# Pregnant Jennet and fescue



## Barnhog (Feb 28, 2012)

Hi. This is my first post in the equine section.  I have a few questions... I recently "rescued" a pregnant jennet, I've had her since December. I've been around horses a bit, but donkeys are all new territory for me. Anyway, she is in foal, and I have felt the foal kick and twist and such. About 3 weeks ago her tail was super loose, and her "lady parts" were very large and loose, but this past week she tightened back up again. She has little to no udder development. The past two weeks or so, her belly has dropped. She was really wide, and now its all dropped and right around her hips her belly is even sunken in. Still no milk. This is not her first foal. Well, I recently learned that her paddock has fescue in it. It is grazed down to next to nothing, but she still grazes what she can along with eating her hay. I am calling this evening to see if the mixed grass hay has any fescue in it. Would her being out in her paddock with the fescue be too much of it? I'd hate to keep her locked up in her stall during the day and after she foals. Right now her electric fence paddock can't be any bigger than maybe 1/2 an acre, max. Should I make it smaller and turn it into more of a dry (more like mud) lot than it already is? I have no idea of what her due date is, other than she's due early spring.


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## SFM in KY (May 11, 2002)

Any fescue can be 'too much' fescue if that particular animal reacts to it. I'd never dealt with it in MT and had to learn fast about fescue here in KY. Some mares are more sensitive to it than others, a few will react very badly to it, some not at all ... and not all will react to it all the time. Pretty much a gamble.

What I do ... and what my vet suggests ... is that an in foal mare is are taken off any pasture at least 30 days before she is due to foal, six to eight weeks is better. Our hay is supposed to be fescue free but that is not something you can always predict, either. Once they foal, they go back out on pasture and our pastures are not fescue free. 

I've only lost one foal in the 12 years I've been here that I thought might be due to fescue. The usual problem with fescue is a very thick, tough placenta that the foal and the mare cannot tear through so the foal actually smothers. It can also cause delayed foaling and I've heard of mares going over as much as a month from the expected foaling date.

It also does affect milk production and I've had to deal with that.Some mares do not bag up before foaling, or at least very little, some continue a ver low production of milk. 

Domperidone helps. I get it from my vet and keep it on hand during foaling season. It's a paste that stimulates milk production. I've never had a mare that didn't bag up at all before foaling but I've had several that didn't show much and didn't produce much after foaling and the Domperidone did help.

If they aren't bagging at all, some vets recommend starting Domperidone before foaling, which I've never done myself. But since you don't know for sure when she should be due, you wouldn't want to start it as it isn't recommended too far in advance of foaling.

Taking her off the hay/pasture at this point isn't going to make any difference if she is close to foaling. I'd probably just leave things as they are, hope to see her begin to foal and make sure you can get Domperidone if you need it.


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## redgate (Sep 18, 2008)

Chances are she will bag up around foaling. That can happen on jennets who have foaled before. Barring any complications due to the fescue, chances are everything will be fine. As far as the milk, if you are really concerned about it, then I would look for a source of fresh goat milk. It is the best "universal" milk, and almost all mammals will thrive on it. Just have a source available in the event of a problem, but most likely you won't need it. Best wishes!


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## littlebitfarm (Mar 21, 2005)

There is a shot now that the vets are giving, late in the pregnancy. No experience with it but worth a call to your vet.

Kathie


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## Barnhog (Feb 28, 2012)

Thanks for all the imput! The equitox is on it's way in the event I need it. Littlebitfarm, do you know what it's called or what it does so I can ask them about it?
And is it normal for the belly to be dropped for this long? It's been sortof dropped for about 3 weeks, and really dropped for the past week. This is my first time dealing with foaling. Thanks again.


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## littlebitfarm (Mar 21, 2005)

Barnhog said:


> Thanks for all the imput! The equitox is on it's way in the event I need it. Littlebitfarm, do you know what it's called or what it does so I can ask them about it?)


From http://www.equinews.com/article/managing-broodmares-on-fescue-hay-or-pasture1

Drugs such as domperidone and fluphenazine are often successful in reversing the negative effects of the alkaloid, and many treated mares are able to deliver and nurse their foals with few or no complications.

No experience with either one. They weren't available when I learned my hard lesson on fescue.

Kathie


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