I am getting ready to start looking around for late term mare care and foaling costs and was wondering what average costs were for high quality care in Florida? I also want to make sure I am not forgetting any extra fees associated with foaling. 
I am getting excited.
Florida is a big state. Asking how much board costs is like asking how much a car costs. Do you want a Bentley or a Ford?
[QUOTE=Laurierace;8933477]
Florida is a big state. Asking how much board costs is like asking how much a car costs. Do you want a Bentley or a Ford?[/QUOTE]
Ocala FL
Pretty much what Laurierace said. Ball park numbers $20-35+ per day. Foaling fee $300-500+.
When there used to be TB mares in this state we charged $20-25 depending on on many from the client for resident mares. Meaning mares that lived here year round except when sent to KY to be bred. Foaling fee is $400.
Foaling mares that are sent to be foaled had to be here at least 2 months before their foaling date. $30-35 per day foaling fee $500-600 depending on numbers. It’s not worth it for less. Barely worth it at that rate. They arrive at the most expensive time of the year. Hay, grain, bedding etc. extra labor and at times crappy weather to work in. There is no gravy, without the 6-9 months of easy keeping, out pretty much 24/7.
Foaling mare numbers are down and Ocala has a lot of farms to choose from. So pricing maybe pretty competitive. To me I wouldn’t bother to do it for less. I can use every dime the farm can produce. But I have done cost-benefit analysis the hard way. In the end its not worth the few extra dollars that short term foaling mares bring in.
Good quality hay and grain is expensive in Ocala. I’d want my mare to have good alfalfa, and that’s at least $600/ton around here. Straw is pretty high, too (shavings are cheap, but I wouldn’t use it for foaling). Quality feed that’s about $16 a bag in KY is $20-22 here. Yes there is cheaper stuff…but I wouldn’t feed it.
I don’t know what farms charge for board/care as I keep mine on my own property, but based on raw materials alone, I would expect monthly bills to be fairly significant.
