What time of day did your mare foal?

[Wagtail]

Thinking only about the most recent foal you have had please answer the poll question: At what time of day did your mare foal. I am interested to see if there is a pattern and in particular, whether there is a difference between maiden mares and those that have had a foal before. Thanks.

 

[Wagtail]

Thanks to all those who answered so far.

 

[whisp&willow]

sugar! i think i might have answered wrong?! can you tell me what i voted for?

maiden mare, foaled at about 4/5am, so should have selected 12 am- 6 am!?

 

[Wagtail]

sugar! i think i might have answered wrong?! can you tell me what i voted for?

maiden mare, foaled at about 4/5am, so should have selected 12 am- 6 am!?

I don't have any way of telling what you voted for, I'm afraid. No worries, one wrong vote won't make a huge difference.

 

[Wagtail]

Very interesting results so far. As expected most foals are born during the night, but from these results so far, maiden mares are most likely to foal in the early hours and non maiden mares in the evening. Obviously not statistically tested results but they do look significant. Could it be that they actually start labouring around the same time, but that non maidens are quicker to foal? Or could it be that maidens are more likely to wait until it is most quiet because they are less confident?

 

[Worried1]

Can't vote on phone. Maiden mare foaled 10.50pm.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

i missed mine by about 10 minutes turned on cctv and there he was wet had not stood steam coming off him

afterbirth still VERY warm

I turned tv on at 6 30 and there he was

 

[Wagtail]

Can't vote on phone. Maiden mare foaled 10.50pm.

Thanks.

 

[Wagtail]

i missed mine by about 10 minutes turned on cctv and there he was wet had not stood steam coming off him

afterbirth still VERY warm

I turned tv on at 6 30 and there he was

I think that is what I would like to happen, so long as the foal is healthy and Mum is good with it. The problem is so much can go wrong. The maiden mare at my yard is due in nine days. She waxed up good and proper for six days running, and now, the last two days - nothing! The worry is obviously getting to me as I am having nightmares every night about something going wrong. The mare is not mine, her owner is living in our annex at the moment so she can keep an eye on her. I think the world of this mare and dread something going wrong.

 

[Wagtail]

Wow, that is interesting. We have quite a few results now and only 5% of maiden and non maiden mares foal in the afternoon. That must be the safest time to nip out to do some shopping!

 

[Thistle]

I have always found that just before dawn is the preferred time.

 

[forestfantasy]

Both of ours were evening, in march before the clocks changed.
Both madiens - one 11pm ish the other 9pm ish, was present for both

 

[DuckToller]

My maiden mare started acting out of character, calling and making whickering noises, running her lips all over my arm, at around 6pm.

She started pushing by about 7pm but gave up after half an hour and just lay there - we joked that as a tb she was too posh to push. She eventually foaled (with vet assistance) at around 9pm - not sure of the exact timing but it was July and dark by the time the colt appeared with the help of ropes, so possibly later but def before midnight.

 

[ElleSkywalker]

On phone but last year my maiden foaled at 4.21pm, (just in time for tea ), and another maiden foaled at 10 pm.

Non maidens, mare 1 at 9pm, mare 2 7pm (foal died after a day, mare had placentitis & whole birth was not normal) mare 3 9pm & mare 4 same night as 4 in early hours, between 12-6am.

 

[The_snoopster]

I was told that mares like to foal in the small hours of the night so went out on my foal watch from 10pm untill 6am as soon as our mares looked ready to foal. The older mare who has had foals before came galloping up for her bucket at 7.30pm showing no signs of a birth that night, however I had a phone call at 8.45pm that there was a carrier bag hanging from mares bum (non horsey persons description) she foaled at 9.08pm. Healthy filly was born and up and suckling within 20 mins, vet came checked her all over then I relaxed a bit lol. However mare did have to have vet out 12 hours later as the placenta had not completey come out so vet sorted that very quickly.
The second mare was a maiden and 16 years old, she was due the day before the older mare but showed no signs of a birth the following night after filly was born. I had another phone call as I was making the flask up to go on foal watch, this time the mare had foaled alone in the field. Rushed around there and foal was still wet and had not stood up, he needed a bit of help finding the milk bar as the mare was not quite sure what he was after. Vet was called for check over and was brilliant at helping us to get the mare to let him suckle, she licked him and loved him but did not want him to feed. Once he did suckle she was ok, but we did here her squeal at him a bit during the night. He was born at 9.50pm ish we got there at 9.55pm and he had just been born, mare had slight infection a few days later but was easily cured with anitbiotic from vet.

 

[Spring Feather]

I could change your statistics on your poll dramatically if there was an option to vote for all mares foaling. I have never ever had a foal born through the night. All foals ever born here have been born in daylight hours. Most have been in the morning, some have been in the evening and a respectable percent have been born in the afternoon.

 

[Fools Motto]

We've had five foals this year.
Mare 1 - non maiden, VERY quick birth at 10pm
Mare 2 - maiden, straight forward 'normal' birth at 8.30pm (good time!)
Mare 3 - non maiden normal birth, but clearly didn't want any help/watchers 3am (bad time!)
Mare 4 - 2nd time foaling mare - good birth, midnight (just about bearable!) then the bloody mare rejected foal... spent 2 hours + working damn hard on 'getting them loving each other! It did work. Phew.
Mare 5 - non maiden, slightly awkward birth, but all ok at the dreaded 3am again!

