Yeah! Jewel has foaled a 'fool day' filly 4.1.13

[sparklingjewelacres]

Web cam is not an option for us as we don't have accessible internet to that degree. We only have a verizon account as it is all that is available and even with that .. it would not work for the web cam. We have hard time with skype working well here. At just 2 miles away .. people have the internet access available.

I know how important it is to be present for the birth of this foal. Even with goats.. I have always been present but they actually tell me when they go into labor. I am absolutely sure that our herd queen Boer would have had at least on triplet die last year if I was not present as the sack was quite tough.. and the mamma was so busy attending to the others.. They came out so fast.. she needed help and couldnt get the sack open. It was a very tight tough membrane on one twin for some reason. So with that said.. even with the easier livestock animals such as goats.. i like to be present at birth.

 

[SugaryCharm]

I was feeling the same way about Charm (hanging in there, no progress, is she EVER going to have this baby?) and then when I checked her udder tonight her nipples are filling. So hang in there...you are keeping a good eye on Jewel so you will probably know when she is ramping up for the big event! Glad to read that Jewel is doing better after her scare last night.

 

[Eagle]

Just checking in to see if Jewel is doing ok, looking forward to an update.

stay safe little girl.

 

[countrymini]

They sure can! Its a pain when they're so indecisive tho

 

[sparklingjewelacres]

Jewel is doing very well today but no real change in her udder. She has been rolling a bit.. not a lot.. one or two times that I saw. I just walked her a good bit and brushed her out.. and put her to her night time pen. She is happy and feeling a lot better. It has been very warm here and has been an adjustment I am sure for Jewel to get used to and may very well be the reason for her issues plus.. I don't think she was drinking up as much and with the heat.. she sure needed to be doing that. Keeping a close watch on her. She has not really been wanting to eat her alfalfa pellets much and just picks at those saving them for later. I have her on oh.. about 2 cups of Emolene 300 Mare and Foal Feed, over 1 cup of alfalfa pellets and about 3 cups of Purina Miniature horse feed. Plus all the orchard grass/Timothy hay she wants. Bermuda is springing up in the field and she has nibbled on that a bit but there is not much out there.. mostly dirt. I am just nervous of her getting impacted. There are about 4 piles by morning in her pen. I will get some pictures tomorrow.. not much change tho. I sure hope she foals out this week .. we have a lot going on Easter Sunday here. Perhaps.. thats the reason for the wait...new life on Easter.. that would be appropriate.

 

[sparklingjewelacres]

For all the food I mentioned. I have been giving it to her in three different times as I am home to do this right now and I think it is helping her to have it spread out like this.

 

[sparklingjewelacres]

Jewel is doing well today. Very happy and active. I am tired and sleep deprived. She shrunk her udder!! It must be from the cooler weather. There are two puffy sides in front of the udder... I am quite sure this is the edema swelling and it must be bothering her very much. Tonight. .. I have to get my rest. In my eyes.. she is not ready to go quite yet in comparing her to the others on here but ... who knows what may happen. At least I still can see her easily from our window.

 

[sparklingjewelacres]

She is happy. But is very itchy and scratching her hair loose. She has become so very easy to handle lately but I think she developed a sore on her udder in the back. It actually looks like a mosquito bite and then her trying to itch it may have caused a small sore. I went out and cleaned it up.. she did not like that one bit. Her udder skin is black so it is hard to see but there is no oozing .. just a small lump with a bit of peeling skin. I am keeping my eye on it. She could have scraped it. So many things to worry about with this horse. One horse has me hopping more than a whole herd of prego goats. It's a good thing she has bonded with me and she obeys so very well even when it is so hard for her to obey.. she has chosen to. I have a small little pen that has been set aside for her .. It is growing tall enough for her and sparkles to graze on a bit. When its time to come out.. she obeys .. but Sparkles has been throwing tissy fits and has been quite upset over Jewel getting her own night time pen. These horses.. ahhh.. No clue when this horse will foal. I know she is close.

At least she is feeling good today and pooping a bit more. I was very concerned about the little poops. The grass pen grazing has helped keep things moving more for her.

