Why Every Stud Farm Needs a Brix Refractometer This Foaling Season
Foaling season is a high-pressure time on any stud farm. While much attention is rightly placed on the delivery itself, one of the most critical factors in a foal’s long-term health happens in the first few hours of life — colostrum intake.
A Brix refractometer is one of the simplest and most effective tools available to breeders for breeding, allowing them to objectively measure colostrum quality and enhance breeding outcomes.
Why Colostrum Quality Matters?
Foals are born without circulating antibodies. They rely entirely on absorbing immunoglobulins (IgG) from the mare’s colostrum within the first 12–18 hours of life. If this transfer is inadequate, the foal is at risk of Failure of Passive Transfer (FPT), which significantly increases susceptibility to infection, pneumonia, septicemia and poor early performance.
Not all colostrum is equal. Visually assessing thickness or colour is not reliable.
That’s where a Brix refractometer comes in.
What Does a Brix Refractometer Do?
A Brix refractometer measures the sugar and solid content of colostrum, which correlates closely with immunoglobulin concentration.
In practical terms:
- ≥ 23% Brix – Excellent quality colostrum
- 20–22% Brix – Moderate quality
- < 20% Brix – Poor quality (consider supplementation)
It provides a quick, objective reading in seconds.
How to Use a Brix Refractometer (Step-by-Step)
- Collect a small sample of colostrum from the mare as soon as possible after foaling.
- Ensure the refractometer prism is clean and dry.
- Place a few drops of colostrum onto the prism surface.
- Close the cover plate.
- Look through the eyepiece toward a light source.
- Read the percentage value where the light and dark fields meet.
Clean thoroughly after each use.
It takes less than 30 seconds and can influence critical management decisions.
Why It Should Be in Every Foaling Kit
- Allows early identification of poor-quality colostrum
- Enables freezing of high-quality colostrum for future use
- Supports proactive stud management
- Reduces risk and improves foal health outcomes
For professional breeders and stud farms, it is now considered a standard piece of foaling equipment rather than an optional extra.
📦 Brix Refractometers are available from ARKequine.
If you would like advice on integrating colostrum testing into your foaling protocols, our team is happy to help.
Prevention is always better than cure and with colostrum, timing is everything.
Shop here: Analyse mare colostrum quality with the Colostrum Refractometer
