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Post by Michelle Clarke on Feb 17, 2009 21:05:02 GMT -5
Feb. 17 ~ 263 days in foal
This is Contoras' first foal. We are hoping for a grulla gaited filly...!! She is big and round...will post picts this week.
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Post by Michelle Clarke on Mar 23, 2009 22:38:10 GMT -5
March 23rd ~ 298 days in foal
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Post by Michelle Clarke on Apr 12, 2009 11:31:01 GMT -5
April 12 ~ 316 days in foal
Contora was visably uncomfortable this morning. Her tail is totally lax and I can lift it all the way up without any resistance. She was holding her tail up over her back and out away from her after breakfast for a good 30 minutes...I watched her and debated about putting her out or not, but decided to let her move around and just keep an eye on her.
She has normal maiden mare udders, lots of swelling around them too. She seemed somewhat unsteady in the hindend, though not totally mushy around the tail head and her muscles around her rump are not loose yet. She did have some discharge though as she was walking around...hopefully the foal is just laying on her bladder and it is making her uncomfortable. Still too early for that baby! 320 days is usually the safety zone to make sure the lungs are fully developed.
Maiden mares are hard because you don't have any established patterns, their udders sometimes won't shape up until the foal is born and sometimes they hold out on the birth because they are nervous - might be a couple long weeks coming up soon!
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Post by Michelle Clarke on Apr 12, 2009 20:31:49 GMT -5
I can already tell that Contora is going to be one of those mares that will drive me nuts waiting and guessing! Tonight when she came in, she was very quite (not like a Paso!), real lovely (not like her!) and her belly had dropped alot, tail still stiff and now the hindend pretty mushy.
I am hoping we still have a ways to go and she is just shaping up very very early!
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Post by Michelle Clarke on Apr 15, 2009 22:39:47 GMT -5
April 16 ~ 320 days in foalContoras' belly dropped over the past weekend...usually means 3-4 weeks left - right on schedule. Today is a marker, as after 320 days, the foals' lungs are fully formed and the foal can survive if it is born early. Contora seems more settled, though this foal is a live wire! Jumps around in there all the time! Her udder fills up over night, then goes down after she has been out all day - though it seems to be staying larger when she comes in and not going down as much. No milk vein yet, but that is normal on maiden mares.
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Post by Michelle Clarke on Apr 18, 2009 20:00:48 GMT -5
April 18 ~ 322 days in foal
Contora continues to shape up well...she has some edema developing in front of her udders, but nothing out of the ordinary.
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Post by Michelle Clarke on Apr 20, 2009 21:03:01 GMT -5
April 20 ~ 324 days in foal
Contora came in tonight with hard udders (usually they shrink during the day). I was also able to milk her, which is unusual for a maiden mare. The "milk" was a little more than clear, so this can go on for a couple weeks before we get some real milk. She was figgety though, but the flies are out so that could surely have something to do with it too.
I am not getting too excited yet - maiden mares can really make you wait!
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Post by Michelle Clarke on Apr 21, 2009 21:48:22 GMT -5
April 21 ~ 325 days in foal
Contora is motoring right along....tonight her milk was more opaque and a little sticky. The foal has moved further back and a little lower. We were able to test her ph and it is 6.6 - once it gets down to 6.0, we have lift off! In my experience, once they hit 6.6, it is 1-4 days before the foal is born. If she keeps up this pace, we may have a foal this weekend!
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Post by Michelle Clarke on Apr 23, 2009 21:15:57 GMT -5
April 23 ~ 327 days in foalMilk is thicker and sticky today. Ph was 6.3 this morning, but back up to 6.6 tonight. Her hindend is soft and mushy and her belly looks like a "V" now as the foal is getting into position. Her flanks are also fuller as the foal moves where it needs to be. She is all bedded down tonight, camera on her and will check throughout the night...  
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Post by Michelle Clarke on Apr 24, 2009 20:47:19 GMT -5
April 24, 328 days in foalPh is staying down at 6.3...calcium test is high (2 out of the 4 squares changed right away and the other two followed in less than 10 seconds). Milk is getting thicker, though not totally opaque (but that can happen even after they foal). Notice her flank area is not hollow anymore - the foal is moving into position. For the first time ever, I saw the foal moving around in that area.... I caught her walking backwards and flicking her tail up and down (classic contractions) right before I came up for dinner. She is also standing somewhat squatted in the hind. We will be on watch tonight and hopefully she does not drag this out a few days!
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Post by Michelle Clarke on Apr 27, 2009 10:06:13 GMT -5
April 27 ~ 331 days in foal
Contora had some hard contractions last night...two put her right down, but she is still holding out. We had bad storms roll in about 2am (4"+ in an hour), bad lightening, power out, etc...so we called it a night. Came out to check on her at 4:30 when the rain slowed - she was still by herself, but waxing. Still waxing this morning and looking content to continue at keeping me up and anticipating!
Ph and calcium levels have been where they need to be.
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Post by Michelle Clarke on Apr 29, 2009 20:27:48 GMT -5
April 29 ~ 333 days in foalOkay....Contora came in from the pasture tonight dripping thick white milk all over her legs! This may be it - hopefully we will have a new foal on the ground in the morning and she does not do this for a few days!! She is usually quiet in the stocks while we check milk, clean her up and wrap her tail. Tonight she was not happy at all! Snaking her neck and pawing trying to dig up the matt - she wanted back to that stall! So, quick dinner and back to the barn; Lynn is eating her dinner down there in front of the camera now, keeping watch...
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Post by Michelle Clarke on Apr 30, 2009 8:31:04 GMT -5
Filly born 3?45 am! Everything went well and Contora seems to be a good momma so far! She is a fiesty thing and very determined about what she wants!
Filly appears to be a dun...will get a better look at her in the light this morning and get some picts up.
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Post by Michelle Clarke on Apr 30, 2009 11:15:34 GMT -5
Still wet, looked like a dun... However, in the light of day we discover a red dun! Figures, all that attitude PLUS a red head! She is doing well this morning, comes over for scratches and gives her momma lots of grief! Here she is, five hours old - look at those angles! She moves around really fancy, picking those legs way up in the air. Eric does not think she is gaited, but moves more like a Troche-Gallope (trot gallop with big movement). |
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Post by Michelle Clarke on May 7, 2009 21:20:27 GMT -5
We decided on the name Bayo Electra... |
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