Foaling Watch Update: Surprise’s Milk Test Hits 350+ ppm, pH Drops—Foaling Imminent?
Daily Progress:
🐴 My Audubon – Day 307 – No changes. She’s still over a month away from her due date (April 9), so we’re not expecting any developments just yet.
🐴 Lady Dyanaformer – Day 327
Dyana showed some wax on her udder last night, but interestingly, her bag shrank slightly again today. Because of this, we opted not to test her milk today.
🧐 Why is this not a concern?
It’s completely normal for a mare’s udder development to ebb and flow in the final weeks leading up to foaling. Some days, a mare may look more filled, and the next, her bag may soften again. This is often due to:
✔️ Fluctuations in hormones
✔️ The foal shifting position
✔️ Changes in activity level
Dyana followed a similar pattern last year, and she didn’t foal until Day 356. So while we’re watching her progress, there’s still plenty of time before we expect her to be truly close.
🐴 Elusive Surprise – Day 335
After observing her behavior last night, we decided to milk test again this evening—and the results suggest foaling should be imminent.
📌 Calcium has now exceeded 350 ppm – This is a very strong indication that labor is near.
📌 pH has dropped to around 6.4 (or lower) – Lower pH is another major predictor of foaling. While exact readings can be tricky to match perfectly using pool test strips, the shift downward is clear. (Photo included.)
With milk test results, overall body changes, and her behavior last night all aligning, there is a very high probability that Surprise will foal tonight.
Now is the time to watch the live cameras closely! We will continue monitoring her overnight and provide updates as soon as anything changes.
