[EllenAspen]

I thought I'd start a where you are in your milk testing thread as it seems we have a lot of us milking our mares right now.

I started testing my mare about 14 days ago. She stayed at Ca 100 ppm and ph 8.4 for about 10 days. A few days ago she went to Ca 250 still with ph at 8.4. Last night Ca 250 and ph 8.2. This morning Ca 250 and ph 7.8. She is at 340 days tomorrow. She foaled at 339 days with her last foal.

[paintjumper]

Her pH is hanging around 7 and her Ca is between 500 & 1000 this morning. We are getting close.....I think!

[IntegritySporthorses]

I wish I could get some milk from my mare. She's at 343 days today and she's bagged up but I can't get anything to express.

She's not a maiden but I don't think anyone milk tested her before.

She looks like she may go a bit longer. They love to torture us, don't they?

[paintjumper]

I had the same problem at first but I just kept trying. I put the case for a 12 cc syringe right at the end of the teat (be careful not to squeeze the teat against the top of the plastic because that could be painful to the mare and get you kicked). I actually had to get a little bit from both sides but I managed to get 1/2 cc and then just mixed it with 3cc of distilled water instead of doing the 1cc to 6 cc ratio. Each time I did this (once at night to start with) it became easier and the mare quit squirming and thinking about kicking me.

[JB]

Can you explain the syringe thing (again)? I read about it somewhere - bloodhorse maybe? - but was having some trouble visualizing what exactly they were saying.

They said cut the tip off and put the plunger in backwards so it was pulling the other way, and put the cut end against the udder. I must be visualizing that incorrectly, because I would think you have to cut the WHOLE tip end off, not just the tip, in order to get the plunger in that end?

[paintjumper]

I am not sure about what your are talking about. I just took the outside plastic cover and used it to catch the milk that I squeezed out from the end of the teat. The 12 cc syringes I have have a bigger lip around the cap area and it fits perfectly around the teat. I place it in one hand directly below (and up close so the milk does not squirt to the ground) the teat and milk the teat. The syringe cover is long so it is easier for me to hold than something shorter and it is semi-clear so I can see how much milk I have in the cover without possibly pouring it out.......that stuff is gold ya know!

[JB]

Oh, I see what YOU are talking about now LOL

What *I* was talking about was using the actual syringe itself, and using the plunger to pull and create a vacuum to milk the udder. But to do that, the end of the syringe which normally has the plunger going in, becomes the end against the teat (smooth, bigger opening) and you put the plunger in the other end. So, I'm guessing you have to cut off the ENTIRE tip end to make an opening big enough for the plunger. Yes, that makes sense now.

[tidy rabbit]

Here's what you do...

Go to the grocery store and buy a quart of whole cream.

Take it home, put in a glass and look at it.

Then go to your mare, and ask her for some milk, express it into a glass and take it in the house and set it on the counter. Look at it.

Place the 1st glass next to the second glass and look at them.

Do they look the same? No? Your mare's milk is opaque and maybe a tinge yellowish?

Not time yet.

When they look the same, then it's close.

This is as accurate a test as anything else. Maybe even more accurate than the PH testing strips.

[JB]

That's pretty much what I'm doing, comparing what's going out to opaque white

[EllenAspen]

Things got crazy...Thursday night Ca 250, ph 8.2...Friday morning Ca 250, ph 7.8...Friday about 5 pm CST Ca 500, ph 6.8...Friday night about 9:30 Ca above 500, ph 6.2...made pallet in aisle of barn.

A gorgeous big colt born at 4am this morning...

[paintjumper]

He is fantastic! I am still at it, I felt sure we would go last night too with the bright full moon..... and she was working at it, she rubbed that wall ALL NIGHT!!! Maybe tonight. Congrats! How is he bred?

[Hillside H Ranch]

That's pretty much what I'm doing, comparing what's going out to opaque white

I'm sure you already know this, but the milk won't always change to opaque white before foaling. Could be anywhere from clear yellow, to cloudy colored, to opaque yellow to white. Just don't want anyone thinking that if the milk isn't opaque white they don't need to be watching the mare closely

[EllenAspen]

Paintjumper...

How is he bred?

By Paparazzo out of Danka Shane (Araconit mare)...

Hang in there and keep us posted...

I'm pretty tired as she paced all night...very restless...he came at 4am...I splept from about 6:30 to 7:30. I think I'll go take a nap...like he is right now.

[JB]

Hillside, yeah, unfortunately I'm aware they don't all read the book LOL And she's a maiden. I just figure if I get *there* then things are almost there

EA - gorgeous is right!

[Kyzteke]

Oh, I see what YOU are talking about now LOL

What *I* was talking about was using the actual syringe itself, and using the plunger to pull and create a vacuum to milk the udder. But to do that, the end of the syringe which normally has the plunger going in, becomes the end against the teat (smooth, bigger opening) and you put the plunger in the other end. So, I'm guessing you have to cut off the ENTIRE tip end to make an opening big enough for the plunger. Yes, that makes sense now.

Now you got it!!

But honestly, I've tried that "system" and I go faster just using my hands.

If your mare has a bag, then holding a warm, wet compress to it for a minute tends to let down the milk (or whatever is up there). And it feels good to the mare as well.

Also, when hand milking, use your knuckles to (gently) push up on the bag before trying to milk. Watch how foals do it - you know how they "butt" the bag with their nose before they start to latch on? Same thing.

Then use your fingers to sort of "roll" down on the teat from bag to tip to express the fluid.

One squirt like this will get you over 1 cc of milk -- 2 squirts more than enough.

And if you get nothing, there is probably nothing to get.

[JB]

Yep, I've been doing the "rolling". The first time there was milk it totally surprised me - wasn't expecting any, so a good squirt went right on the ground LOL after that I got *one* drop. The next morning I got 2 whole drops and I was so ready for that squirt again That night (last night) I only got a few drops as well. This morning...nada.

However, I will try the warm compress tonight and see if that helps.

[Kyzteke]

Yep, I've been doing the "rolling". The first time there was milk it totally surprised me - wasn't expecting any, so a good squirt went right on the ground LOL after that I got *one* drop. The next morning I got 2 whole drops and I was so ready for that squirt again That night (last night) I only got a few drops as well. This morning...nada.

However, I will try the warm compress tonight and see if that helps.

My experience is that if you have to work that hard to get it, there isn't much there to get.

But try the compresses, then the "butting" action (but be gentle), more like a firm push straight up than a "butt". That will bring the fluid down from the bag into the teats.

THEN try to milk.

However, with maiden mares, it's not uncommon for them to foal without much there to begin with....then the milk comes down right after foaling.

The only mares to ever sneak their foaling by me were maidens...

[JB]

Yeah, I'm really not working too hard - just a few tries to make sure I'm rolling right, then I'm done.

[TSHEventing]

Ok, so my mare is 7 days late, and this is her fourth foal, she has never been late before. She has waxed, yadda yadda

If she is still going all the way down in her bag after turnout, should I even be watching her through the night? I haven't been, but I don't want a "surprise"

tested what I could get a few days ago and it was 100 ppm and 8.4 ph

[paintjumper]

She is down to a pH of 6.2!!!