pool strips and maidens

[SuzE]

did they test ready before they foaled? Would like to hear about your experiences with the strips and maiden mares. I got one at 330 and she looks ready to go...even her bag is full, but according to the strips she is at the opposite end of the scale! I have always had luck with the strips on all my foalings but this is my first maiden. Thanks for your help.

 

[ClickMini]

Well, as you can tell from my recent forum questions, I am FAR from an expert! But I have ready any and everything I could get my paws on. This is from an article on the Scott Creek web site:

With miniature horses the exception is with maiden mares. Those mares that have not yet produced a foal usually do not produce milk until just (meaning hours) before the foal is born. We have had difficulty using milk test strips with maiden mares. We generally rely on the actual presence of a measurable amount of milk being produced by maiden mares as our indicator that foaling is imminent.

Here is a link to the full article: http://www.scottcreek.com/Milk_Test.htm

Looks like you get to stay up all night just like me! Whee! LOL

 

[kaykay]

Years ago i used it on a maiden and it was right on. What you really want to watch is that PH level. Thats really the biggest indicator

 

[SuzE]

Thanks for your input and thank you for that link...I have never looked over their info pages! Well it seems I just need to watch her regardless of what she tests (last night she was 100 on hardness and 8.4 on PH) but all other signs were there, even her bag was full and hard. It will be much easier now that we are into the weekend. Not so bad staying up and watching her when you don't have to get up at 4:30 am to go to work! She is one of those mares that loves to sleep stretched out on her side so the buzzer goes off all night long! Maybe I'll get lucky and she will foal this weekend.