Most mares foal at 330-336 days of gestation.
- Six weeks before please ensure your mare receives a booster vaccination for tetanus and influenza
- If the mare is due to foal in a different stable than normal, she should be moved to the stable six weeks before foaling.
- Ideally she should be bedded on straw, and have a good supply of fresh water, hay and balanced feed.
Signs that foaling is close
- Increase in mammary gland size
- Secretion of milk
- Relaxation of abdominal, perineal and pelvic area
When you start to see these signs it is very important that you monitor your mare around the clock, especially between the hours of 10pm and 5am as most mares will foal at night. Ideally you should watch from a distance so that your mare does not feel unsettled. To help monitor your mare you can use foaling alarms*, baby monitors or webcams/ CCTV. By watching carefully you can call for help at the first sign of trouble, which is crucial in saving the foal and mares life.
The first stage of labour
Signs of the first stage of labour:
- Continuously getting up and lying down
- Sweating profusely and appearing unsettled
- Looking at her flanks
- Digging up bedding
- Stretching as though to urinate
- Passing small amounts of faeces
When to call for help:
- If this stage has lasted for more than one hour
- If the mare seems to have prolonged discomfort
- Considerable agitation and profuse sweating
The second stage of labour
This starts when the waters are seen to have broken and most mares will lie down. A white membrane should be seen covering the foal’s front feet. If the foal is presented normally the mare should be allowed to foal naturally and the white membrane should also be allowed to break naturally.
When to call for help:
- If the membrane covering the foal is not white in colour
- If the fluid released during foaling is not clear/ pale yellow
- If the foal is not delivered within 15 minutes of the second stage of labour starting.
Immediately after foaling
The mare and foal may continue to lie down for twenty minutes or more, this is normal and they should not be rushed to stand up.
If the foal appears distressed at delivery, or is not breathing normally, the white membrane should be broken and the head lifted in the air to allow breathing.
The umbilical cord should be allowed to break naturally, and covered in 0.5% chlorhexidine or iodine.
The placenta should be expelled within one hour after foal delivery, if this does not occur please call for assistance. If you are unsure, please keep the placenta that has been passed and call for a vet to check whether it is intact.
The foal should be standing and receiving the first colostrum from the mare within two hours. If this is not the case the foal will not receive vital antibodies required for the immune system during the first few months of life. If you are unsure if the foal has drank enough colostrum please contact us for advice.
The day after foaling
We recommend that, even if all has gone well, a vet is called the day after foaling to check your mare and foal are healthy and to administer tetanus anti-toxin to the foal
* There are various foaling alarms to alert you that the mare might be foaling. This halter system phones the owner when it detects the movement of the mare in the first stage of labour.
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Kwa kawaida, farasi hao huzaa watoto katika siku 330 hadi 336. - Wiki sita kabla ya tafadhali kuhakikisha mare yako hupokea chanjo ya booster kwa tetanasi na mafua - Kama mare ni kutokana na foal katika imara tofauti na kawaida, yeye lazima kuhamishwa kwa imara wiki sita kabla ya foaling. - Kwa kawaida anapaswa kulala juu ya nyasi, na kuwa na ugavi mzuri wa maji safi, nyasi na chakula cha usawa. Ishara za kuzaa: Kuongezeka kwa ukubwa wa kibofu cha maziwa, kutokwa kwa maziwa, kupumzika kwa tumbo, perineum na eneo la pelvic, wakati unapoanza kuona ishara hizi, ni muhimu sana kufuatilia mare yako wakati wote, haswa kati ya saa 10 jioni na 5 asubuhi, kwani mare wengi watazaa usiku. Kwa vyovyote vile unapaswa kutazama kutoka mbali ili farasi wako asijihisi akiwa amechanganyikiwa. Ili kusaidia kufuatilia mare yako unaweza kutumia alamu foaling *, watoto wachanga wachunguzi au webcams / CCTV. Kwa kuangalia kwa makini unaweza kuomba msaada kwa ishara ya kwanza ya shida, ambayo ni muhimu katika kuokoa maisha ya mwana-farasi na mare. Mazoezi ya kwanza ya kuzaa: Kuamka na kulala mara kwa mara, kuchoma jasho kwa wingi na kuonekana kutokuwa na utulivu, kuangalia upande wake, kuchimba vitanda, kunyoosha kama kuteleza, kupita kiasi kidogo cha mkojo, wakati wa kuomba msaada: Ikiwa hatua hii imeendelea kwa zaidi ya saa moja, ikiwa farasi anaonekana kuwa na shida ya muda mrefu, wasiwasi mkubwa na kuchoma jasho kwa wingi, hatua ya pili ya kuzaa huanza. Mshipa mweupe unapaswa kuonekana ukifunika miguu ya mbele ya ndama. Ikiwa mtoto wa kiume anaonekana kawaida, kamba inapaswa kuruhusiwa kuanguka kwa kawaida na utando mweupe pia unapaswa kuruhusiwa kuvunjika kwa kawaida. Wakati wa kuomba msaada: - Kama utando unaofunika mwana-farasi si mweupe - Kama umajimaji unaotolewa wakati wa kuzaa si wazi au manjano - Kama mtoto-farasi hajatolewa ndani ya dakika 15 baada ya hatua ya pili ya kuzaa kuanza. Mara baada ya kulea, farasi na ndama wanaweza kuendelea kulala kwa dakika ishirini au zaidi, hii ni ya kawaida na hawapaswi kukimbilia kusimama. Ikiwa mtoto anaonekana kuwa na wasiwasi wakati wa kuzaa au haapumui kwa kawaida, membrane nyeupe inapaswa kuvunjwa na kichwa kimeinuliwa hewani ili kuruhusu kupumua. Kamba ya umbilical inapaswa kuondolewa kwa njia ya kawaida na kufunikwa na 0.5% ya chlorhexidine au iodine. Mkojo unapaswa kutolewa ndani ya saa moja baada ya kuzaliwa kwa mwana-punda, ikiwa hii haitatokea tafadhali piga simu kwa msaada. Ikiwa una shaka, tafadhali weka placenta ambayo imepitishwa na piga simu kwa mtaalamu wa mifugo kuangalia kama haijaharibiwa. Mbwa-dume anapaswa kusimama na kupokea colostrum ya kwanza kutoka kwa farasi ndani ya saa mbili. Ikiwa hii haifanyi kazi, mtoto wa kiume hatapata kinga muhimu zinazohitajika kwa mfumo wa kinga katika miezi michache ya kwanza ya maisha. Kama huna uhakika kama foal amelewa colostrum kutosha tafadhali wasiliana nasi kwa ushauri. Siku ya baada ya kuzaa: Hata kama kila kitu kimepita vizuri, daktari wa wanyama anapaswa kuitwa siku ya baada ya kuzaa ili kuangalia kwamba farasi wako na farasi wako wako na afya na kutoa tetanus anti-toxin kwa farasi. Mfumo huo wa kuongoza mtoto hupigia simu mmiliki wake unapogundua kwamba farasi huyo anafanya kazi katika hatua ya kwanza ya kuzaa. Acha jibu