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Elite Veteran
Posts: 733
  
| So I am wondering who all foals out their mares and who takes them to a breeding facility and why? I have a mare that is due in 2.5 weeks, I am trying to decide if I should foal her myself or take to the breeding facility. To take her in costs $450 that includes 2 weeks of mare care, so if she stays longer it will be more. I have been trying to study it but I think that is only making me more paranoid, I have a couple vets (one that specializes in breeding) that live not to far from that I can call if she has problems, but I am just sure everything is going to go down at 2 in the morning  . I am a newbie to this and little stressed out!
ETA: I have a nice pen for her to have it in, it is 50'x50' with 50'x12' being covered. The covered part has lots of straw and the rest of it is dry.
Edited by Rope-N-Run 2014-02-20 9:10 PM
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  The Color Specialist
Posts: 7530
 
Location: Washington. (The DRY side.) | Personally I can't fathom spending that kind of money to have sometime else do what I can do myself. THAT SAID, it is YOUR mare and your money. For some folks, it is worth it to pay someone else to foal them out. You have to decide what makes you most comfortable. Is this a "one time thing", our are you planning on having more foals? |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 733
| RacingQH - 2014-02-21 7:51 PM
Personally I can't fathom spending that kind of money to have sometime else do what I can do myself. THAT SAID, it is YOUR mare and your money. For some folks, it is worth it to pay someone else to foal them out. You have to decide what makes you most comfortable. Is this a "one time thing", our are you planning on having more foals?
This is the first foal I have had ( yes I feel like I am having a baby myself sad, I know) that being said I plan to have more so I want to learn, and I can not afford to spend $450 every year. I think my big hang up is this is a ET foal and I have quit a bit of money into it already, I really don't want to loose the foal and start all over that will cost a lot more than $450. The recip mare has not had any problems foaling in the past she is a big TB mare. One more Q, when do you really go on foal watch I was thinking when she started to wax I would start checking more often but wasn't really sure how often .....
Edited by Rope-N-Run 2014-02-20 10:21 PM
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 600
Location: Oklahoma & Texas | I apologize this is so long lol...but Since she's had foals before likely shes an old pro lol that being said things can always happen...ive always foaled my own but I also studied it in college at OSU and A&M so I had some practice...if you decide to do it yourself keep your vets in the loop when time gets close always good if they know ahead of time if they may be getting a 2am phone call lol....I'm friends with my vet so I have his personal cell and he lives less than 10 mins from me so I have comfort in that...things to look for....I start checking their milk 2 weeks out..every day I squirt a dime size amt in my hand so you will see the change in color and thickness as they get closer...it'll go from a thinner skim milk consistency to a heavier creamier milky consistency when they are close....they'll also bag up so much typically they'll squirt milk when they walk lol...
mares can foal early or late...typically in my experience its within about 20 to 35 days before the anniversary of their breeding date so like if you bred em May 19 they foal around April 20 ( example of one we had last year )..
once a horse goes into labor that foal should be hitting the ground within 30 to 45 minutes...it goes fast...so if it seems like its taking a while or horse is clearly in labor grunting or sweating and 30 minutes go by and you dont atleast see 2 front feet and a nose its time to call the vet...if you see a placenta before the foal call the vet...if all seems to be going good just stay out of the way and quiet so the mare isn't more worried about you than giving birth...the only help I usually give is sometimes mares strain alot when its time to pass that foal at the shoulders since that is usually the widest part of them...don't pull but you can apply some downward pressure by holding the foals front pasterns firmly and just applying the slightest bit of downward pressurelike if the mare was standing youd be pulling in the direction of the mares hocks but usually they are laying down on their side at this point but you stillmwant to go that same direction because that's the position of the baby in the birth canal....anyway that little bit of pressure will help keep the baby from sucking back into the uterus with the contractions...dont pull...just light downward pressure...once the shoulders make it out which can take a few minutes they tend to slide right out...make sure sack is off face and nose...let momma do the rest! Baby will get stood up within an hourand nurse..if momma has tender boobies you may have to hold mare still first few times to nurse til the pressure is off and shes not so tender...very important the foal nurses a lot first 24 hours so they get plenty of colostrum...horse birthing 101 lol..
