00 AM and we get dark by about 6:00 now.

I think the mares in the northern hemisphere like to hold on to their foals longer. I have 7 that are due in mid to end of march and none of them have even though of getting a bag yet. A few are getting a bit mushy but nothing else. Usually by this time I have some starting to bag. No go here, but it has been so very cold here too.

Keep us informed.

 

[PaintedMeadows]

Thanks Riverdance. Will do! Good luck with your gals too.

 

[Relic]

Well she sure do look in foal.

lf the weather holds like it is now for another few weeks you'll be just fine. Our first 2 due here the end of the month first week in March the one has had a bag white milk for a few weeks now and just started to drop and get loose around the butt. The other a maiden nothing at all but l don't worry it can happen very fast just before or right after. We have had foals in -20C as long as no wind gets to them the cold doesn't hurt just bed deep and have a blankie of sorts on hand...

 

[Boinky]

geesh you all have me worried now..LOL my mare is HUGE..bigger than this one..her belly is protruding out of her blankie. She foaled out may 16th and was bred in june (14th) I didn't see her come into heat at all in July but then i saw her in heat and the boys interested in August. I just figured July would be her foaling date..but she's ginormous for as far along as she'd be if she was bred in August..LOL maybe i need to make sure i'm prepaired a little earlier than that! lol

 

[PaintedMeadows]

Boinky, can we see your mare? Merry still isn't showing any signs that she is real close besides yawning alot today. Does eating manure have anything to do with it? I have never seen her do that before today.

 

[Lucky-C-Acres-Minis]

Merry still isn't showing any signs that she is real close besides yawning alot today

Yawning can be pain response in broodies close to foaling..

 

[PaintedMeadows]

Thanks! I thought I had read that about the yawning but what about the manure eating?

 

[Riverdance]

geesh you all have me worried now..LOL my mare is HUGE..bigger than this one..her belly is protruding out of her blankie. She foaled out may 16th and was bred in june (14th) I didn't see her come into heat at all in July but then i saw her in heat and the boys interested in August. I just figured July would be her foaling date..but she's ginormous for as far along as she'd be if she was bred in August..LOL maybe i need to make sure i'm prepaired a little earlier than that! lol

The other mare is a maiden mare so for a maiden she is quite big. Your mare may have had foals before and so therefore will get much larger.

Some of my mares that have foals before are enormous, others that have not had a foal or only had one, are not as big.

You will have to post pictures of your foal too when it is born.

Here's hoping that you have a filly!!

 

[Boss Mare]

I think you will have a baby soon...

 

[Lucky-C-Acres-Minis]

Thanks! I thought I had read that about the yawning but what about the manure eating?

I've never had a mare eat her manure, and when I have girls close to foaling I try and keep the stall as dry and clean as possible, but I have heard, and I don't know how 'true' it is, that some mares will eat, bury their manure or designate a small area in their stall to 'go' to keep their environment clean for their foal.. I have several girls who will only go in one corner of the stall, or will push the straw/sawdust around and cover up their manure piles as they get closer to foaling, and continue to do so after foaling, and have even had foals pick up those 'habits' and only go in the area that momma goes..

 

[StarRidgeAcres]

I agree with all the great advice you've gotten and it sounds like you're ready! I do agree that it's going to be sooner rather than later!

Keep us posted!

 

[PaintedMeadows]

Hi guys, again, thanks for all of the super advice!!

We have her "stall" all set up with a heater and a heat lamp and now my question is..... We have a thermometer inside that I can read from the outside and when the door is closed and the outside temperature is about -5c/23f then the inside temperature is about 15c/59f. Is that temperature good? I can turn the heater up but I am afraid my winter girl would cook in her heavy coat and also, will that be a shock for her to come out during the day?

 

[Scoopiedoo]

I think 59 sounds nice and cozy! It's warm enough for Momma and if baby still seems a little chilly at first, you can always fall back on the sweatshirt, blanket idea. You're doing great!

I noticed your question about the manure...I personally have never had one eat it, but our mares have ALL been caught smelling it. Strange but true!

Jodi

edited for spelling