For me, 3am is the WORST time....lol

Got 2 more left... one of which foaled last year just before noon = very good time... hoping for a repeat of that!!

 

[Wagtail]

I could change your statistics on your poll dramatically if there was an option to vote for all mares foaling. I have never ever had a foal born through the night. All foals ever born here have been born in daylight hours. Most have been in the morning, some have been in the evening and a respectable percent have been born in the afternoon.

How interesting! What is your secret? Are they out 24/7? I really should have allowed multiple options on the poll. Bit slow of me not to realise I could have done that!

 

[Wagtail]

We've had five foals this year.
Mare 1 - non maiden, VERY quick birth at 10pm
Mare 2 - maiden, straight forward 'normal' birth at 8.30pm (good time!)
Mare 3 - non maiden normal birth, but clearly didn't want any help/watchers 3am (bad time!)
Mare 4 - 2nd time foaling mare - good birth, midnight (just about bearable!) then the bloody mare rejected foal... spent 2 hours + working damn hard on 'getting them loving each other! It did work. Phew.
Mare 5 - non maiden, slightly awkward birth, but all ok at the dreaded 3am again!

For me, 3am is the WORST time....lol

Got 2 more left... one of which foaled last year just before noon = very good time... hoping for a repeat of that!!

I woke up at 3 am this morning and thought how much I would hate to get the call at that time! Owner is on foaling duty but will call me should the birth look likely. I am dreading this mare rejecting her foal. She swishes her tail and really doesn't like her udder being touched.

 

[Britestar]

My last two were both very civilised at 10pm.

Previous ones were at 9pm, somewhere around 5am (only one I missed) and 5.30pm.

Last 2 were both maidens, the other 3 all had the same very experienced mum. The 9pm one, I walked into the stable, said to her, 'well are you going to have this foal at a decent time?', and she promptly burst her waters and had her in front of me!

 

[Shilasdair]

I had a broodmare on loan which had had many foals - and was advised that she would only ever foal late afternoon (just before her owner would return from work).
She foaled just before 6am in the morning (friend and I always arrived at 6am to look after them).
I suspect, that being a clever old thing, she wanted to start without human help, but timed it so that if she had any problems, we'd be there.
S

 

[Wagtail]

My last two were both very civilised at 10pm.

Previous ones were at 9pm, somewhere around 5am (only one I missed) and 5.30pm.

Last 2 were both maidens, the other 3 all had the same very experienced mum. The 9pm one, I walked into the stable, said to her, 'well are you going to have this foal at a decent time?', and she promptly burst her waters and had her in front of me!

Aw, what an obliging mare! I am lucky and am on day duty with this one. Owner is on night duty, but at least she can sleep during the day.

 

[Wagtail]

I had a broodmare on loan which had had many foals - and was advised that she would only ever foal late afternoon (just before her owner would return from work).
She foaled just before 6am in the morning (friend and I always arrived at 6am to look after them).
I suspect, that being a clever old thing, she wanted to start without human help, but timed it so that if she had any problems, we'd be there.
S

Lol. I sometimes think they know a lot more than we give them credit for.

This mare is really keeping us guessing. She waxed up good and proper ten days ago, and did it for 6 days, but the last 4 - nothing. Anyone else had this?

The foal moved position yesterday. She was down and groaning and rolling and now one side of her is flat!

 

[Laafet]

I haven't done the poll as I've had 13 foals so far! They've totally gone against the normal trend this year, over the previous 3 seasons they have mostly gone between 8-10pm. This year we had three all foal at 2.20am, a few around 4am and then the last 3 foaled at 11am, 12pm and 4pm, that was yesterday. I'm not sure why this is as most are regular mares that we foal every year.

 

[Hollyanna]

My maiden mare foaled at 1pm (lunchtime!) yard was quiet and warm in stable- after us camping for two weeks I missed it by minutes!

 

[Spring Feather]

How interesting! What is your secret? Are they out 24/7?

Yes they all live out 24/7 until they are 24/48 hours away from foaling and at that point they come in overnight. It's not really so handy as it seems because we still have to foalwatch during the night times even though we're all aware that our mares are unlikely to foal then. The first one this season was true to form, she foaled at 7am.

 

[Kaylum]

All ours foaled outside, they were big ID's usually around dawn time so they could keep a better watch.

 

[Gucci_b]

Maiden mare foaled at 5.30 a.m.

 

[Winifred]

My mare has had three foals. All three born at exactly the same time and always coincidently on weekend night - one on Friday and two on Saturday nights - obviously to increase my vets bill had they been required! Her waters go at approximately 10.30pm and the girls have all been out by 10.50pm give or take a few minutes.

Her behaviour and physical signs were the same for all three, for the last one I was so confident knowing her and using a milk test that I only did two hours of foal watch as I knew it was going to be that evening.

I think she is an exception rather than the norm though and realise I was very lucky!

 

[Wagtail]

Thanks, everyone. I know this poll is hardly scientific, but it looks like you have at least a 50% chance of the foal being born at a reasonably sociable hour!