Question for my fellow Southern Breeders

[DebiM]

HI Guys!

The earliest I've had a foal due is February. I usually start breeding the first of March. Our winters down here in Louisiana are mostly mild. We really only have spurts of very cold weather. We have heaters in the 12X12 foaling stalls plus a 12X16 center section we can let baby in if they have to stay inside. By next year we'll have our 20X40 addition on the front of the baby barn so I'll have a 12X20 center isle that will connect by a gate to the 12X16 area in the back section.

This year I have several mares I left open plus two 3 year olds to breed. I'm thinking I'd like to start them foaling in January. I guess what I worry abt are those mares that decide they're going to foal from 300 to 315 after going 330 the year before. If I start in mid February that's still skirting close.

Do you wait until the end of February to be sure you won't have a couple day old yearling? LOL

Debi

Edited for typing too fast yet again!

 

[Bess Kelly]

Good questions!!! Like you, I keep a record of how long they have carried previous years. For me, with several of the tiny ones, I can count on them carrying 300-310 days. That means 3/1 would be planning on a 1/1 foal :new_shocked: OK, I don't really WANT January foals.....means this isn't an issue.....but, you could always just not plan to breed until 3/5, then you'd be pretty sure (so long as you didn't share this concern with the ladies!) that no one would be a late Dec foal. Of course, the REAL issue are the ones who usually carry 11 months, you breed for that and wham, short gestation that year. Let's face it, can't prevent some things.

Here I don't begin breeding until mid March for the taller gals and April/May for the tinies. Sounds like a real spread but, with the shorter length the little ones carry, you end up having almost all your foals around the same time. Plus, it lets the stallion breed without so much concern about the numbers.

I bought a horse once and could not believe that the birthdate was 12/31

: Now, most breeders would not have "looked" for that foal that night -- ya know? :lol:

:

 

[DebiM]

Oh yes, know just what you mean, Bess. Probably is most people can look AT my foal on 12/31 the last few years with my Cams. LOL

 

[Songcatcher]

Tony has a post on here about a new foal born just yesterday or today, EXACTLY 10 months from the day he first put the stallion in with her. It appears to be a beautiful, healthy foal.

The weather here in SE Oklahoma has been beautiful for the last week. Perfect for foaling. However, it could easily be down in the single digits in February (well, teens anyhow). I try to have mine arrive beginning in March. Now, watch one of mine pop up earlier. I put my stallion in with my mares on March 27 last year.

 

[Becky]

I don't usually breed for January foals simply because the weather here can be so unpredictable that time of year. This year has been so mild, that I do have several mares I will breed when they come in heat. That will actually be the determining factor for me. They may not start cycling for another month or so anyway. Of course, watch next year. I will end up with several foals due in January, a foot of snow on the ground and sub freezing temperatures! Brrrrrr!!!!

Blossom that foaled this morning was due Feb 14 with an 11 month due date. Her last 3 foals have been born over 330 days and I expected the same this year. Not!! She foaled today at 325. Maybe she is going to start backing them up!

Anyway, beautiful weather here today for a new foal! Mid 60's. Light wind. perfect!

 

[DebiM]

Yes, we have had a very mild winter, Becky. I remember Beth have a mid January baby a few years back and it was REAL cold that week in southern Arkansas/north La. Do most of you Wait til the first of March when you know your safe even with the 10 mth foal, go a little earlier in mid February then do a lot of praying or banging on the barn wall when they start something. LOL

I saw Tony's thread earlier today which means he bred her abt the same time that Bess is talking, first of March.

Bess, do you remember Dixie that foaled first on my cam last year? She had the pretty little bay filly. Anyway she's one that went 335 last year and went 304 and 310 the last two times she foaled! Most of mine average abt 320 but then I'll have one pop up going 336 and the next going 305!

So, do most of you wait til the first of March? I've got this one mare I am just itching to get in with Mathew.

Debi

 

[Erica]

I don't turn my stallions out until the second week of March, which tends to put early FEB foals as my start........I am in North Central, AR.

 

[Bess Kelly]

I'd say you shouldn't scratch that itch quite yet

:

:lol: those barn cams are great....most times..... :lol: :risa_suelos:

 

[DebiM]

Erica, that reminds me.... I'm going to have to come see all of you guys on one of my trips to Searcy. My brother and his family live there. I go up a couple of times a year for a few days. Usually just before and after foaling season. You guys have a lot colder temp than we do down here in Louisiana. Now that I've said that it'll probably come some kind of ice storm!

