Staright Ranch

Mare Gestation and Progression

A mares gestation is on average 340 days but it can go well over 360 days or as early as 315 days. There is no such thing as a "Due Date" for mares unfortunately. But most mares give signs of approaching labor to help us out in this area. Some of these signs.

Some mares may display all of these signs, and some may not display any of these signs. Within a few days of foaling you will notice a change in the low part of the mares belly as it will look pointed. This is an indication foal is repositioning to repare for foaling.

Starlight Ranch basis on 340 days for approximate foaling date.

1. A mares hind end starts to relax before foaling, her vulva will lengthen and inside color will change. Muscles on her rear relax where they look like jello before foaling. The amount of relaxing can depend on number of foals mare has had.

   Appetite may change
2. Attitude may change
3. Mammor gland development - 2-6 weeks prior to foaling
4. Drop in mares abdomen - 2-3 weeks perior to foaling
5. Perineal relaxation - 1-3 weeks prior to foaling
6. Engorgement of teat ends, colostrum - 7-10 days prior to foaling
7. Waxing of teat ends - 48-72 hours prior to foaling
8. Elongation and swelling of the vulva - 0-24 hours prior to foaling
9. Dripping milk from udder - 12-24 hours prior to foaling

Mia's Belly Progress

July 2014 Mia Back In Foal	Dec 14 2014 - 243 Days	Jan 4 2015 - 264 Days	Feb 5 2015 - 297 Days
Feb 24 2015 - 315 Days	Mar 3 2015 - 322 Days	Mar 9 2015 - 328 Days	Mar 11 2015 - 330 Days
Mar 14 2015 - 333 Days	Mar 16 2015 - 335 Days
Mia's Udder Progress
Full Bag Foaled 329 Days 2014	Full Bag Foaled 329 Days 2014	Jan 4 2015 - 264 Days	Jan 4 2015 - 264 Days
Feb 5 2015 - 297 Days	Feb 5 2015 - 297 Days	Feb 24 2015 - 315 Days	Feb 24 2015 - 315 Days
Mar 3 2015 - 322 Days	Mar 3 2015 - 322 Days	Mar 9 2015 - 328 Days	Mar 9 2015 - 328 Days
Mar 11 2015 - 330 Days	Mar 11 2015 - 330 Days	Mar 14 2015 - 333 Days	Mar 14 2015 - 333 Days
Mar 16 2015 - 335 Days	Mar 16 2015 - 335 Days	Mar 17 2015 - 336 Days	Mar 17 2015 - 336 Days
Mar 19 2015 - 338 Days	Mar 19 2015 - 338 Days	Mar 20 2015 - 339 Days	Mar 20 2015 - 339 Days

The watch on Mia begins!!

11/23 - Mia is doing really well, 222 days into her pregnancy. She is spending all of her time out in pasture with Jasmine where she can get lots of excersize. Plan at this time is start to bring her in under lights January 1st, 2015.

12/14 - Mia is coming along nicely she is still out in pasture 24/7 for another two weeks then she will be brought into her stall to go under light.

12/29 - Mia is getting larger by the day now, is underlights a little earlier than anticipated due to bad weather. Nice to have her tucked in where it is nice and warm when it is in the low 20's and below. Bag looks that same as it was at 259 days on 1/8/14 but has a whole lot more hair covering her. Much of which is due to her being allowed out 24/7 a month longer than normal. Probably three more weeks and we will see her starting to shed.

1/4 - Mia is progressing nicely, but no change in her bag. Maybe she will decide to go closer to her foaling date this year which would be really nice, onlytime will tell.

2/5 - Mia is starting to make some progress, bag has just started to fill. In 2012 her bag started to fill at 299 days and she foaled at 341 days with Jasmine. Mia is loosing her winter coat and is extremely shinny, so great having her look so awesome at this point in her pregancy.

2/12 - Mia has lost a lot more hair but bag is still not doing very much. It fills a bit stretching out her bag then goes back down. She is uncomfortable at times and leaving most of her hay, mostly picking through the good stuff. She is drinking well and over all doing fine, likes to lay down for long periods of time periodically.

2/18 - Mia bag is starting to change on both sides not a lot but there is some change. Will be interesting to see what changes she has in a week.

2/24 - Mia bag is in the fill mode, some edema is starting to form, milk veins are enlarged, no breaking down in the back as of yet.

2/25 - Mia vet check and caslick removed, she is doing great and vet is guessing 2 to 3 weeks to go.

3/1 - Mia 320 days, bag is making good progress, bag is filling, speckling around her tits today and has been uncomfortable. Milk vein is very prominent but very little edema. She also is not laying down very much which is not normal for Mia. We have bedded her up to encourage her to get off of her feet. She is eating small amounts at a time and leaving a bit each feeding.

3/3 - Mia is at 322 days and her belly has dropped!! She has been very uncomfortable acting colicky but yep looks like foal was doing some repositioning. Bag is about half full, still finishing most of her feed and drinking well.

3/7 - Mia at 326 days continues to do well, bag is really filling but has calmed down the past few days since the foal evidently is not trying to reposition. The back of her bag has really started to fill and looks like her tits will begin filling soon.

3/9 - Mia at 328 days has made a lot of noticable progress in the past 24 fours, top of teats are now filled in and the back part of her bag and sides are really filling. Starting to also get a little soft around her tail. She is eating small amounts at a time so takes her a while to eat her normal meal.

3/11 - Mia at 330 days, teats are almost completely filled out with lots of speckling. The rest of her bag has also expanded a lot, she is having some pressure as her tail has been active and some rubbing on the walls as well. Mia is pretty cranky this evening, it looks like her belly has come up some as well as it is nolonger at a point.

3/14 - Mia at 333 days, bag is full and teats almost totally filled out. She is starting to soften, signs of butt rubbing and just being uncomfortable. Mia is pretty much all shed out and very shinny. She finally started to lay down again to rest twice on Friday night early Saturday morning. Expect she still has a few days have not yet seen signs of wax.

3/16 - Mia at 335 days, showing a little bit of yellow wax and PH is 6.4. She has been doing some pawing, yawing and licking at times and thought about going down a couple of times as well. Feel she still has a few days to go but is making progress.

3/19 - Mia at 338 days, Mia has been very agitated at times for the past two days, lots of butt rubbing, rubbing her body along the wall, down rolling, pawing the ground and just not happy at all. PH level is between 6.4 and 6.0, no white wax showing as of yet, she is soft in back and no resistance with her tail.

3/20 - Mia at 339 days, bag it totally full, no white wax but showing all signs she could go at anytime. Walked her to keep her from foaling for four hours so she would not foal before the grand kids arrived.

3/21 - Mia at 340 days, lot of pacing and just plane uncomfortable, no wax or dripping before her water broke at noon. Was a very difficult delivery as the foal shoulder locked just five minutes in could tell there was a problem. We finally were able to get his shoulders through and all went smoothly after that. Mia was very tired and did rest for over a half hour, after vet check she did not tear or have any hemotomas from delivery.