Chemetrics question

[Pinto WB]

So I attempted a "trial run" with my new Chemetrics kit today, and I am unsure as to whether we did it right. Even though I think we let the sample in too quickly, making it turn blue quite quickly, it seemed - if we read it right - that the mare was still under 100 ppm. HOWEVER - I just got off the phone with a friend who uses it regularly - and she said that her mares have foaled very soon after the liquid turns blue. Reading the instructions, though, it seems to say that it will always become blue - it is how fast it turns blue that is the ticket. Argh! Seems so complicated, but she was convinced that we should watch the mare closely since the liquid turned blue. Mare is at 325 days, has milk but not a lot of wax and her bum muscles are not super soft. Any tips on "chemetrics for dummies"??

[rideagoldenpony]

You'll get the hang of letting in just a TEENSY bit at a time! You want to just BARELY squeeze for just a second each time, then stop and observe the color.

It is when you get to 200 that "all systems are go" and we call for "high alert"! It doesn't have anything to do with the speed the liquid turns blue.

However, if you let in too much liquid, it could be that you are actually higher than that -- ie it would have turned blue with less liquid, thus a higher number if you'd done the test differently.

What did the milk look like? Did it look milky? If it did, you're getting close. If it didn't, you could still have a bit of time left.

Of course I *have* had some mares that have progressed VERY quickly once they've got going, so I use the Chemetrics in addition to careful observation of the mare, the milk and her bag.

[Pinto WB]

thanks golden pony, so basically the point is to let in a bit at a time until it turns blue - then read the ampoule, right? The website instructions say to turn it upside down to read it - is that the correct procedure? milk was definitely cloudy, milky stuff.

SO it is not the speed at which it turns blue, but rather the "amount" of liquid in the vial needed to turn blue - have I got it right? Boy oh boy, I didn't realize you needed a degree in chemistry to use it!! :) :)

[rideagoldenpony]

thanks golden pony, so basically the point is to let in a bit at a time until it turns blue - then read the ampoule, right? The website instructions say to turn it upside down to read it - is that the correct procedure? milk was definitely cloudy, milky stuff.

SO it is not the speed at which it turns blue, but rather the "amount" of liquid in the vial needed to turn blue - have I got it right? Boy oh boy, I didn't realize you needed a degree in chemistry to use it!! :) :)

LOL

You'll get better at it! I swear the first couple times I did it were real "what?????" moments!!

What I do is to let a little in at a time, then turn it upright (flat end on bottom) and look at the level/color. Once it turns blue, you read it with the flat end level -- not upside down. It's not about speed -- it's about the number -- the higher the better. Does that make sense?

[Sugarbrook]

PintoWB. Chemetrics saves my sleep over and over again. As Gretchen said, we do watch our mares. When we first start testing our mares, if we are able to get some "liquid" out, more times than not it does not turn blue at all. When we have the 1 1/2 cc's of liquid mixed with the distilled water and the drop of purple out of the bottle mixed in, it can be an orange color. At that point I dont even bother doing the test in the glass amp. Just wastes the amps.
Further on with the testing the liquid in the little plastic container turns kinda purple color. At the end, when the mare is quite ready, it will turn purple but looks cloudy and purple-milk colored. That color is totally different than any you have seen before. To clarify, I am not talking about the color when you draw it up in the amp. Just the color in the little container before you draw it up.

If I have been testing before and say they are at 80 in the am, and just look different in the pm and I re-test and they have made a huge jump ( like to 200) stay alert and awake. Most likely she is going to foal very soon. Just my experience.

I have one I am doing right now that is slowly progressing up the scale. Like, 60- 65- 70 and so forth. If the mare was not so famous and valuable I might not even do the test on her. But, with this one, and a maiden to boot, I cannot and will not take any chances.
And, just my experience, I hear others that have their mares get to 350. I have NEVER had one go over 250 before they foal. It has to be BLUE BLUE and you are just kidding yourself looking at a pale blue and calling the color blue. The test results will not be accurate.

[ThreeDays]

Glad I read this thread. I think I've been drawing up too much sample at a time.

How many times do you press the lever to fill the test amp? I've been pressing it maybe 3 - 4 times and it mostly fills on the 2nd 'hit'. Guess I need to be more gentle?

I have a mare at 340 days, full bag but only yellowish cloudy 'milk'. I'm getting no color change.

This is the mare's second foal and the first time around she had a semi fullish bag but didn't advnce up the color change of test stips (different testing kit) until the last day or so and never got 'in range' before foaling.

Maybe she's just one that milk testing doesn't do great with.

[Edgewood]

Three Days - I have a mare that I can test for 1-2 weeks with the just slightly cloudy/yellow milk who will not get a color change. I learned to just not test her (to save the vials) pr test every other day until the milk becomes more cloudy and I start gettg a reading. I think last year she was at 50 ppm for 2 weeks. Then she went to 100 ppm for a few days and then 200 ppm and then foaled that night. As you get closer is when you need to be more careful about adding too much fluid (because the color can change really quickly).

So if your mare isn't getting a color change yet, I wouldn't worry. My other mare last year went at 356 day and I didn't get any color change on 340 d.

[Sugarbrook]

Just had a maiden mare foal two weeks ago. She did not test at all until two days before she delivered. That was at 60. The next day she jumped to 150 and that night was 250. Any jump means things are progressing rapidly. Keep your eye on the mare at that point.

[Home Again Farm]

3days,

You definitely will need to go much more slowly and easily on the lever to get an accurate reading when she is getting close. One person uses a needle and syringe to drop the solution into the titret very, very slowly. If you pull in too much you will get a false low.

[ThreeDays]

Thanks for the help!

Will run another test tonight. At this point it's just somthing we're playing with. The mare is showing so many other signs that we can't turn our backs on her based on a milk test.

Think I'll try dropping the sample with the aid of a syringe like you suggested. Thanks!

[krfarms]

Don't get too hooked on the results. My mare was at 400 3 nights ago!! and still no foal. And yes I do the test right and have been using it for 3 years. The same mare foaled at 200 2 years ago!!! You that get the score and the foal comes in 24 hours count your blessings and your sleep!!

[Home Again Farm]

I have used Chemetrics since 1999 on many different mares - maidens and experiences broodies. Over 90% of the time it has been tremendously accurate. With a couple of maidens it was the heads up that made the difference between missing them and being there. I have never stayed up more than 2 nights per mare when using Chemetrics. Good luck 3Days. Keep us posted.