Donna had her foal last night! Yesterday evening I took some photos of her udder to put on my last thread, but I thought she might foal last night so I put her in the yards and went up in my pajamas sometime in the middle of the night and she had had it. So she beat me on the update photos.
She had a lovely healthy filly who is bay going grey. The stallion is grey and has sired 5 foals including this one and so far they all appear to be going grey, some born that way, others taking longer. She was spot on time with my estimated foaling date, I had anticipated a few days after the 31st Jan and that is what I got.
I think the foal looks like mum, in her general shape and the shape of her head.
I think she might have been waiting as I had to have 40 head of cattle in the paddock waiting for sale and I just got those out the night before. Last night I noticed she had got rid of her sister and gone off by herself and had waxed up so I figured she was likely to be due any time. I don't have to worry about water in the dams as it has not rained for 3 months ( hence why the cattle were being sent off) and the dams are just about empty.
Donna foaled in the yards overnight and the foal was doing well. I locked her away from her sister to foal which was good because Sally got very agitated and interested in the foal. I have removed Sally to another paddock and let Donna and the foal out into the big 80 acre paddock in the morning as we are having severe heat waves here and they have to get shelter.
Donna seems a bit agitated, like she wants to hide the foal away. She has been hiding in odd places in the paddock, and then running off with the foal in tow. It might be that she wants to keep it away from other horses and predators, and perhaps me also. She lets me come up to her and give her some feed and a pat but then goes off rather than hang around for a cuddle like she usually does. Is it normal for new dams to be anxious? She just seems to have generalised anxiety but is looking after the foal very well. I am just wondering if she is running it about more than is ideal?
The next two days are going to be cool so I can lock them up again and handle the foal and check Donna is OK but then it is back to heatwave so I will have to let them out during the day at least.
Yup, I know photos are compulsory with new foals - the little filly is not very photogenic yet - There is too much contrast and sun and she is always underneath mum. I put the photos in photobucket so if this link does not work let me know and I will try to fix it.
http://s968.photobucket.com/user/runninghorse-2008/library/Donna%20and%20Foal?sort=3&page=1I know this is not the best post but I have been mustering and preparing for sale 43 head of cattle including 8 bulls from all over the property in a heat wave so excuse the rather bitsy journalism this evening.
