Sophia - 2018

[Ryan]

P.S hope you get to use the breeding cert too Chanda

[dcwolcott]

DITTO THAT!!

[Chanda]

Foal heat is usually 7-10 post foaling, right?

trying to figure what is normal for Sophia, she only has two registered foals, she may have had more, but her breeder doesn't always register colts (fillies are all registered).
She had a filly 6-3-2011 and a filly 5-10-2012, that's 342 days apart.   So, if she came into heat 7 days after foaling, that would be 335 days gestation, if it was 10 days after foaling, it would be 332 days ( a little shorter to account for length of cycle).
If all this math is right, and she happened to take on that April 24th breeding day, 332 days would be March 22 (a bit better than when I did the math wrong).   If she took at the later date (first turn out on pasture was June 24), that would be like 2 months later. 
I won't panic as much about a possible 10-month foal with our crappy weather.  Not that we can't be crappy the end of March, but it's 30 days closer to spring, so every day helps.

[dcwolcott]

Sounds good, and hoping you can relax and enjoy the ride!

[Chanda]

Sounds good, and hoping you can relax and enjoy the ride!

Maybe, well, I'll try. 

[Chanda]

Nothing new to report.  Seems to be about the same.  Good appetite, sometimes she'll leave a little of her morning alfalfa pellets, but they are always gone by evening meal; evening meal is a soaked mix of beet pulp, alfalfa pellets and timothy pellets, she eats all of that.   No milk bar started that I can tell.    She's fairly agreeable to me checking her over, as long as I don't try to catch her.

[Holly]

Sounds like you've got a good handle on things!!

[Chanda]

I'm trying.  I just hope winter breaks before she foals, as I don't really have a cold weather location for foaling.   Her single early breed date puts her 330 days the end of March, then her next possible breed date is two months later.

[Ryan]

Fingers crossed 

[Chanda]

Has anyone had a mare that always has a relaxed tail?  Sophia doesn't flip her tail or clamp it when a lift it or move it.   Her girlie parts are still tight, but she maybe has just the smallest start of an udder (like maybe double A).

[dcwolcott]

I had a mare like that, but she was a pocket pet, and let you do anything you wanted to her.  So, no matter what you did, she just went with the flow with no "fighting" back. 

But I didn't think your girl was quite as trusting as that.  But, heck, sounds like she's moved along very well in letting you work with her. 

[Chanda]

I had a mare like that, but she was a pocket pet, and let you do anything you wanted to her.  So, no matter what you did, she just went with the flow with no "fighting" back. 

But I didn't think your girl was quite as trusting as that.  But, heck, sounds like she's moved along very well in letting you work with her.

She didn't care for her boobie check today, nothing too bad, just a stomp and an ear flick.   She seems fairly relaxed here, although still a bit aloof.

[Chanda]

Not liking her booby checks at breakfast.  Feels like she's starting to shop.  If I can remember a camera, I'll see if I can get a picture, but don't know how agreeable she'll be.
I just hope she waits for nicer weather, we have lots of snow everywhere and are about to start calving, so the calving barn will be full.   Not sure how happy Tilly and Baby would be with a new room mate, but could make her a stall in the corner of their shelter if need be (if I could figure out a way to get her in there, lots of drifts blocking everything).   Could clean out the hay stall, but it's small and has a bad draft in a corner (going to get that fixed this summer, if I don't forget again).

[Ryan]

Oooooh Im excited to read this , dont forget the camera

 

[dcwolcott]

Yup!  Sounds like some excitement is coming our way!!!