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May
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| Sunday |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
Saturday |
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1 - Day
291
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2 - Day
292
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3 - Day 293
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4 - Day 294
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5 - Day 295
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6 - Day 296
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7 - Day 297
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8 - Day 298
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9 - Day 299
First udder change
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10 - Day 300
Udder again slightly larger.
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11 - Day 301
Checked udder, dripped
fluid. Enough fluid to test - under 50 PPM, but worrisome that there is
enough fluid to test this early. |
12 - Day 302
Udder growing. Vespa is
doing a lot of butt pushing (trying to move the walls of the stall).
Milk is clear, yellow, but plentiful.
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13 - Day 303
Udder continues to
grow. Fluid is clear, yellow.
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14
- Day 304
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15 - Day 305
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16 - Day 306
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17
- Day 307
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18
- Day 308
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19
- Day 309
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20 - Day 310
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21
- Day 311
Vespa had quite an
uncomfortable day. Spent more time laying down than standing.
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22 - Day 312
Udder growing, lots of
fluid. Clear, yellow but not salty. Hindquarters are
softening.
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23 - Day 313
Vespa seems to want to be
next in the foaling stall. Udder quite full, changing shape.
Fluid still clear, yellow.. |
24
- Day 314
Udder developing more.
She's developing quite a 'jello butt'.
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25
- Day 315
Milk is abundant, still
clear/yellow
.
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26
- Day 316
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27 - Day 317
Milk is becoming cloudy,
losing it's salt. Hindquarters starting to soften.
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28
- Day 318
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29 - Day 319
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30 - Day 320
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31
- Day 321
Udder developing more.
Quite a bit of fluid, slightly cloudy, no saltiness.
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June
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| Sunday |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
Saturday |
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1 - Day 322
Udder full enough that the
teats point away from each other. Calcium at about 90 PPM. Vespa
seems to be the next one in the foaling stall!
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2 - Day 323
Calcium still at 90.
Moved into the foaling stall to get used to it. Fluid down in the teats,
looks like Vespa is gearing up.
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3 - Day
324
Calcium at 150. Quite restless all day. Butt pushing and biting her sides.
So restless tonight that we've got the camera on, even though calcium says
'not tonight'.
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4
- Day 325
Calcium at about 125 this
AM. Vespa is off her feed, very restless, kicking at her belly, biting
her sides. Her milk is cloudy, not white, certainly not foal
ready. Vespa acts like a mare very close, although the milk says
otherwise. |
5 - Day 326
Calcium unchanged, will
check again later. Vespa has been off her feed, but is finally
eating some tonight. Milk is white, but not yet opaque. Foal
quite active, kicking on the bottom of her belly. |
6 - Day 327
Waxed this AM, will
check calcium later. Vespa is off her feed again. Milk is white, but not yet
opaque, doesn't look ready. Vespa's udder is full, teats pointing
away from each other. Won't be much longer. |
7
- Day 328
Still waxed
on and off, will
check calcium later. Vespa finally eating tonight!!! (it's been
days since she ate a normal meal!) Milk is thickening, but still not
opaque. Milk isn't following a typical pattern. |
8
- Day 329
Calcium behaving odd - up and
down. Vespa
is still eating! Udder quite full, milk flows very easily. Quite
thick, still yellowish and not opaque. Vespa is feeling pressure - butt
pushing, belly kicking. |
9
- Day 330
Vespa has been rolling a lot
today. Milk is whiter, quite thick. Will test calcium later, but
it looks like the end is in sight. Lots of milk, down in the teat.
Flows easily. Vespa is still eating.
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10 - Day 331
Vespa still rolling a lot. Milk
plentiful, thick and sticky, but not complete opaque. Will test calcium later,
but she's coming down the home stretch. It will be interesting to
see if Annie or Vespa foals first.
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11
- Day 332
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12 - Day 333
Calcium is over 250, will
check again tonight. Her milk is white, but not opaque. It is
thickening. She's quite restless, rolling a lot during turn
out. Her appetite is better than it had been. |
13 - Day 334
Dripping milk
tonight. Belly has changed shape. Milk is still not
opaque - but it is white. Looks like Vespa may foal with 'skim milk'
colored milk. All signs say she'll foal tonight.
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14
- Day 335
Dripped milk through the
night, part of today. Bouts of restlessness, followed by calm.
Milk is finally quite white and thickening tonight. Shouldn't be much
longer.
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15
- Day 336
Continues to drip/wax.
Milk is quite a bit whiter, but not as thick as we usually see. Vespa
has periods of restlessness, rolling, pawing, followed by periods of
quiet. She acts like a maiden mare. |
16
- Day 337
Continues to drip/wax.
Milk is foal ready - abundant, white, thick and sticky. Vespa is holding
her tail up/out, a common late-pregnancy behavior. She rolled a lot
during turnout |
17 - Day 338
Continues to drip/wax.
There are no signs left to watch for: milk is ready, foal has turned
(movement back by tail can be felt), hindquarters softened. Just
waiting....
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18
- Day 339
Milk abundant and bright white
this morning. By evening it has turned cream colored - which is probably
colostrum. She's been leaving puddles of milk in her paddock and
dripping on her legs all day. This can't go on much longer (I hope)! |
19 - Day 340
No change...but then there
are no signs left to watch for. She continues to wax/drip
milk. Her milk is ready, her hindquarters have relaxed/softened, the
foal is in position. How much longer? It all goes to show that
mares have their own time tables! |
20
No foal
yet, humans are getting cranky. Click for
the long saga... |
21
It's a
colt! Another beautiful bay, he has his mother's grace, his father's
power. Photos coming soon! |
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