personally I like to foal my own and its always a risk...but its such a thrill to be the first one to touch that baby and witness it. I kmow a lot of professional horse people who will foal some themselves and send some to be foaled out by pros...usually if its a maiden mare they'll send em...or if mare has a history or foal is really large.. maybe if you are not confident enough to do it yourself with your vet you can find a place close enough that you can be there when it happens or shortly after... I prefer home because 1 I dont want the little ones exposed to a lot of other strange horses and germs til their immune systemhas a chance to protect them... 2 foaling away from home you'll have to decide how long you want to wait then before trailering that little booger and its momma home afterward which could mean more board...I always worry about real little ones getting stepped on in the trailer...I prefer for their first ride to be when momma gets taken to the vet to be rebred a month after birth so they have a chance to get real steady on their legs and immune system is really taking hold then too..anyway if you want my cell pm me id be more then glad to answer questions at 2am as I'll be on foal watch too til mid may haha...but I completely understand being nervous and having those questions at crunch time! |
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Weiner Dog
Posts: 10248
Location: Texas | If this is your first foal & it is a ET foal...I would pay. If a mare has a problem...it has to be dealt with immediately by somebody who knows what they are doing. Foaling is not for rookies...especially when a lot of money has been spent. Your mare is 2.5wks off from foaling...she actually could be due any time.....I have been on foal watch since mid January..have 3 on the ground & 12 more to go. Good luck & congrats.
Edited by dhanover 2014-02-21 5:05 AM
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 Expert
Posts: 1367
Location: mi | BBrewster hit on all of the basics. If you are going to be doing this every season I would try to keep her at home. She is an experienced mare that has had no problems. That being said make sure your vet knows she is getting close as when things do go bad you need to act ASAP. a vet that is an hour away is going to be too far.
If you decide to do this on your own THE BEST investment I made was buying a barn cam. I think it keeps the mare more content that I am not out watching her every few hours and I get WAY more sleep not having to actually get up every few hours. I can just roll over take a peak and a listen and go back to sleep. Have caught every single birth since having one.
Good luck it is an awesomely stressful month or so. :)
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 Heeler Hoarder
Posts: 2067
| Just a note some mares don't wax. One of my mares foaled yesterday morning no wax or milk change. |
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 Coyote Country Queen
Posts: 5666
| dhanover - 2014-02-21 5:03 AM
If this is your first foal & it is a ET foal...I would pay. If a mare has a problem...it has to be dealt with immediately by somebody who knows what they are doing. Foaling is not for rookies...especially when a lot of money has been spent. Your mare is 2.5wks off from foaling...she actually could be due any time.....I have been on foal watch since mid January..have 3 on the ground & 12 more to go. Good luck & congrats.
I agree with dhanover. It costs a lot to do an ET, and if you lose the foal you're out the money. If the mare is at a foaling facility there will likely be someone watching mares 24 hours a day, and they can do the appropriate tests to determine if there was passive transfer through the colostrum and anything else necessary to make sure that your foal is healthy.
We foal out our own mares, and have been doing so for almost 10 years. When my mares start getting close I will begin checking them through the night, usually every 3 hours or more frequently if I think they are really close. I don't wait for wax because like was mentioned some mares do not wax. A full bag, loose tailhead, and change of behavior are things that I pay close attention to.
Ultimately you have to do what you feel most comfortable with. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 733
| Thank you everyone. I am getting really excited. The vet that runs the breeding facility lives bout 10 min from me and the breeding facility is 20 min away. I am thinking I might foal her out at home then call him if there are any problems. Unless we get alot of rain and it gets muddy. She isn't showing any signs yet, I have been checking her often. I figured when she starts to show more signs I will start checking her through the night. Thank you again, any opinions/advice is much appreciated! |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 915
Location: SE KS | Tn_Barrelracer - 2014-02-21 7:24 AM
Just a note some mares don't wax. One of my mares foaled yesterday morning no wax or milk change.
My mare is an ol pro @ foaling, she has been a broodmare for 15 yrs. This year when it got close to foaling time I would check her at feeding, set my alarm n check her 11 or 12PM. Mainly for my conscious!! The night she foaled, I checked her @ 9PM, one drop of wax on one nipple. Set my alarm for 11PM, checked her, filly was dry, up, & had eaten!!!! This mare has had 3 foals for me & I have yet to "catch" her foaling!!!!
