Thursday, March 05, 2009

Contest with a Givaway!!!!

Dear readers, I feel you are bored with my posts. I very rarely have many comments. This is my social network! I hope I have not peeved you off in any way. If I have, tough. But here's a fun contest I've been meaning to post for awhile and I hope this makes up for my boring, everyday life.


WE ARE EXPECTING!
Bet that caught some attention eh? No, not me. That requires a man remember, and I don't have one, but Daddy Chex (aka Rumba, the dancing queen) is! This is my fantastic Appendix bred horse that has become a wonderful brood mare due to her penchant to break in half when I ride her. It's said letting them have a foal calms them down and it's extremely true in this situation. In fact, she's so mellow, and since I have plenty of other horses, Rumba is now the perfect mother.

Background Info:
For those of you unfamiliar with horses and their gestation periods, here is a run down of a 'textbook' pregnancy. A mare is pregnant for an average of 340 days. It is not unusual, however, for a mare to foal as early as 300 days, or as late as 370 days. I even know someone who's horse went to day 402 with no problems!

During the last two weeks of pregnancy, the mare's belly will typically appear to drop and then look smaller as the foal gets into a birthing position during the last week. The muscles around her tail will begin to relax also as muscles begin to anticipate the future stretching during birth. Occasionally the tail will 'twitch' to the side as well. Her bag will begin to fill, more full during the night, and drying up a little during the day as she is more active. Within the last 48 hours before foaling the bag will stay full, and waxing often will begin to occur. This is when droplets of milk and colostrum form a waxing covering on the end of each teat. Every mare is different though, so all of the above may be observed or not. Mare's often show signs of discomfort, sweating and kicking or biting at their sides as they go into early stages of labor. A large percentage of foals are born in the early morning hours.

What I already know:
Rumba was pasture bred with her previous foal, so I did not have a good due date - but from what I did know is she was average, probably foaling between day 335 and 350.
I saw little evidence of her milk coming in until the last few days, and her bag was never completely full until she actually foaled. There was, however, a little waxing the night before.

She showed signs of discomfort the evening before and though her belly had done the classic drop and suck back up, she dropped extremely low the night before, and her muscles were extremely relaxed around her tail.
Her foal was born between 3 and 5:30 am.

She was bred April 12th - 15th, 2008 with this foal. If you calculate from that last day bred (assuming that's the day she became pregnant and not on day 1) day 340 would be March 20th, 2009.

Her belly is incredibly distended and hanging very low. She dropped this last weekend after I moved her into a better pasture for foaling.

I see no sign of any milk coming down.

"What? Are you talking about me?"

What you need to do:
1 - Pick her due date!

2 - Pick a time period (12am - 6am; 6am- 12pm; 12pm-6pm; 6pm-12am) when you think she will foal!

To get you started this is what I think - March 18th @ 12am to 6am - but I am not counting myself as part of the contest, so don't worry!

I will be giving away something fun to the winner! I've been trying to be creative lately so maybe perhaps I will make you something!

If you are a reader of my blog, but aren't a blogger, just e-mail me your answers and I'll post them for you!

I will keep the contest open until the end of next week as I'm going on Spring Break and probably won't be checking or updating the blog during the week of her anticipated due date. As soon as I'm back around a computer I'll give you all an update!

13 comments:

randi said...

This is a fun idea...

I'm going to go with March 20 between 6AM and 12PM mostly because, while I'm not lazy, I like to sleep. :)

Oh and I did get your e-mail, I just don't have internet at my house right now and the only way I can check my e-mail is on my phone and it's a PITA to type on it.

My new ski bag came in the mail yesterday...I'm going to cram the sucker full of all my clothes so I only have to check one bag. I've got a bathing suit on my list...what else do I need?? I'm suepr excited to see you! Only 10 more days!

alanna rose said...

March 15 12 - 6 AM

:)

Diana said...

March 17 6AM - 12PM

If I'm right then you have to give the foal some Irish name :)

Amy said...

Im going with Mar 22nd (cuz its my sis b-day) between 12am-6am

I will for say hi to sid when/if I see him, things are a chchcchanging up there so who knows what will happen.

I totally understand you about the lack of comments, I feel the same way as you....I tell myself its because of google reader and that people don't actually come to my blog......that may not be the case but it makes me feel better

~M. said...

I feel like she looks.
. . .Wish I was due in two weeks!
I'm going to guess March 21, sometime before dawn. . . Let's say Midnight to 6 pm.
Can't wait to see BABY PICS!!!!!
I love baby horses-they are too cute!!!!!!

Andrea said...

Okay, let me see here. My mare is due on the 17th of March. But I know she won't be having a foal any time near that time. She bags up about 25 days before she has her baby and she doesn't have any milk at all. Sigh.....

For Rumba....
1. March 30
2. 12am-6am

And I am going to guess that she is having a colt!! Just a guess.

I am hoping that one of the two foals born this year will be a colt, so I can name it, "As Seen on TV." and I can call him "Tivo". I have been planning that name for ever now!! I am a dork.

And it sometimes helps a mare to have a colt. We had a crazy mare and she has had two foals and is sooooo much better now!! I can't wait to see baby pictures.

I think it's so funny that you and I have colts due just one day apart. My mare March 17th your mare March 18th!!

AJ said...

March 25th (that's Cat's birthday!) 12am to 6am....b/c like a child, she'll probably make you miss a night of sleep:)

Danielle Michelle said...

My Aunt Barb said:
March 21st, 2am to 6pm, and a filly

YGS said...

March 17
1-5pm

Carroll Farm said...

Just for the record - I am a regular reader - but for some reason, never have time to do a lot of comments....

Um, I am horrible at guessing actual birth-dates...
So I will pick -
March 25 - between 12am and 6am

Stephie said...

March 30th and I'm going to say between 12am and 6am.

Erin said...

My guess is March 31st 12am-6am. Never hurts to wish for a birthday present! It happened 2 years ago.

Unknown said...

Nice to meet you! This is my first visit and I just found you thru google blog search. I love your pictures, thanks for sharing!
I'll guess March 27, 2:00 am to 7:00 am. Hope your "break" is enjoyable!
hondaray6 at hotmail dot com