Milk not testing highly, but starting to change? Opinions please!

[Dressage_Diva333]

Hello everyone :) My last foal of the year is preparing to make it's appearance... the mare is boarded at my trainers, as she is a leased mare, so I need to make a decision on when to start staying out there with her.

Saw her yesterday, and milk was very sticky and yellow. I didn't test it.

Then when I saw her today, her udder had gotten much harder. "Milk" is turning to the opaque color, though it's still watery looking. I had assumed that it would test at around a 3+/4 on the Predicta Foal strips. It tested about a 1+??? Also only about 110 on the hardness pool strips. I'm slightly confused? I've always really had good luck with the test strips, but this really doesn't make sense! I know they can change quickly, but I would have hoped for something a little higher since the milk is starting to change. I did have to bring the milk home to test it (about 35 minutes), could that make a difference? Foal is definately moving into position, she is much lower than she was last week. Flanks feel totally "full", hindquarters are relaxing as well. Has anybody had the milk strips really not be right? Normally I don't ask for advice regarding foaling on this board, I'm just a little confused on this one :confused:

Here are some pictures, what do you think? She is at day 328 (previous foaling was at day 340 two years ago, in the middle of May):
Side:
http://i374.photobucket.com/albums/oo189/fohlen/Dolly/July122009013.jpg
http://i374.photobucket.com/albums/oo189/fohlen/Dolly/July122009001.jpg

Front:
http://i374.photobucket.com/albums/oo189/fohlen/Dolly/July122009008.jpg

Back:
http://i374.photobucket.com/albums/oo189/fohlen/Dolly/July122009004.jpg

Udder:
http://i374.photobucket.com/albums/oo189/fohlen/Dolly/July12-2.jpg

'Milk', on dull black background, and on jeans LOL:
http://i374.photobucket.com/albums/oo189/fohlen/Dolly/July12-1.jpg
http://i374.photobucket.com/albums/oo189/fohlen/Dolly/July12-3.jpg

Normally once the milk starts changing, I know we are close (within in a few days). We'll see how fast that gets thicker though...

[pintopiaffe]

The PAF strips are VERY fussy as to temperature, humidity,etc. I've had two bad batches over the years.

I get fresh spa strips every year, but tend to use the old ones too, just because I can, and have never found them to 'go bad' or be fussy.

I really go by stickiness and taste too, but pH is the deal breaker for me.

Of course, not all mares read the book. :uhoh: :no:

[Sugarbrook]

Strip some milk and taste it. Sticky and sweet are very close. Sticky is where you strip milk and your fingers want to stick together. Sweet is sweet, not slightly salty or bland.

From the pictures it did not look like her bag was doing much. BUT, I have them foal with NO bag, so unless I was there its hard to say. Even if I was there I would not know much more without doing my tried and true Chemetrics test, and having them under the cam.

[Dressage_Diva333]

Thanks for the input :)

Milk was very salty yesterday. Today it is much more sweet, with just a hint of "saltiness". I agree, her bag isn't huge, but it changed a lot in 24hrs :yes:

I will probably take my RV and get my cameras set up out there on Tuesday or Wednesday... unless something dramatic happens.


Of course I'll admit... I'm a bit more anxious for this one than some of the others, I'm very excited :winkgrin: Hopefully she goes soon though, we've had beautiful weather (in the 80's) these last few weeks, but it's supposed ot get HOT again soon.

[tidy rabbit]

OH SO exciting!

When my mare's milk turned pure white, the baby came that night. The consistency is like 1/2 & 1/2 cream or whole milk. It's brilliant white and thick. Maybe I'll go milk her a little and take a picture for you.

[MoonPie730]

When my mare foaled this year I had the spa test strips and a mare millk testing kit I got from my vet. The kit I got from my vet said that she was going to foal a couple of days before I did. However the calcium also went up a couple of days before. It was the pH that was the real indicator. It was 6.8 a couple of days before, once it dropped to around 6.0 (yellow on my test strips) she foaled that night. From all the research I did, mares can produce high calcium a while before foaling, however the pH level seems to be the most consistent way of telling when they are going to foal. Once my mare got to 6.8 pH, I started camping out.