I have been asked on the forum, what signs should you look for as Lady is going to foal.
Unfortunately there are not any set out signs. If she is constantly looking behind herself, can sometimes be a sign, that tends to be more with first time foaling mares, although it can be a sign with all mares, however many foals they have had. Being very restless, constantly getting up and down, are other sign. It could be that the first sign is the the actual birth, with the head and legs showing through the bag. I look at the nipples on the udder, very often they have a waxy substance on them. I thought I saw that a week ago, but I was mistaken. If I see any signs, and I get the time I will post it on the forum.
Woody, well I just don’t know. Most of the day she has been eating the hay that we put in the paddock, and has looked fine. About an hour before we bring the horses in for the night, she started to look uncomfortable, laid down flat out. When I go to get the horses in, Arnie and Breeze are normally first at the gate, then Woody and lady. As I go to get them in, I always shout to the, come on then, and they are there waiting. Today Woody was still flat out not stirring, as if she was really poorly. As soon as I opened the gate, up she got and trotted out of the gate to her stable, ate her feed and started on her hay, as if she had not been unwell at all. Get a Veterinary out as she is would be a waste of time for him, and a waste of money for his visit.
What does worry us is that she is a month away from foaling, although she has scanned in foal, she does not look very big. This could be the problem, the foal may be lying in the wrong position, and may be causing her pain. She may even have lost the foal, but I cant think how we would have missed it. The stables are mucked out every day, so we would have seen signs there. If she had lost the foal in the fields we would have seen blood or discharge on her. I will have to talk it through with the Veterinary tomorrow.
Just before I posted this entry, Woody had her head over Lady’s stable, being horrible to her. She cant be feeling to ill tonight.
The Ewe who’s lamb died yesterday has settled down, she must now realise that it is not in the flock, she is not now running from lamb to lamb thinking that one may be hers, and that it is not about at all. Portlands unlike most sheep are able to get into lamb twice a year, hopefully for her, she will lamb again later in the year.