The mare's udder will begin to fill 2-4 weeks before term. The teats themselves will fill by about
4-7 days before foaling. A clear thick or watery discharge is often present 4-5 days before foaling
and when dried is referred to as “waxing of the teats”.
The secretion will often become cloudy 1-2 days before foaling however the changes observed
are often more important than the signs themselves.
The best predictor of foaling is obtained through milk calcium levels. A commercial water
hardness test Softchek® works well and is available from many plumbing supplies or through
the manufacturer:
Softchek Water Hardness Test Strip
Environmental Test Systems, PO Box 4659, Elhart, IN 46514
- Strip out a small amount of milk.
- Mix 6 parts distilled water per 1 part milk.
- Wet the Softchek® strip and wait 15-30 seconds.
- Result of 250 or more ppm means that 95% of mares will foal within the next 12 hours.
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