Advice on Foaling Systems

[crownridgefarms]

Hey COTHers

Its wonderful foaling season again! I have a question about foaling systems, and where else would I go to get honest answers other than here.
In the past I have just slept in the barn for the foaling season, but that was when I only had 1 or 2 foals coming. This spring I have 4 and would really like to buy a foaling alarm, camera....? etc. I have a big problem though, my barn is 500 m away from my house. Any suggestions and help would be greatly appreciated.
I MAY be able to get access to the internet from the barn, but I would like to explore other options before I do that.
Thanks in advance for any help everyone. Looking forward to hearing from you.
PS> I am in Ontario Canada, but am willing to buy from the states for right item/price etc.

[tuckawayfarm]

I really like having my cameras, but they were not helpful when a couple of mares decided to foal unexpectedly in their pastures. I've also known of foal alarms giving false (or worse, no) alerts, so nothing is fool proof.

If you go with a camera, I found the ones marketed as "security" cams to be cheaper and of better quality than those sold as "foaling" cams.

[clint]

For years, I used a foalert system along with a security camera. For maiden mares, I think having both was wonderful, as I know I would have missed one of my maidens who foaled without the foalert. However, last year I sold my Foalert system, as I hadn't missed a foaling using just the camera for long enough I feel confident about it. However, I know my mares pretty well. If I were foaling out a bunch of maidens, I would use both again.

[Daventry]

If you go with a camera, I found the ones marketed as "security" cams to be cheaper and of better quality than those sold as "foaling" cams.

Same here! We just went to radio shack and purchased a cheap security camera and monitor and rigged it up in the barn. I just slept in the barn with the monitor next to me, but you can also get them with receivers that monitor far away from the camera.

[Signature]

We have had 4-5 foals a season for the past 4 years. For years we just had the Breeder Alert (the halter device + pager system), plus milk testing with Predict A Foal. Despite a few false alarms, the system does work. In two instances it was very helpful with surprise births and problems. Of course, if you have a mare that doesn't lay down, or doesn't lay all the way out, it may miss.

Last year we put up cameras that we got from Sam's Club online, a security package. We were tired of sleeping in the barn for many nights (we work full time also) and P-A-F is not accurate enough to really tell in most cases (it'll tell you you're within days, but not "tonight!"). The package of 4 cameras cost $299 on sale, that included a DVR and most of the cable to run the cameras. Yes, we went with cabled ones, because we are too far from the barn to get good wireless reception and wanted to be able to see and hear clearly. These are CLEAR as day and have night vision. There is a cord that runs to the house that we didn't bury, but it only gets used for a few weeks a year so it can stay on the ground and gets taken up, works thus far. We have 2 stalls with cameras and 2 cameras in each of attached paddocks.

Then we went to doing pH testing of the milk. FAR more accurate. So, with the new milk test, done twice daily once it reaches a certain level, the cameras which I can pick up on my laptop on my bedside table, and the pager system, it worked fabulously last year. I don't think we lost but a little sleep. Actually, I think I knew something was up before the pager even alerted me in all cases. When you can watch them on cam, you get to know their routines, and when the milk test is right and they change something, it's time. One stood in the paddock against the fence instead of in her stall, and two started pacing relentlessly. It was sooo obvious once you can watch them more easily with cameras.

Of course, as tuckawayfarm stated, nothing is foolproof, and we did have a mare foal 3 weeks early while we were at work before all systems were in place (milk test the night before showed nothing impending but I thought she might go early - like days, not weeks - LOL). It was a placentitis case so it couldn't be predicted.

Anyway, this works well so far for us and is worth the expense for the good nights' sleeps!

[clint]

My security camera system is wired from our barn to our bedroom, with reception on a t.v. I bought for that purpose. Sleeping in the barn is just not appealing to me in the slightest. We are about 400 ft. from the barn.

[crownridgefarms]

Thank you everyone for your helpful advice.
Any chance you could tell me where you got all your systems?
Is there any wireless system I could use without it costing me an arm and a leg? Are there even wireless security cameras? Security cameras seem to be the most popular opposed to "foaling" cameras.
Thanks again everyone. Maybe I will just move my house closer to the barn haha.

[horsetales]

Ours came from rostech.com Infared and wireless from our barns one of which is 400-500'. It broadcasts to our portable tv. It has four channels so when we have both of our barns active (only 1 active for foaling though), I can switch between the two. It is wonderfully clear. Before we got a cheap Radioshack one and there were shadows and poor visabilty at night. I had multiple false alarms as I couldn't make out exactly what was going on - never had one with this and knock on wood have not missed a foal

[CrossWinds81]

I would loved to have had a foal alert system or surveillance cameras, but my budget was limited and I had just 2 mares foaling last year. So I slept in the barn office with a baby monitor glued to my ear! I swear by it. It was so helpful because I could hear whenever my girls groaned or were pacing, or when they decided to lay down. Also helpful, I agree with above poster, was the milk pH testing...which was very accurate in my case...sounds weird...but also, tasting the milk. As soon as it went from tangy/salty to sweet/creamy...the mares went within 6-12 hours. The pH test I went crazy with...I loved doing the test strips esp. since it was my first year having my own babies (poor girls I tested at least 3-4x/day when they were really close). What I noticed was that the pH dropped to around 7.2, then it would drop into the 6's for a small window ie:4 hours, when they were really close (with in a few days) and then it would go back up to around the 7's again...when it dropped the second time, the milk also tasted sweet and I placed bets it was happening within 12 hours. It worked! Out they popped. The milk testing was especially helpful for my stall walking mare...she hates being inside...it is just too stressful to make her be in the stall 2-4 weeks from the foaling date. So, I just tested her milk and she was only in the barn for a total of 4 days before foaling. And I KNEW the day she was going to foal...I was lucky enough to see the mucus plug remnants on her tail wrap and her milk went from 7.4 to 6.8 from salty to v thick and creamy. The milk...I was so surprised when it really did turn out to be the best indicator. Certainly, these were textbook cases, and the point of having the other systems is to alert you when it is not so textbook. But in any case that's my $0.02. I know several who swear by the foalert. Happy foalingand zzz'ing!!! :winkgrin:

[paintjumper]

Without question. You can program them to call your house phone, your cell phone and the bedside alarm will wake the dead!!!! I only missed one foal and I foaled out about 12 mares a year for years, and this mare was a tail rubber so she rubbed it out one afternoon before I turned the monitor on and I did not realize it. Of course she foaled that night! I actually did get there but just by accident. They are about as reliable as any on the market.

[tveley]

I am really pleased with my "Breeder Alert" system. We just got the system last week and finally programmed it and put it on one of my mares yesterday afternoon. At 12:35 AM I was awakened from a deep sleep by my cell phone. When I answered, all I heard was "breeder alert, breeder alert, breeder alert".

Thinking it surely was a malfunction, I called my barn staff who had also been called. One was already at the barn and said the foal was indeed coming. I rushed right over and 5 minutes later we had a beautiful chestnut Quaterback filly out of my Donnerhall mare.

Donnabelle foaled at 12:48 AM today and she was not due for another week. We would have definitely missed it if not for the Breeder Alert system. She had bagged up, but was not waxing at all. We had planned to put her on 24/7 observation starting today. I also have a C/C video surveillance system, but that requires a person to physically sit up and watch the monitor.

Mom and baby are doing great. Now I need some "Q" names for the filly!