Post by Michelle Clarke on Mar 26, 2008 11:07:06 GMT -5
A mares udders continue to develop as time goes on. They can change shaped and size for many reasons but mainly after a quiet night they will be fuller and after a day out in the pasture, they will diminish. Usually when a mare comes in from the pasture with a full udder, then it is time to watch her more closely. We did have a mare this year that seemed to bag up overnight and steady fill up, even after being out 24 hours in the pasture. She did this for about 10 days, then leveled off and did not foal until a couple weeks later. Udder developement can even regress during this process.
If you are very diligant about checking your mares udders twice per day, you may first begin to see the dry plugs dispelled out of the milk ducts. They appear whitish and sometimes can be mistaken for wax or even milk, as they may hang down from the duct before falling off. However, the biggest difference is the shape. They are shaped just as the inside of the duct and are small around, not large like milk or spread wide like wax.
Wax is caused by hormone changes and sometimes when a mares' health is not up to par or nutrition is poor, then there may be no wax. It is the product of activated ducts and tubules of the milk gland. Some say the presence of wax means foaling is quick to come, but this may or may not be true. This is just another sign that your mares' foaling time is nearing.
You can miss the wax if you do not check often, as it will form and fall off - this can happen many times.
Wax is thick and honey colored and usually spreads across the point of the nipple..
If you are very diligant about checking your mares udders twice per day, you may first begin to see the dry plugs dispelled out of the milk ducts. They appear whitish and sometimes can be mistaken for wax or even milk, as they may hang down from the duct before falling off. However, the biggest difference is the shape. They are shaped just as the inside of the duct and are small around, not large like milk or spread wide like wax.
Wax is caused by hormone changes and sometimes when a mares' health is not up to par or nutrition is poor, then there may be no wax. It is the product of activated ducts and tubules of the milk gland. Some say the presence of wax means foaling is quick to come, but this may or may not be true. This is just another sign that your mares' foaling time is nearing.
You can miss the wax if you do not check often, as it will form and fall off - this can happen many times.
Wax is thick and honey colored and usually spreads across the point of the nipple..