Seems to be a pattern emerging this year of much higher percentage of fillies and very late??
Anyone else experiencing this??
Our latest was over 5 weeks ( 6 after due date) and one filly who has always had colts for last 6 years had filly too..
Thoughts?
I find its the colts that are late. First mare had a colt and was 10days late. This one is 3 days (and still going) late, no wax or anything yet. So I'm thinking it will be a colt.
but what i am saying is very many are very late this year and much more filles... get my gist??
also very weird is all mine so far have foaled very early in eve... we are talking 5 -6 o'clock!! when still light and often sunny.. what's that all about then??
nice for me.. done dusted and in bed at reasonable time...
two of the mares had upto 8 children able to watch, love and pet as soo early... nice for them as never seen a birth before.. but soo early in night... sooo late on dates??
Well I know that I don't own any of them, but I've helped a total of 96 into the world this year and we're all done! 52 colts and 44 fillies. Last one born last night at 8.10pm. Busiest month was March with 46 arrivals, busiest day was the Easter Saturday, with 9 born in a 24hr period - 3 between 10.40 and 11.40am!!! But even though I don't own even a hoof of any of them, I still consider the ones that I foaled, to be be MY babies *nods* They are ALLLL MINE
1 colt, not sure what is classed as late as normal term is anything between 320 & 365 days. Colt came in at 335 days, had thought he would be later. The vet was blaming lateness on the weather & the mares hanging on. We are still waiting for Abs who is due to foal to Loxley.
one colt and this was the only mare we had in foal, did the nail test and it was correct, he was 11 days late and a decent size for a first foal dont you think? (this is him at 6 hours old, mare is 16hh)
SN, do you ever get a bit blase about these births or is every one special? So, holiday time for you now is it?
ps, Saw your photos of Hector the other day, did write a reply but couldn't get it posted, he's looking fabulous, and so grown up. How tall is he now?
Brackenhappy, Hi, nail test. It's the equine version of the old wives tale of hanging a wedding ring (or nail!) on a piece of string (here they say it should be strands of the mare's tail) and holding it over her loins.
If it circles it is supposed to be a filly, and if it swings back and forth then it's a colt. It swung, violently over my mare and yes, she had a filly. Not everyone's results have been correct though.
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SN, do you ever get a bit blase about these births or is every one special? So, holiday time for you now is it?
ps, Saw your photos of Hector the other day, did write a reply but couldn't get it posted, he's looking fabulous, and so grown up. How tall is he now?
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It's very easy to get blase about foalings - esp. as i am now on about 400 odd. Sometimes it can be annoying - there might be a good programme on the telly
or the mare might be a pain in the arse and need holding repeatedly to allow the foal to drink (does not have to be a maiden to be like this either!) Mostly though it is exciting - when all goes well! When vets are needed (not often) it's not exciting, but the adrenaline does pump!!
Hector is taller than Berry now, so 15.1/15.2hh? That confo shot of him does him a discredit tbh, his front legs are a lot better than that! His front toes were digging into the school surface, his pasterns are not that shocking and he's not even slightly over at the knee in RL. Thank you though!
thanks, will try that when mare back from stud!!...or do you have to wait for mare to be so far into pregancy???...she was only covered on 29th may!!!!!!
Brackenhappy - my mare was very pregnant when I did the nail test, I don't know how soon you can do it for a result, just try it, and let us know. Many of us on here that gave it a go also tried it on barren mares and geldings as a kind of control, I believe the majority of those 'controls' produced no movement at all. It's all just a bit of fun though, any healthy foal on the floor is a good foal.
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Seems to be a pattern emerging this year of much higher percentage of fillies and very late??
Anyone else experiencing this??
Our latest was over 5 weeks ( 6 after due date) and one filly who has always had colts for last 6 years had filly too..
Thoughts?
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That's our experience - had a filly almost four weeks late!
Chambon!
I can't believe you have a ticker on Dreams 2008 foal already! Optimism at its' highest. Good Luck.
How's her current foal? sorry, can't recall if it is Apricot or Yoghurt
I can't do the poll but ive had more colts this year (no surprise there I always have more colts!) Ive had 9 colts and 6 fillies and still have 2 to foal. Mine have ranged from 23 days early (a colt) to 19 days late (a filly). The earlier mares were all going over and now the June/July mares are all dropping early. I have found alot more problems this year than usual, i've had to have the vet for the majority of the births!