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 Expert
Posts: 1286
  
Location: Mississippi | My mare is expecting her first foal in January and this will be my first experience also. What items would you recommend that I have on hand? I do have a newborn blanket but that's about it.
As for my stalls, I use pelleted shavings for bedding - is this okay for my foaling stall or do I need something different? I know they tend to be a little dusty so not sure if I should put regular shavings on top or maybe straw? She is currently turned out 24/7 except when feeding. How long prior to her due time should I start keeping her up?
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  JMHO
Posts: 1869
Location: Oklahoma | First I make sure about 2 weeks before the due date to let my vet know I have a mare foaling in case of a midnight call. I have iodine and a towel for the foal & banamine for the mare. I like straw until a few days after foaling and then put down shavings with some straw on top. If the mare gets up and down between foaling and the after birth the shaving can be easily pulled into the reproductive tract to allow an infection. I like to start brining my mare in 2-3 weeks before her due dates so it seems normal and not stressful. Congrats!!
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 575
| My filly last year had a reaction to the iodine on her cord, so our vet gave me another spray that wouldn't burn her the way the iodine did. Might look into that as a precaution. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 670
Location: Running my kids somewhere. | They need to be on straw to foal. I usually put down shavings and then straw over the top. My foaling kit is: towels, banamine, idoine, trash bag (to put the afterbirth in to be checked and make sure the mare cleaned completely), fleet enima, rope to tye up after birth if she does not clean right away so she does not step on it. I spend many nights watching the camera screen and waiting. |
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 Bulls Eye
Posts: 6443
Location: Oklahoma | My mares both pasture foaled in 2016. I was there to see the 1st one right after she was born. Mare was fed at 5:45 and by 6:15 had the filly, and the 2nd one I was there as the filly was standing
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 You get what you give
Posts: 13030
Location: Texas | First aid things you should have on hand:
towels to dry the foal if you are there for the birth
bandage scissors to cut the sac if you walk in on a red bag delivery
Dilute betadine or dilute chlorhexidine to dip the umbilicus
enema (fleet or soapy water, just don't ever use a fleet enema on a dog or cat) to help pass meconium if they're straining
gloves or OB sleeves in case you have to get in there and help, but it will be contaminated so it's not necessary.
I would avoid pelleted bedding or fine shavings because those particles can get in the foal's eyes, and they don't learn to blink to protect the eye from stuff coming at them for a little while.
The foal should be standing in an hour, nursing by the second hour, and the afterbirth passed by 3 hours. This is not a hard and fast rule, but a good guideline to follow. The foal should try to raise sternally pretty quick, and should start sticking its tongue out trying to nurse within a half hour or so. |
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 Scooters Savior
Location: "Si Fi" Ville | Fleet baby enemas.... be careful inserting,
I generally put a wrap on the tail, one that isn't tight.
I like to use a foaling cam, real cheap to buy one and prevents interrupting the mare. |
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Expert
Posts: 1286
Location: Mississippi | What foaling camera do you use? The problem is I don't have internet at my barn and have been looking for an alternative but not having much luck. |
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Scooters Savior
Location: "Si Fi" Ville | I had one that hooks up in the barn and transmits a signal wirelessly. No Internet needed. Cost about $69 dollars or less.
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Scooters Savior
Location: "Si Fi" Ville | I bought an outdoor security camera that transmits via a box transmitter. Walmart has some, along with a ton of others. Search it as outdoor surveillance camera with wireless transmitter, that can be used with metal buildings if your barn is metal. If you search it as gosling cams it gets pricey for some reason. |
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Scooters Savior
Location: "Si Fi" Ville | Sorry that was supposed to say "FOALING CAMERA". Dang iPhone! |
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 Member
Posts: 27
Location: kentucky | I don't know if anyone else mentioned it but we keep oxytocin on hand in case of retained placenta & equidone incase for some reason a mare would have no milk. I also always have foal lac powder just incase. We use a baby monitor made by vtech in our barn it has a 1000 foot range and you get audio and night vision. Best 100 bucks we've spent. If it's available from hagyard I also try to have frozen colostrum. Can you tell I worry?? lol. Good luck it's an amazing experience once it's all over. |
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You get what you give
Posts: 13030
Location: Texas | turtleaut - 2016-12-16 8:37 AM
What foaling camera do you use? The problem is I don't have internet at my barn and have been looking for an alternative but not having much luck.
I do the old school, wake up every couple hours... but I only have a few babies a year. I check their vulvas, udders, and tail tones daily and when things start to change in the right direction is when i start waking up during the night. |
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Foaling Prep