This message is from: Julia Will <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
We are celebrating the completion of our 1998 foaling season...always a
fun, but very stressful time!! We have been blessed with two colts, Tor
and Torrin, and FIVE fillies, Tess, Trina, Troya, Tira and Tianna. (We use
the Dutch system for naming, and this is the "T" year.) Four out of the
seven came early by at least a week. What is really fun is that we have
foals by 5 different stallions...very interesting to compare them! We
monitor our mares with a closed circuit camera so that we can be there when
they foal. At night, we set the alarm clock to wake us up to check the
monitor...what a great technology! Saves MANY late night walks to the
barn! We have found over the years that our presence at the birth can
often mean a more speedy delivery for the hard working mare, and in some
cases, saves the foal. Our first birth this year was a "red bag" delivery,
meaning the placenta separated and was coming before the foal. We are able
to very quickly go in and find the legs and gently pull the foal out before
he suffocated. We feel the investment of less than $500 in a camera set-up
has saved us many times that amount in safe deliveries. Yes, one can sit
up and watch the mares...but some mares are VERY cleaver about foaling with
the "watcher" has gone for a quick cup of coffee! As for "sure signs" of
impending birth...this year with 2 out of the 7, we saw no clear signs that
the time was near. We also noted that when foaling in May and June...after
the flies are out, any signs of waxing are often wisked away by a busy tail
during the day. Each foaling season we learn more. This year, several of
the foals had contracted front tendons, from mild to severe, (unrelated
mares and sired by different stallions,) and in each case, the foal arrived
up to 17 days early. The foals that came on or near the due date were
fine. We had to have 2 of them treated with oxytetracycline injections,
which completely cured the problem in 3 days. If anyone else has had
problems with contracted tendons, I would like to hear about it. I have
heard of two other Fjord foals this season with front leg contractions, one
in Connecticut and one in Pennsylvania. In our 6 years of foaling mares,
this is the first year I have ... 1) had so many early deliveries and 2)
had contracted tendons at birth that required treatment. (Required
treatment because the foal knuckled over so badly that nursing was in
jeopardy.) Blame it on El Nino???? Julie @ Old Hickory Farm in Upstate
New York
