Question for Mares That Foal on the Early Side

[Sandy B]

Seeing that many mini mares can foal from 300 days on and us having two mares just over 300 days, I have a couple questions. Do these early mares typically make up like later mares? IE: bagging up, dropped belly, softening rear end, waxing, milk in, etc.... I know all these things can happen quickly and that some mini mares do not ready the foaling manual, but I am just wondering as a whole (average).

Thanks!

 

[horsehug]

Sandy, I have several mares that foal between 300 and 310 days and yes they just start earlier making bags etc. usually and by the time they foal they have all the typical signs. And their foals are healthy and fully developed.

Susan O.

 

[supaspot]

I have a mare that foaled at 317 days this week ,she is hand bred so the dates are accurate and it is normal for her (this was her 4th foal and all have been around the same mark) her foals are healthy and strong , she does everything as normal just a little earlier than the rest , here is the foal at 24 hours old

 

[REO]

Yes they do! Because what we think of as "early" is Not early for them, it's their natural gestation time.

I've had healthy bouncing babies from 292 on up.

 

[targetsmom]

I have one mare that is just 300 days today and she is bagging up already Another one is 290 days today and she is starting also. The one at 320 days is not doing much of anything. You can see their bags from a couple of days ago on the Mare Stare watchers forum:

http://www.miniature...howtopic=128153

These mares last foals were at 303 days (Max in 2009) and 299 days (dead, but fully developed in 2011).

I just heard from a friend (in New England) that her vet just told her mares are carrying a lot longer around here, due to the weather... up to a full year gestation. Not news to any of us who have been on Mare Stare much!!

Best of luck to you Sandy!

 

[Becky]

The early mares who deliver full term foals, do just what any other miniatue mare does as far as getting ready for impending delivery. In my many years of experience,however, most miniature mares foaling at any normal stage of gestation, don't wax or get white milk before they foal. The udder will fill, get firm and nipples will firm,too. I check for colostrum a couple of times a day when the udder is getting full. Generally, at foaling time here, the colostrum is honey to amber colored and very thick and sticky. That's the main indication of impending parturition on my farm.

Bagging up time can vary a lot too. I am watching a maiden mare now who began udder development around 275 days and she is now 302 days today. Her udder still says she is a ways off yet. But, being a maiden, she could foal with very little udder. I've also had mares go from no bag whatsoever to a full bag and foaling in less than 2 weeks.

All you can do is watch closely and go with your gut.

 

[Joanne]

The earliest live foal we have had here was 286 days gestation, and the latest was 363 days.

Some of these early foals are truly premature foals, showing classic signs of dismaturity; short velvet coats, low birth weight, needing a bit more time to learn to get around, and sleeping longer than a full term birth. These foals often require an additional heat source and foal blankets to maintain their heat.

Some miniature mares do not get full, hard bags until after they foal.

Mares will show their discomfort by kicking at their bellies and rubbing their tail, and increase in food and water, can also be an indication of their getting ready to foal.

We have seen mares bag up quickly and foal in a few hours. Rarely do ours wax, though we love it when they do.

Past history is great, however mine do not read it no matter how detailed I record it, and seem to have their own ideas about when to foal.

Our Breeder Alert paging system, combined with Mare Stare, has saved more than one foal here.

 

[sedeh]

I have one mare that routinely foals early. She likes to go anywhere between 310 to the latest of 327 days. She shows all the classic signs and her foals have always been healthy.

 

[Jean_B]

Over the years I have had two true 10 month mares...EVERY foal at 10 months. Both of them didn't show signs until almost a week before they foaled and then the bagging up, softening of the tail head, etc. happened very quickly.

 

[Sandy B]

Thank you everyone! I am glad to hear that "most" mares make up pretty much normal, even if they are early mares. We have two mares right now in the foaling stall and paddock. One is 307 days, the other 306. The mare that is 306 days is developing a decent udder, the other mare is not doing anything. We have put on the equipage on both to be safe but I know it is a bit early, but I am paranoid after last years disaster of a first foaling year. I am bound and determined to do everything I can to help get live foals on the ground this year. I am checking the mares udders and vulva at least three times a day and noting any changes. I think we are still a couple weeks away for Lexi (the one developing her udder) and longer for Fancy. I have had full size mares take 6 weeks to begin udder development to making wax or milk to a couple weeks, so I know things can change quickly. I also know that there are the rare ones who make no udder and foal. I just pray everyone of us has a successful foaling season.

