Timing is Everything!

Tired of sleepless nights waiting for your mare to foal? Predict-A-Foal takes some of the guesswork out of foaling time.

Counting 11 months from your mare’s breeding date will put you in the general neighborhood for a foaling date, but mares rarely give birth exactly on the estimated date. The Predict-A-Foal kit gives you a tool for getting much closer approximations of foaling time and may even tell you the exact night.

The kit works by checking for the level of cations in the secretions/milk in the mare’s udder. When foaling is imminent, mineral levels are extremely high. Prior to this time, levels will range from non-detectable to an intermediate reading, gradually increasing as foaling time approaches.

The test is relatively easy to perform. Even though the udder may look dry, following the guidelines should result in enough secretions to be able to test. Secretions are expressed into a collection vial. Reagent solution is then added to a test tube to a marked line, and 0.6cc of mare’s milk/secretion is added to this.

The test tube is gently inverted to mix the milk with reagent, and a test strip is then dipped into the test tube. After waiting exactly one minute, the test strip, which has five boxes on it, is examined for any color change.

Results are read as follows: No change, 1 percent chance of foaling: on box change, 1 percent chance: two boxes, 10 percent; three boxes, 40 percent; four boxes, 80 percent; and five boxes 90 percent chance of imminent foaling.

We found this kit easy to use. Our testing began when the mare was starting to show physical signs of approaching birth (loosening of ligaments, lengthening of vulva, udder filling), which was about seven days before her predicted foaling date. However, this mare had a history of foaling late.

The manufacturer suggests, and we agree, testing should begin about 10 days before the expected foaling date.

The mare’s first test was negative. We waited 48 hours to do the test again, still negative. The four-days test was a weak one box (1 percent chance of foaling) and continued at this level for the next two tests. The 10days test (now 3 days late) was a weak two boxes. The mare continued to be two boxes for one more test.

At 14 days (seven days late) our test was three boxes. We tested daily for the next three days, no change. On day 19, she was still 3+. This is when you start going “nuts”. When is the mare going to foal? However, by doing the test late at night (11:00 to 12:00) we were able to avoid staying up all night – the mare was comfortable, eating her hay, and the 40% chance of foaling was not enough to make us keep a steady watch – we got four hours of sleep instead!

On day 21, the mare was dripping milk at 9:00. We tested, but suspected there was really no need to do it now.

Sure enough the test was immediately 5+. By 9:30, labor had obviously begun and we had a beautiful strong filly by 10:30. The foal was extremely large and, as it turned out, the mare did need assistance, even though this was her seventh year in a row to foal.

No mare will follow exactly the same pattern of physical signs of impending foaling or even the results of this test. However, this kit is a valuable addition to all the physical signs that foaling is near. On the one hand, it can prevent many nights of lost sleep. There is little/no point in staying awake on a one to 10% chance of foaling. On the other hand, the test can give you enough advance warning, even if it is only a few hours, that you can alert the veterinarian. Even a few hours warning can make the difference if the mare eventually needs assistance.

We highly recommend Predict-A-Foal, available through Animal Healthcare Products.