We are expecting our first ( and probably only) foal. The barn is not at our house. We really want to be there when she foals. Any suggestions on a relatively inexpensive way to monitor her so we can be there?
We do have the option of staying in a camper on site so could use a monitor that doesn’t need wifi. There is no wifi at the farm.
Thanks in advance!
Pool strips to test milk. I can’t recall the details but googling will lay it all out. Helps give you a much closer window.
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Have you studied up on all the ‘signals’ and physical changes that usually occur pre-foaling? Google those clues, and yes milk strips can help- check several times daily. even with all the help you may still miss it.
ALL mares…and especially Maiden Mares…“dance to their own beat” and follow almost NO rules!! Just my experience after having a non-maiden mare go 367 days!! Drink lots of coffee and don’t make any social plans!!
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What day is she now? How far away from the barn do you live?
A baby monitor could be used for sound only, while you’re in the trailer. There are camera setups that can use a wired connection to a computer. The cable would be pretty cheap, the camera maybe not so much. But go to a Radio Shack or Best Buy and ask about a security type camera setup for a live feed. Obviously the quality doesn’t have to be amazing.
Definitely read up on the signs of foaling getting closer. A good indicator of close foaling is an udder that has gotten full and stays full, and starts dripping milk, BUT, absence of 1 or all those things does not mean foaling is a long way off. Some mares, maiden or not, don’t get a full under until they actually foal.
The butt muscles getting loose and jiggly is fairly reliable, as they have to start relaxing to allow for pelvic expansion during foaling. The vulva will elongate and become looser too, but “longer” and “looser” is relative to that mare, not other mares. You can take pictures every day or so to have objective views on changes. The udder too.
Once you start seeing a hint of these signs, or you get to 340, whichever comes first, she really should be monitored 24x7. Most foalings are fine but when they go wrong, they tend to go very wrong, very fast, and require immediate intervention.
Be SURE to read up on the visible signs of a Red Bag Delivery, and how to tell if what you’re seeing is a nose and 2 front feet, or…not. Both are red flags for immediate help,and you should talk to your vet about that.
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I used a baby monitor with sound. It worked like a dream. Someone else at our barn tried to used the computer camera method and ended up using the monitor because it worked better. The camera could be moved remotely so I could follow the mare around the stall. I got it off of eBay for less than $100. Highly recommend!
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People feel differently about this, but IMO you need to be there. There are a lot of good ways to tell that a mare is getting close, but they may or may not apply to any mare that doesn’t feel like following them. For this reason, I think that it often makes sense for owners of just a mare or two to send broodmares out to foal. This might be especially true if the mare is a maiden or the owners are inexperienced, or if the home facility is far from a veterinarian.
In any case, if you are determined to foal out your own mare, I think that you should plan on putting your camper out at the farm and then setting up a long range baby monitor so that you can watch the mare from the comfort of your camper. Make sure you have proper foaling supplies and a well charged cell phone.
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BUT, remember, even with all the cams and baby monitors you still have to be awake to see what is going on. Even checking them every hour can result in a mare having the baby or worst case, having a problem for an hour without anyone watching. Even though I have cams in the barn that I watch from the house on a monitor or on my cell phone, when I see them getting real close I go immediately to the barn so I can see up close. Keep in mind, not all mares foal at night.
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Our mare is at 315 days today. We do have aa camper set up at the barn already and will start staying there closer to her due date. We are monitoring the mare daily as well as consulting with our vet as to the best decision regarding keeping her at our farm versus sending her out to foal. He is also checking her regularly when he comes to see other horses in the barn. Foaling supplies are all set except for the monitor.
Any suggestions of a make or brand of monitor that might work without Wifi would be awesome. I have heard that some people can check on their babies on their phones while at work. I would love to be able to do that too!
Keep in mind that if you think you will send her out to foal, that should be done at least 2 weeks prior to Day 340 or so. She needs to develop antibodies specific to the bacteria on that farm, so she can pass those on to her foal.
To check on things from your phone at any distance that’s, say, farther than your camper on site, requires an internet signal at the source of the video, so if you don’t have internet at the barn, no such luck.
If you are really serious about attending the birth, which is a very good idea, the most reliable monitor is the Foalert. It is sewn into the vulva and when the birth breaks the contact, you will be alerted. As always pointed out, the downside is a birth coming out wrong that doesn’t break the contact, but when I was foaling maidens I used it, and it never let me down. I foaled a maiden who gave no encouraging signals about impending foaling, and didn’t even look very pregnant. With the Foalert we were awakened when she foaled, right at 340 days. It is expensive, but you may be able to find one to lease. No wifi needed.
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has anyone had any experience with this product at all for monitoring their pregnant mares?
http://seehorse.ca/products/
They look really interesting…
I have been following all of the trackers pretty darn closely. At this point NightWatch is the only one that has peaked the interest of myself and the vets I’m in contact with. And they are not going to make it on farm in time for this year’s foals.
Any foal yet? Is this your Welsh x TB mare?
Most maiden mares are hard to get any milk from for testing until the last 2-3 days. I LOVED my FP nursery monitor. The sound was clear and crisp, amplified. The steps walking through the straw sounded like someone munching on dry frosted flakes in my ear. I could leave the volume up, and then TRY to sleep. MUCH easier than trying to stay awake!
This is a Zangersheide mare. She is by Confusion ( Contender ) out of Electre Z ( Galoubet)