Do what you think is best!!
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| What kind of stallion fee is involved and ET charges??
When was the embryo implanted and look at your papers a lot of places will calculate an approximate date of foaling.... you should call them and get a precise date they consider to be the breeding date so you can figure your foaling times more accurately ..
CURIOSITY is killing me as to who the sire and dam are of your ET foal!! .. lo
This would be my deciding factor on making this my million dollar baby and have it foaled out at a facility. Just keep in mind the $450 is just the starting price and as we all know most places will do blood tests on the foal, usually add a bag of whatever and do other misc items that will take you to the $1500-2000 bracket on foaling one out.
The chances you take are picking up diseases from other mares and foals that have foaled out in the same stalls or pens and having to deal with that.... where your pen is more clean of diseases than a vet or stallion station stalls ...
You have already committed your bank to this foal ... so there is no reason to stop now since you are a newbie with foaling out a mare.
I look at my foaling dates as backing up 30 days from the last breeding date and then looking at the next 2 weeks as the time frame to start watching for foaling signs. i.e. 30 days backwards to April 1 and then stepping up my watch thru April 14th ... one of the major things I watch for is a very slow small drip of rose colored water from the mares vulva ... usually that is a baby in 24 hours sign at my barn.
GOOD LUCK ... |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 733
| BARRELHORSE USA - 2014-02-22 11:27 AM
What kind of stallion fee is involved and ET charges??
When was the embryo implanted and look at your papers a lot of places will calculate an approximate date of foaling.... you should call them and get a precise date they consider to be the breeding date so you can figure your foaling times more accurately ..
CURIOSITY is killing me as to who the sire and dam are of your ET foal!! .. lo
This would be my deciding factor on making this my million dollar baby and have it foaled out at a facility. Just keep in mind the $450 is just the starting price and as we all know most places will do blood tests on the foal, usually add a bag of whatever and do other misc items that will take you to the $1500-2000 bracket on foaling one out.
The chances you take are picking up diseases from other mares and foals that have foaled out in the same stalls or pens and having to deal with that.... where your pen is more clean of diseases than a vet or stallion station stalls ...
You have already committed your bank to this foal ... so there is no reason to stop now since you are a newbie with foaling out a mare.
I look at my foaling dates as backing up 30 days from the last breeding date and then looking at the next 2 weeks as the time frame to start watching for foaling signs. i.e. 30 days backwards to April 1 and then stepping up my watch thru April 14th ... one of the major things I watch for is a very slow small drip of rose colored water from the mares vulva ... usually that is a baby in 24 hours sign at my barn.
GOOD LUCK ...
I have around $3000 into the foal so far (they gave me a good deal on the ET). March 7th is the due date, 2 weeks from today. Here is a link to the foals pedigree http://www.allbreedpedigree.com/baby+uno
Don't worry baby Uno will not be its registered name LOL.
I will have to look I think we bred my mare around March 31st last year. So it looks like they went back 30 days then added a week. |
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| Rope-N-Run - 2014-02-21 2:16 PM
BARRELHORSE USA - 2014-02-22 11:27 AM
What kind of stallion fee is involved and ET charges??
When was the embryo implanted and look at your papers a lot of places will calculate an approximate date of foaling.... you should call them and get a precise date they consider to be the breeding date so you can figure your foaling times more accurately ..
CURIOSITY is killing me as to who the sire and dam are of your ET foal!! .. lo
This would be my deciding factor on making this my million dollar baby and have it foaled out at a facility. Just keep in mind the $450 is just the starting price and as we all know most places will do blood tests on the foal, usually add a bag of whatever and do other misc items that will take you to the $1500-2000 bracket on foaling one out.
The chances you take are picking up diseases from other mares and foals that have foaled out in the same stalls or pens and having to deal with that.... where your pen is more clean of diseases than a vet or stallion station stalls ...
You have already committed your bank to this foal ... so there is no reason to stop now since you are a newbie with foaling out a mare.
I look at my foaling dates as backing up 30 days from the last breeding date and then looking at the next 2 weeks as the time frame to start watching for foaling signs. i.e. 30 days backwards to April 1 and then stepping up my watch thru April 14th ... one of the major things I watch for is a very slow small drip of rose colored water from the mares vulva ... usually that is a baby in 24 hours sign at my barn.
