Make your own mare milk test kit for predicting foaling time

[suncolorsranch]

Make your own mare milk test kit.

Has the price of using Predict A Foal kits kept you from using the method of testing your mare’s milk to help predict foaling? Well here is a way you can make your own kit for a fraction of the cost.


Supplies to buy:

• Buy AquaChek 5 in 1 Water Quality Test Strips (those who have pools or hot tubs might already have these). Here they are $13.95 for more than you will need in one season for sure: http://www.lambertshomeservices.com/aquachek_5_in_1_test_strip.html so you can share with friends to even offset the cost more!
• Gallon of distilled water.
• 10cc syringes

Directions:

• Milk the mare into a little cup (that has been washed in distilled water), need at least ½cc to 1cc.
• Take a 10cc syringe and draw up 1/2cc or 1cc of mare’s milk, dispense the rest.
• Pour a small amount of distilled water in the empty cup you used to milk mare and draw up 3cc distilled water per 1/2cc of milk (if you are using 1/2cc milk then it’s 3cc distilled water, if you are using 1cc milk than it’s 6cc distilled water).
• Draw up some air and shake the mixture to mix it well.
• Take a test strip and dip it into the mixture and wait a minute. Note: you will only use 1 of the 5 color sequences, the on that starts out dark green and turns orange (measured hardness as CaCO3).
• After a minute take out the strip and match it to the chart on the bottle for total hardness.

Color Code Chart:

• Green square – no need to worry.
• One to two blocks change – still a ways off.
• Brown, 3 changes of color – probably have 3-4 days to wait still.
• 4 changes – Keep a good watch as mare is about 24-48 hours away.
• Rust, all 5 changes – make sure everything is in order and wait, she is soon to foal.

Now this does not apply to all mares, just a majority. This info was provided to me by my breeding specialist who is a Ph.D. in Equine Reproductive Physiology.

I myself have had great success in using this method of predicting foaling and when it gets close I test them morning and night and have had them foal within 12 hours once the test strip starts looking a rust color.

[Blondehorse]

Wow, THANK YOU!! I have never heard of making your own kit, and was probably going to splurge on the Predict A Foal. This may be very helpful!

ETA: Do you think Menards or someplace like that would carry the AquaChek strips?

[suncolorsranch]

I'm glad you find it helpful. I hope many do.
I know the pool supply places here have them so I would think that if you have a local pool place they should have them. There are other brands that work too, I just have this name of this one from the article he wrote (it just needs to be able to measure hardness CaCO3).

[Blondehorse]

I'm glad you find it helpful. I hope many do.
I know the pool supply places here have them so I would think that if you have a local pool place they should have them. There are other brands that work too, I just have this name of this one from the article he wrote (it just needs to be able to measure hardness CaCO3).

Hmm, I think we have a pool supply place locally, so I'll have to check there. Thanks!

[suncolorsranch]

Ya and that will save you paying shipping on ordering the strips online!! Good luck.

[Blondehorse]

Ya and that will save you paying shipping on ordering the strips online!! Good luck.

Exactly!

[bnttyra]

Tips on milking the mare? Last year I had a maiden mare who wouldn't let me near her teats let alone milk them!

Great idea! Thanks for sharing.

[Blondehorse]

Tips on milking the mare? Last year I had a maiden mare who wouldn't let me near her teats let alone milk them!

Great idea! Thanks for sharing.

That's what I'm a little worried about, myself. My mare isn't a maiden, but she doesn't particularly care for being washed down there, let alone milked! I hope I can get the job done without getting my head kicked off!

[Arabians4ME]

How cool! Since we are not living at the house right now we are looking into options on how to monitor Sky. I will have to sleep in a camper to watch my camera so testing kits are really high on my list right now. (I don't wanna sleep in a camper!)

My inlaws have a pool and there is tons of stuff around here to work on pool!

Curious anyone think it would work on a GOAT!??!?!

[suncolorsranch]

Mine are pretty use to it so I don't have issues with mine getting nasty with me about it. They do get sensitive when they are really close if they are super full but not nasty about it. I have known some mares to be nasty though with their teats being messed with but it'll be necessary to get them use to it anyway since they will have to be nursing a foal soon. Good luck. Duck and cover...LOL

Goats...hmmm? not sure, I would think. You could expirement with it!