 

[targetsmom]

Sandy - I share your paranoia due to similar foaling disasters. Yep, we put an Equipage on one mare just because she is at 320 days although not showing any signs. We turned it off (but left it on her) after she kept us up for two nights. We check udders 3-4 X a day, take photos often, and worry all the time. We also ordered a second cam so those dedicated Lil Beginnings mare watchers can keep an eye on more of the mares for us. Last night I missed Raven's foaling because I was re-reading Blessed are the Broodmares and the Complete Book of Foaling. Any of this sound familiar? I share your prayers for an uneventful and successful foaling season for all!

 

[tagalong]

She likes to go anywhere between 310 to the latest of 327 days

That would not be "early" around here.

Except for this year, the majority of our mares have foaled in the 310 - 320 range. Some bag up way ahead, some don't show anything until the foaling process and hormones bring the milk down.

 

[Sandy B]

Sandy - I share your paranoia due to similar foaling disasters. Yep, we put an Equipage on one mare just because she is at 320 days although not showing any signs. We turned it off (but left it on her) after she kept us up for two nights. We check udders 3-4 X a day, take photos often, and worry all the time. We also ordered a second cam so those dedicated Lil Beginnings mare watchers can keep an eye on more of the mares for us. Last night I missed Raven's foaling because I was re-reading Blessed are the Broodmares and the Complete Book of Foaling. Any of this sound familiar? I share your prayers for an uneventful and successful foaling season for all!

I hear you! I feel so much better having the Equipage on them but feel bad cause even using the halters with adjustable noses and keeping that part loose they are still getting small rub marks. Then last night one of the pagers kept going off, yet we could see on the camera that the mares were just standing there. Finally after awhile, my hubby went out and checked the halters and even though they were on just fine, he wiggled them around and we finally stopped getting a false alarm. Who knows what that was all about and my two girls that are on watch do love to lay flat out, one more than the other. Oh well, I will take that over missing a foaling.

 

[REO]

If the pager keeps doing single or double beeps once in a while, it's time to change the batteries in the mare pouch and/or the pager.

 

[Sandy B]

If the pager keeps doing single or double beeps once in a while, it's time to change the batteries in the mare pouch and/or the pager.

Thanks Reo for the heads up. This is a brand new system I just got a week ago. Can you tell me how long the batteries typically last for or how often you have to change them usually. Thanks!

 

[targetsmom]

We have fake sheepskin that goes over the noseband of the halter on the mare that wears the halter the most. It attaches with velcro and does help.

I also had to change batteries but I think mine were old. I stocked up anyway!

 

[REO]

I don't know. But changing the batteries often help. Maybe the batteries that come with it have been sitting in a box for years and are weak?

The snaps that hold the pouch onto the halter are prone to clipping onto fences when mares itch their heads. I either bust the snaps off and tie them on the halter rings with twine or I use electrical tape around the snaps so they can't catch on fences.

Always make sure the box is facing the correct way inside the pouches (this way forward)

 

[Sandy B]

Okay, I thought about sheepskin around the nose and poll. I also have been taking the halters off for a couple hours every day while they are turned out grazing and are being watched. I did used a small piece of cotton from a roll and vet wrap to cushion one area that has a larger run and that is helping. Thank you Reo for the heads up on the snaps, Tomorrow I will wrap with electrical tape. There is a small area that had a chain link gate that they like to run on and definitely could get caught up with. I will also stock up on batteries to have in case. It was only last night that we had that false alarm issue. The only other problem I have is when the girls lay flat, I wait the 30-40 seconds and push the button down to reset it but it still keeps going off as long as they lay flat. I thought you could re-set this and it would not go off unless they sat up and layed flat again?

 

[REO]

I have soft fleece that I sew around the halter to make it comfy for them.

As it starts beeping, push the button straight in. When it beeps again, push the button straight in. Do that for each time it beeps in that alarm. Don't turn it off and back on. Just push the button straight in for each beeping during the group of beeps. That should re-set it.

 

[Becky]

If the Equipage system is still the same, then the pager has to go off for 3 sets (series) of beeps before pushing the button to reset it. It won't reset until it goes through the 3 sets of beeps. If you reset it after that, it won't go off again as long as the mare doesn't move.