GOOD LUCK ...
I have around $3000 into the foal so far (they gave me a good deal on the ET ). March 7th is the due date, 2 weeks from today. Here is a link to the foals pedigree http://www.allbreedpedigree.com/baby+uno
Don't worry baby Uno will not be its registered name LOL.
I will have to look I think we bred my mare around March 31st last year. So it looks like they went back 30 days then added a week.
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Looking at your investment that is not a bad deal anyway you look at it ... very nice pedigree on the baby!!
So ... IMO you can be a stay at home Mom and not be in much trouble ... one thing I do not do to a baby is an enema .... the plug is meant for the milk baby sucks to build up pressure in her digestive tract and straighten out all of her colon etc etc and then blow the plug in 24-36 hours and it will be black and greasy looking and then turn to yellow when processing her milk ... lol ... if you look around you can find the plug .. lol ... just have you some Vaseline or furazone to rub on the cheeks of her hinney to prevent poop scald when she dirties her tail and switches it back and forth ... lol
If you are within 2 weeks the other thing I do is worm the mare now ... so that she is cleaned out of worms and eggs .... your baby is going to sample her poop to start her gut bacteria and this keeps baby from getting a load of worm eggs at the same time ..
Also ... if birth is normal and everything looks good .. doctor navel immediately with iodine solution ... I use 1 ounce of 6-7% iodine mixed with corn oil in a squirt bottle and spray her navel several times over the next couple of days ... AND just in case mare has a sore spot that can't be seen I do 20cc of PenG a general common antibiotic for 5 days just to help her heal and recede ...
The other thing on the foal ... I do not give any shots until they are 5-6 months old at weaning time ... the colostrum fights with the vaccine and nullifies it so no reason to put your foal thru a toxic situation ... I only use TRIPLE EFT (~$13 at Jeffers) and a booster in 30 days since it contains all of the diseases that will give immunity to your foal ... all the other fad shots have no immune factor to them ....
and I had to laugh .... look what I named this one ... her sires name means TWO FOR ONE since he was registered AQHA and APHA .....
http://www.allbreedpedigree.com/uno+rainy+day (one rainy day)
GOOD LUCK ... just keep in mind having babies is what a mare is built to do and just use common sense and things will be fine!!
Edited by BARRELHORSE USA 2014-02-21 3:13 PM
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 898
Location: Mountains of VA | Rope-N-Run - 2014-02-20 9:08 PM So I am wondering who all foals out their mares and who takes them to a breeding facility and why? I have a mare that is due in 2.5 weeks, I am trying to decide if I should foal her myself or take to the breeding facility. To take her in costs $450 that includes 2 weeks of mare care, so if she stays longer it will be more. I have been trying to study it but I think that is only making me more paranoid, I have a couple vets (one that specializes in breeding ) that live not to far from that I can call if she has problems, but I am just sure everything is going to go down at 2 in the morning . I am a newbie to this and little stressed out! ETA: I have a nice pen for her to have it in, it is 50'x50' with 50'x12' being covered. The covered part has lots of straw and the rest of it is dry.
Your mare is due in 2.5 weeks?? Is a due date or are you going by the approx. day she started bagging up?? There are variations, but in general, it takes 3 1/2 - 4 weeks from the time a mare starts bagging up.
Personally, I leave my mares alone. They foal in a small pasture right at the house. I check on them but usually you are better off not disturbing them. IMO I know lots of people will disagree. Your mare is an experience, successful broodie. Let her do her thing. Plus, she has built up natural immunities to what you have on your farm........she will not have had a chance to do that if you move her plus she will have the stress of adjusting to a new facility and routine. |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 733
| hotpaints - 2014-02-22 5:47 PM
Rope-N-Run - 2014-02-20 9:08 PM So I am wondering who all foals out their mares and who takes them to a breeding facility and why? I have a mare that is due in 2.5 weeks, I am trying to decide if I should foal her myself or take to the breeding facility. To take her in costs $450 that includes 2 weeks of mare care, so if she stays longer it will be more. I have been trying to study it but I think that is only making me more paranoid, I have a couple vets (one that specializes in breeding ) that live not to far from that I can call if she has problems, but I am just sure everything is going to go down at 2 in the morning . I am a newbie to this and little stressed out! ETA: I have a nice pen for her to have it in, it is 50'x50' with 50'x12' being covered. The covered part has lots of straw and the rest of it is dry.
