Well, let me tell you, the Bucket Fund is proud today…
Not only have we raised a good portion of Autumn’s ICU expenses – we have also found a nurse mare for Autumn and discovered a new product!
The UDDERLY EZ MARE MILKER.
Amazing. If you missed the story, I will reiterate.
ON FRIDAY…
On Friday, Autumn was going downhill again. Her little tummy was not accepting the goat milk or the mare milk replacer. She needed actual, fresh mare’s milk.
When Hope for Horses called me and told me that they needed mare’s milk, I really had no ideas other than to post this on FB.
So, I did.
WITHIN 10 MINUTES, I swear to you, within 10 minutes, we had a nurse mare who lived 20 minutes from the equine hospital.
The owner of the mare ran home (bless her), milked her mare, and brought fresh, WARM milk to Autumn.
Autumn drank it with gusto.
Everyone was hopeful but guarded. No one wanted to get excited until they knew that the fresh mare’s milk would not upset Autumn’s stomach. So they waited.
And, to our joy, nothing happened.
Nothing bad at all.
Autumn drank the mare’s milk and it worked!
The vets gave the OK to continue with the mare’s milk.
The UDDERLY EZ MARE MILKER
THE MARE
The donor mare is “Bizzy”, the Fresian. She had just weaned her foal a few days earlier. And even though Bizzy was not too interested in gaining a new foal, she was happy to be milked.
So, they moved Bizzy into the stall next to Autumn and the milkfest began!
Thank you, Dawn D., for answering the call and offering your lovely mare. You’ve probably saved the life of this tiny filly.
Bizzy arrives outside of Autumn's stall in the ICU
Bizzy and Autumn meeting.
FROM HOPE FOR HORSES
This is the email I received from HOPE FOR HORSES:
It’s been a busy 4 days. It’s Sunday morning and Autumn has been in horsey intensive care for 9 days. Thanks to Dawn and her facebook readers we found a milk mare in 10 minutes on Friday morning. We had 4 cups of mares milk to Autumn within an hour and by the next morning (Saturday) the vet had cleared us to bring the mare into Autumns stall. Thanks to Dawn and John (Mares owners) she came to Pilchuck in the afternoon and it’s now a different world. Baby is tolerating a mix of Mare and goat. Diarrhea is a thing of the past and the future looks bright. The chain of people who have each saved this foals life, one after the other is long and distinguished. I cannot tell you how amazed and thankful I am.
Using the UDDERLY EZ MARE MILKER
Just saw Autumn and Bizzy. The big news is no news. For the first time it’s 24 hrs with no issues. Autumn is still on an IV drip but that should end today. She is much more pushy trying to get out of her little stall. Bizzy is completely disinterested. She has done her duty this year and though she will accept being milked she just isn’t all that interested in another baby. The end is in sight!
AUTUMN drinking with gusto!
WHY NOT HAVE AUTUMN NURSE?
I know that many of you wonder why they don’t just have Autumn nurse off of Bizzy.
Well, the main reason is that it would be a step backwards in that Autumn has already learned to drink from a pan or bucket. And, Bizzy isn’t that interested in nursing a foal. She is OK with being milked but she isn’t too keen on another foal.
So, to try to get them to bond might be very stressful.
I mean, for me, I see a lot of benefit of nursing a foal. However, if one risks hurting the foal because the mare isn’t too happy about the idea, then you do what makes the most sense. And, for these two, milking the mare is the best way.
Autumn napping with a full tummy. Bizzy's Mom looks on.
THE UDDERLY EZ MARE MILKER
Somehow, the developer of the Udderly EZ Mare Milker (Buck Wheeler) found out about Autumn (the Internet never ceased to amaze me) and he sent out one of his EZ Mare Milkers.
Who knew?
I didn’t.
I had no idea that there were milker for just about any kind of farm animal – goat, sheep, cow, mare… on this site (linked here).
But now, armed with the Udderly EZ Mare Milker, Bizzy can be milked painlessly and Autumn can have fresh milk at any time.
Wow.
I WENT TO THE WEBSITE
So I went to the site to learn more about the EZ Milkers.
Here is what they say:
The Udderly EZ™ Mare Milker is a hand-held trigger operated vacuum pump used for the extraction of colostrum, the milking out of mares and other species that have mastitis, or for milking mares whose foals have inherited a different blood type than that of the mare and are at risk for NI (neonatal isoerythrolysis). Just a few pulls on the trigger, creates a vacuum in the bottle and the colostrum or milk flow starts—filling the bottle. The extraction cylinders have been designed to fit the unique shape of the mare’s and other species udders. There are two sizes and they have a rolled smooth surface to prevent harm to the soft tissue of the udder. Each kit is packed complete for each specie.
VIDEOS
If you click here, you can learn all about the Mare Milker as well as watch videos.
I think it is a great idea and incredibly handy for anyone, really. I mean, if I had one and there was an emergency like this one with Autumn, I could milk my mare and help. Truly, I think this is awesome. If only they would invent a milk bank for all of these babies who need natural mare’s milk…
Bizzy watching Autumn... However, she isn't interested in nursing her.
HORSE AND MAN is a blog in growth… if you like this, please pass it around!
If you would like to help with Autumn's expenses, click here. Thank you!
Copyright
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Tuesday afternoon and I just rec’d the package from Buck at Udderly EZ milkers. Used the one at the vet hospital this afternoon for the first time. Incredibly better than hand milking. Bizzy veritably gushed into the thing. I have to believe that used properly (you might hurt the mare by overpumping) this is much better than hand milking where you squeeze and push the milk out. The milker uses vacuum which is much closer to what the foal would do. Bizzy accepted me in my initial attempts with no problems. I like this thing very much. Thanks Buck!
Monday night and back from the hospital. Autumn was sleeping. Bizzy was eating grass. Watched them milk almost 3 cups (every 2 hours). Autumn is getting close to a normal ration of 50/50 Mare and goats milk. There is still a low grade infection shown in her blood work and the doc continues to be watchful. Drip has been stopped but the catheter has been left in for the night. Next big step is transitioning to an oral antibiotic, considering how beat up her gut is this is important. Still it was a day of continued healing and a stronger baby.
One strange thing. Autumn is bracketed by Bizzy one one side and now a new gelding Friesian in the stall next door. I have gone years with little or no contact with Friesians and now they are everywhere. What exquisitely beautiful horses.
Horray for Horse and Man! You literally saved this beautiful little filly and changed the course of her life!
Now that is one COOL product! I had heard of The Stableizer but not the Udderly EZ Milker. That was just wonderful of Buck to donate the milker for little Autumn. I think anyone who has baby animals around should absolutely own one; it is undoubtedly a lifesaver for some babies. I hope Autumn keeps doing well and another huge THANK YOU to dear Bizzy’s mom, as well!
Bless the broodmare!! What a great story. thanks for the updates!
MY MISTAKE. The last photo isn’t Autumn, it is Bizzy. I should have caught that, sorry. Also, Autumn is labeled as “Arab-type”. They think she is at least part Arab but no one will ever know.
What a great pump! Bizzy must be very patient to put up with it, although I’m sure milking has provided some relief in drying up. Prayers Autumn will continue on the path to good health. The last pic says it all! Up, alert and, in her own mind, ready to greet the outside world. I agree with those who see some Arab in her. Maybe not purebred (which, IMO, can be a good thing), but with similar beauty. I love the look in her eye!
We have been raising babies for 30 years and I have never seen a milker like that. I will go check it out! The owner of the product did a great thing by donating it but I’m sure your free advertising will more than repay him :-) So glad to hear baby Autumn is doing well now!