New Arrival ~ Prince!

Aurora gave birth to a healthy colt on April 18, 2017!  Such a handsome Prince!!! :)

It's a Boy!!!!!

 

We are excited to announce the arrival of our first foal for the year!   Buttercup gave birth to this handsome little paint on April 7, 2017! 

 

 

 

 

It's a Filly!!! :)

 

 

This was the 1st immediate sign before the foal arrived only 3 hours later!  The teats filled up (as you can compare with the last pictures, there are no dimples evident), and the wax started to drip.

As I have told you all in the last post, we were waiting for this little miracle to arrive and it truly was a miracle!  She came head first with only ONE leg forward!!!  It is not usually possible for this to happen, but we believe that God can do ANYTHING and use ANY situation for His glory!   So we decided to name her "Grace" (we call her "Gracie") as a reminder of God's continual grace that He gives us EVERY DAY! 

Baby Coming Soon!!!!! :)

As spring has begun we are enjoying the beauty of bright, green grass, beautiful blooms and the chirping of lovely birds in the trees.  God's creation is truly AWESOME!  So many miracles are popping up every day, all around us!  And we are soon to experience yet another miracle, on our farm, as our miniature mare, Sweety, gives birth to a foal! 

Sweety's "bag" (her udder) has filled up and we are now waiting for the next sign of up-coming parturition that will signal her delivery that could be within 4-7 days.

As you can see in these pictures her udder has filled up as her hormones prepare for the coming foal.  This usually happens within 4-6 weeks of foaling.  We are now at the 4th week and waiting for the next sign which is an increase in the size of the udder which will extend the teats as they fill up with milk.  A sticky substance, called wax, will appear which is a very good indicator that a baby is coming soon!  I must keep a very close watch on her.  :)

As you see in this picture the teats still have dimples in them and in order for me to see the teats I have to bend over and look under her.  On the other hand, when they fill up, I will be able to see them in an upright position.   Let's keep watching!  :)

                                                         What a sweet Matron!!!!!  :)

Weaning Foals

Weaning can be a sad time for foals but not too bad when we have a couple to do at the same time.  It makes the adjustment for the foals much easier.  Such was the case for Minnie & Joey who were weaned and then taken to their new homes this past November.

Everyone has their own thoughts on weaning but this is how I feel most comfortable doing it:

When I wean our "babies" I like to make it a gradual change, that way it is not so hard for the mares or the foals.  The first day I start by keeping the foal in his normal spot with his pasture buddies, whether mares or foals, and just take the mother out of the pen.  I usually put her in a pasture next to the foal so that they can still see each other and maybe even touch noses through the fence.  I do this for a couple of hours the first day and increase the separation time each day that follows.  After approx. 2 - 3 days I will take the mare to a farther pasture where they cannot see each other very easily.  *Note:  Each day I also have to walk the mare to the foal so that the foal can relieve the pressure on the mares udder to help prevent mastitis.  I do this whenever the mare's udder feels tight.

During the weaning process I also give our foals a special mixture to help keep their tummies full and provide good nutrition to their growing bodies.  This mix consists of a small amount of softened alfalfa pellets with a tsp. of garlic granules mixed in it.  If I have any apple or carrot pieces I will toss those in too.  They absolutely love this!!! 

Usually the weaning on our farm is approx. a week long peradventure everything goes well.  And then all too soon the foals are going to their new home where they will bring joy to someone else's farm.  :)            

So, until next Spring's little blessings....        
                                                                     ~ Lacy

Fun With Foals!

 This is Claire's 3 week old filly, Minnie.  As Jasmine was petting her she decided to have a seat on her lap!   :)   Too Cute!!!!

Lacy trying to keep up with the fast growing foals! :)

Here Lacy is imprinting our newest colt, Joey.  And as you can see Daisy always wants some attention too!