Abstract
Because of the wide variation in gestation length of individual mares, several methods have been devised to aid mare owners in predicting parturition. To our knowledge, this is the first report to consider optical density of pre-foaling mammary secretions as a method to predict foaling. This study compared methods using optical density and calcium ion concentration of pre-foaling mare mammary secretions to predict parturition. A 95% prediction interval to predict parturition was calculated based on optical density measurements of pre-foaling mare mammary secretions using a Densimeter (Animal Reproduction Systems, Chino, CA). These results are comparable with other commercially available prediction methods, and we conclude that it is a reliable tool to assist mare owners in predicting time of parturition.
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