Personally, I leave my mares alone. They foal in a small pasture right at the house. I check on them but usually you are better off not disturbing them. IMO I know lots of people will disagree. Your mare is an experience, successful broodie. Let her do her thing. Plus, she has built up natural immunities to what you have on your farm........she will not have had a chance to do that if you move her plus she will have the stress of adjusting to a new facility and routine.
Her due date is March 7th, which was 2.5 weeks from my original posting. She has started bagging up but not very much. |
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| Rope-N-Run - 2014-02-21 11:58 PM
hotpaints - 2014-02-22 5:47 PM
Rope-N-Run - 2014-02-20 9:08 PM So I am wondering who all foals out their mares and who takes them to a breeding facility and why? I have a mare that is due in 2.5 weeks, I am trying to decide if I should foal her myself or take to the breeding facility. To take her in costs $450 that includes 2 weeks of mare care, so if she stays longer it will be more. I have been trying to study it but I think that is only making me more paranoid, I have a couple vets (one that specializes in breeding ) that live not to far from that I can call if she has problems, but I am just sure everything is going to go down at 2 in the morning . I am a newbie to this and little stressed out! ETA: I have a nice pen for her to have it in, it is 50'x50' with 50'x12' being covered. The covered part has lots of straw and the rest of it is dry.
Personally, I leave my mares alone. They foal in a small pasture right at the house. I check on them but usually you are better off not disturbing them. IMO I know lots of people will disagree. Your mare is an experience, successful broodie. Let her do her thing. Plus, she has built up natural immunities to what you have on your farm........she will not have had a chance to do that if you move her plus she will have the stress of adjusting to a new facility and routine.
Her due date is March 7th, which was 2.5 weeks from my original posting. She has started bagging up but not very much.
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If she is taking the slack out of her bag ... expect it to tighten and get hard and then go down over the next two weeks ... just watch closer to estimated time for her tits to get very turgid and bagged up mares will show a bag wrinkle sticking out between their back legs or for the bag not to show at all until she drops her milk when foal is born ... the more you watch the more they refuse to foal ... lol ..
And for God's sake do not milk the mare .... the wax or milk that has plugged her tits is there to keep her from leaking any colostrum away .... there is only enough colostrum for 12 hours of nursing and the baby needs it within 8 hours or sooner to keep slime from protecting her stomach walls that would keep her from absorbing any of the colostrum ...
Also if you do find the mare laying down with the baby on the ground or coming out just look and make sure her nose and head are free to breathe and it is good for baby and mare to lay there for 30 minutes to allow blood to drain out of the sack and into the foal .. and do not pull on the sack trying to get it to come out of the mare ... her post birth contractions should expel it within an hour and if not in two hours call vet to come and give her meds to start contractions again to expel it ... the weight of it usually helps to expel it ...
Since she is a new mare to you and is having a baby ... as soon as mare stands put a halter and lead on the mare to control mare for your own safety ... in case she decides to be a protective type of mama .. you may have to flip the lead over her neck/back and get out of the stall and let her tend to her baby ... well mannered mares will just stand there politely if you are holding the lead and not bond with the baby ... so let Nature take its course and stay out of the way as much as possible ....
Copy and paste so you can print some of the good advice you have been given on here ... and have your iodine solution or whatever at hand etc etc .. ... Also have some throw away gloves and an empty feed sack to put the afterbirth in ... put the heavy part in first and the rest will slide into the sack with ease ..
GOOD LUCK ... BY THE TIME BABY GETS HERE ... YOU WILL BE AN OLD PRO AT BIRTHING FOALS .... lol
Edited by BARRELHORSE USA 2014-02-22 4:00 AM
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 384
Location: Missouri | Personally speaking from the veterinary stand point I would always suggest consulting your vet, especially if you have one that specializes in reproduction. They will most likely know you better than any of us and will be able to help you decide what you're comfortable with. Also, they will be able to give you references to look at that are reliable and advice about what to expect (when it's time to give them a call mainly if you keep her at home). They will also have knowledge on neonatal care to ensure optimum health of both your foal and recip mare. Congratulations on your first foal!
Edited by cowgurl6258 2014-02-22 7:29 AM
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