 

[Eagle]

Yes grass is a grat medicine and very important for these preggo girls. Try putting some aloe vera on her udder as it will help if she is itchy and sore

 

[sparklingjewelacres]

I got some close up udder pictures. It looks like irritated chapped skin and the left side is smaller than the right. Oh .. no. so I am not sure what I am dealing with here. She is loosing her hair in patches some on the back. I know that we have bermuda growing out in their 'dry lot' and weeds are popping in too so may have to scrape it dry again. Here are a lot of pictures I just took. Her flank area in front of left udder is puffy and evidently painful. I think she needs it rubbed out. In a few minutes I am going to take her for a walk to see if it helps. She is a puzzle to me that is for sure as she really doesnt look much different than she did last week.

I will put some aloe vera on it. I have really worked hard to keep her pen clean with new straw down but can't keep her from scraping down to the dirt and rubbing her udder and belly on the dirt and rocks for comfort and just hoping she isnt getting a staph infection.. I am not seeing any open type sores but it looks kinda dry to me. Does her udder skin look abnormal?

 

[Eagle]

No as Diane said it looks fine, it is hard to see in the pic but if it is just flaky skin you can also rub olive oil on it, if you don't have Aloe Vera.

She looks great

If the flies are out already I would take her plait out of her tail until she gets closer, it will help with the flies.

 

[SugaryCharm]

Not sure if this might help with Jewel, but when my girls get unusually itchy I often find that the central cleft of their udder or the sides of their hooha area is dirty--just something to check. My big mare loves to have her boobies cleaned, the flirt!

If it's warm enough, you might try a quickie sponge bath in those general areas before applying your aloe vera. Here's hoping Miss Jewel can ditch her itch!

 

[sparklingjewelacres]

Yes.. I did manage to give her some good clean ups through all of this. Washed her udder real well too way up inside. It has been warm so I think it helped to do this. That area on her sides that is directly in front of her udder is swollen, tight and appears to be very painful when I rub it. She has been yawning today with softer piles but seems to be happy.

 

[sparklingjewelacres]

Look what we woke up to this morning! I was so tired last eve. I checked her at 11pm. Then I fell sound asleep for the first time in a while. I guess I was just supposed to let her do this by herself. I am glad nothing went wrong. My husband woke up at 430.. looked out window to see a little foal zipping around the pen! We got up.. I cleaned the belly button with Iodine, and we found a baby poopoo, and a big afterbirth sack. We put all new straw down and watched to see baby nurse well. I think she had the baby around 4:15 or so because baby is still wet. Weather here has been nice and warm even with light rains. It is short and tank top weather lately. I will post more pictures later. Thank you everyone for helping me so much on this forum. I would not have known how to deal with all this. I am thankful everything ended up going ok for Jewel. I was worried and had rubbed that edema belly area well last night as it was so swollen in front of the udder.

 

[SugaryCharm]

Yay Jewel!!!!!

What a beautiful pinto baby!!! Colt or filly? Glad both are doing fine--looking forward to more pictures!!!

 

[Eagle]

Oh yippeeeeeeee and phewwwwwwwwwww I am so glad all went well

Come on give us more pics and a sex please or we will be over there

CONGRATULATIONS

 

[atotton]

Wow, what a great surprise to wake up to.!! Congrats, on the little "it". Gorgeous head, I hope "it" gets to be the rich colour of Jewel.

 

[lexischase]

What a lovely little foal!!! Such a beautiful dished head. I cant wait for more photos of the little one. So very glad that all went well, and mom and babes are happy and healthy! Now my only requests are tons and tons of photos and to know if the foal is a colt or filly?!

Congratulations on the beauty!

 

[AnnaC]

WOW!! What a gorgeous baby, big and healthy too - well done Jewel!!

In all your excitement dont forget Jewel's worming dose, and to unbraid her tail (if you still had it braided), also to remove her headcollar (they can be dangerous to small foals - legs can get caught through nosebands or under the throat strap)

So colt or filly??? Again many many congratulations - now you get to sleep properly! LOL!!

 

[sparklingjewelacres]

It's a little filly. The filly is doing wonderful. She has nursed quite a few times. She is running around but is not wanting to take a nap. I am worried about Jewel. Something is not right. She is either in a lot of pain or .. ?? milk fever?? or just exhausted perhaps. I don't know. She maybe just tired but not doing so well and just wants to lay down flat right now. I saw the after birth and I assume that the placenta was with that. I saw a red blob with it but now I am getting worried. I am about to call the vet. They wont come unless there is really a problem and I think there is. She may have had a tough time and may just be in a lot of pain. She will stand to nurse but then wants to lay right back down.