How to Test Milk pH to Determine When Your Mare will Foal

Did you know that your mare’s milk pH can be a good indicator on when she will have her foal?
There are always exceptions to the rule, and some mares will stay at a low pH or even with wax for days, but generally, most mares will foal within a few days of their milk pH dropping below 6.4. Some mares will foal at a higher pH range and show only a small drop in value.
Milk calcium can increase before foaling and body temperature can drop slightly, but we have found these indicators not to be as accurate as the milk pH.
You can buy specific foaling strips but pool strips work just as well. Here’s a link to the ones we use:
a.co/d/52gFx8S

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I’ve never had a horse, but I raise goats, and I was always told that you shouldn’t milk a doe before she has given birth because there’s a “plug” in the milk duct that prevents bacteria from infiltrating, and if you remove this plug you run the risk of infection. I’m not going to say that this is necessarily correct, but that’s what I’ve been told.