# How long prior to foaling does the average mare bag up?



## FGRanch

Que our 4 year old AQHA mare is due to foal on March 13th. Generally my mares have started to bag up a month prior to foaling. Yesterday Que had no bag at all and today it is about 1/4 of the way full. I have never known a mare to advance this fast. I was wondering what hte rest of you had experiences with? How long do your mares generally start to bag up before foaling?


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## LadyDreamer

Is she a Maiden? If this is her first foal, then her signs can seem a bit...inconsistent.


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## FGRanch

Yeah this is her first foal and I did expect of bit of inconsistantcy. I'm not really in a rush for her to have the baby, it happenes when it happens. I just have never known a mare to bag up so quickly in such a short time. I have had mares that have had 6 foals and also lots of maidens and they always seem to be pretty much the same, bagging up a month prior to foaling.


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## Angel_Leaguer

Chloe has had a few foals and she tends to start bagging up about 2-3 weeks prior and then is full with wax about 1-2 days before foaling. 

Good luck with the baby... dont for get to take pics!!!!


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## FGRanch

Oh don't worry there will be LOTS of pictures of the new baby. It will be the last foal out of our former AQHA/FQHA blue roan stallion. I am pretty excited to see what we get out of this cross.


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## orchid park

My clydie marer had a foal back in late October. She did a similar thing and bagged up over night about 1/4 to 1/3 and then it would go away and come back every night for about a week. 
She bagged right up 2 days prior to foaling.

I did a temp check with her (which you do mroning and night) and it worked for us, but I didnt use it as my sole indicator for the impeding birth. It was accurate to within 24 hours for us. when the mares night temp was equal to or less then her morning temp foaling will be within a day or 2. 
But as said it worked for us but as to how effective it is, I dont know.

Regards,


Laura.


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## CheyAut

Each mare is different  And dont' forget, just because you have "due date" for her, doesn't mean she will foal around then! I had two foals born last year one night apart, but they were due six weeks apart!


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## FGRanch

Yeah I really was not expecting the foal until early April, I'm still not expecting it until at least late March. She seemed to have advanced very slowly thru the whole pregnancy.


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## peace love and paints

i have a mare ive been watching now for about a month and the bag still doesnt seem to be full. the teets arent full but she is getting good feeding veins. this is her first foal im watching her very closely.


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## FGRanch

My former mare did that. She was 8 and having her first foal, she has an ALMOST full bag for nearly a month, her milk veins were very visible but she just didn't feel like letting go of that foal! Hopefully this mare won't be the same! LOL


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## southerncowgirl93

Some will do it just three or four days prior to foaling. I wanna see pictures of the baby!


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## WSArabians

Maiden looks like she should have foaled three months ago! :S

Does she still have her bag or did it go down again?


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## FGRanch

Yeah Maiden is HUGE! I can't wait to see that baby! 

She still has it the same as she did before, it hasn't filled anymore though. She is very miserable though and her shap did change. I'm still not holding my breath! LOL 

Southern Cow Girl I will be sure to post pictures of the little on arrives!


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## southerncowgirl93

thanks!  Hope it all goes well.


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