are there any signs that could help me determine if my mares are pregnant, so far all we know is we pasture bred them and, being around them, its hard to say if they gotten much larger so any help?
2006-12-20 10:24:38 · 7 answers · asked by cowboy1991 2 in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
The vet can do an ultrasound to determine that there is a fertilized follicle at 18 days post insemination. Also at this time, there may be failure to show a heat from the mare.
Rectal palpation can be done at 21 days.
Pregnancy tests tests the levels of PMSG in the mare's serum between 40-100 days of pregnancy. This test comes as a kit and can be purchased and is 95% accurate.
Ultrasound as early as 42 days will detect a fetal pulse. This is more accurate than testing the serum.
Otherwise, physical signs are near impossible until later in the pregnancy.
Around day 320 the mare may start to appear thickened around the flank. The abdomen's size is carried laterally when view from the rear.
Day 330 you may be able to start to see the babies "butt drop", which can make the mare's belly form a "V" shape.
Other signs of course then lead into actual labor. "Bagging up" is when the mare's udder will swell one month before the due date. The temperature should start to flucuate before foaling as well (even though my mare did not). And the milk will start to change color and consistancy (even though my mare did not).
Even when you pasture breed, you still should mark this time frame down and do testing right away to determine pregnancy. This way this will give you the chance to rebreed right away without going 11 months to waiting to find out.
2006-12-20 11:55:48 · answer #1 · answered by Lotsa Lops 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Best way to properly care for a pregnant or thinking of an expected mare is to make sure there is a pregnancy by doing an ultrasound by a vet.
Then make sure the mare is properly getting the right type of supplements (recommend Mare and Foal by John Lyons feed) and enough hay, with vaccinations and foaling.
I breed my mare and done this process. Now my gelding is 6 and thinking of breeding my mare 1 more time in a year or two. My mare didn't start to show until about her 4th month with a lil bulg in the belly. Reminds me of saying "sway back" as the barrel of the belly is more bulding towards the ground. As she got larger around 8 months, my foal made her wider in the barrel. She had a large foal, so she showed earlier in her pregnancy then most mares do.
2006-12-20 23:06:55 · answer #2 · answered by Mutchkin 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Larger in the back of their belly is a good sign. Also you want to look for their milk bag filling up. If you can't tell they are getting rounder (if you were around your horses at all, you should know). You can't tell until they begin to majorly show or their milk bag fills up (with a month or two left). There are pregnancy piss tests for horses, just like with people. You could buy one of those from the vet- it works the same way but measures a different horomone (I believe).
2006-12-20 18:30:30 · answer #3 · answered by D 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
it is surprising;y simple. go to the store and buy pregnancy test. horses and humans have the same pregnancy hormone Oestrogens (also estrogens) in fact that is where the P.M.U. mare come from. we fixed a watter proof bag to her tail to collect a little bit a pee. and there you go you will know in 3 min. i bread mines and run a boarding stable. this has worked for me every time
2006-12-20 19:05:07 · answer #4 · answered by faber_is_a_horse 2 · 1⤊ 2⤋
You can also look for her milk vein becoming more evident. This is the blood vessel leading to/from her udders, and I believe it gets bigger pretty early in the pregancy.
2006-12-20 18:55:32 · answer #5 · answered by Chory 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
What's up Brian?
=)
2006-12-20 19:02:09 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
did you try calling the vet?
2006-12-20 18:27:48 · answer #7 · answered by Mel 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