Debi

 

[wildoak]

I don't generally breed for January babies. Even though we are south, weather can be nasty that time of year and also I find that my mares for the most part are not cycling regularly yet. Of course, we did have one 2 days ago but she was not really a planned pregnancy. Looked out early last year in time to see the stallion breeding her through the fence, so I put them in together......with pretty good results.

I won't start breeding - intentionally - until about the second week of March.

Jan

 

[wwminis]

[SIZE=18pt]Our weather here in the mountains of East Tennessee can change in a heart beat, can go from 60's to the teens in a matter of a few hours this time of year! We always try to start our foaling season in early March! [/SIZE]

We do all hand breeding so we can control when our mares are bred! Our Jan. was very mild this year! But, I've also seen 20" of snow here in Jan & Feb. So I think we will stay with our March foaling plan!

:

Bill

 

[littlesteppers]

Well we are not as south as you are..our earliest foal EVER was March 15th..like them to foal around April..

still not sure If I like them to foal all together and get it over with..or spread out..Both has positive and negative points.. :saludando:

 

[Erica]

COME ON DOWN.......(or I guess that would be UP :bgrin )

Right now they are all hairy and dirty and scruffy, will have lots more babies come March-May.......and of course show horses will be up around then too, now they are all out being "horses"

 

[DebiM]

Okay, guys let's back up.

We have to remember that I've been breeding these little brats for several years now and have lived in Louisiana for my whole life. LOL I know how nuts our weather down here can be. It was 72 degrees one day this weekend then down in the 30s by the next morning. I think we're expecting freezing rain, sleet and show down here in a bit over a week.

We've pretty much always started in March. My earliest foal has been due the second week of February, most usually due beginning the first of March.

That said so far most of you wouldn't start til the first of March through the middle due to what I worry abt, right? I've been checking the Calender ever since I thought abt this. If I knew they'd go 330 to 336 days I'd start the middle of February this year. But I agree with your worries in the foal coming as soon as 300 days with some Mini Mares.

OK, let's add a new twist. Wouldn't you guys think that our February-end of March weather down here in the South can be compared to the April to first of June weather in the Northern states? I remember it was mid June the last time we went to Yellowstone. The first week of June they'd had two feet of snow across North Dakota and Wyoming. But they usually start their breeding in May/June for foals beginning in April.

I've just been thinking abt two things. I may be making excuses since I'm so anxious for some of my crossings this year! Especially this one little mare I mentioned before....... LOL Anyway my thoughts were that I would have an earlier breeding/foaling season (I'm abt to bust my britches every January!) and I could also back my due dates up. Late July and August babies are so fragile in the extreme heats we have. I've realized over the last couple of years that I'm keeping my babies in under several fans with misters as much as I'd probably be keeping them in from the cold.

Oh I don't know!

:

 

[DebiM]

I think I might chicken out of breeding in mid February. Most of you down here seem to do the same as what we do, which is abt the first of March. I've been thinking abt this all winter and when I had a couple mares come in last week I was like..........hmmm..... will they cycle again the middle of Feb.

Also I don't want any of you guys to say I told you so Debi if I end up with the Christmas baby! :517:

Thanks, Guys!

Debi

 

[zacharyfarms]

For the last nine years I have always had February babies..but to tell you the truth I couldn't stand going back and forth to the barn in the cold every time the BreederAlert went off and I was just sure the mare was going into labor from the camera. This year my first foal isn't due until May 1 (336) but I sure am antsy to have a new foal. I didn't start breeding until June 1st this year. I bred two outside mares and only bred 4 mares of my own one time each. I only have two of my own in foal and the two outside mares are in foal all due around May 1st. That is actually the perfect time of the year for foals in East Tennessee. I will breed more of my own this year but probably still won't start until May 1st to breed. Breeding the small ones, it is rare that I have one go 335 or better. Interestingly on an Equine repro forum that I participate in they talk of short daylight time as also causing longer gestations(early bred mares as going longer times) in the large horses but I certainly have never seen a pattern like that in my mares bred in March (the earliest I have ever bred) as compared to those bred in May.