Broodmare losing weight - what to feed

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Hi guys, my Broodie has a 4 month old at foot and hes a big chappy! Shes recently started losing weight because shes giving everything to him and since shes a thoroughbred i dont want her dropping off any more. Id like to keep Otti on the mare for as long as i can really as i dont like weaning too early. What do you suggest i can give her to get a few pounds on the lass!?
Shes currently on:
Baileys stud cubes
Dengie Hi Fi (would feed alfa a but it sends her off her trolley)
Sunflower Oil

She is out at grass but sadly theres not enough as i would like but theres not a lot i can do about that for the time being due to being on a livery yard. I have been putting big round bales of haylage for her to munch on ad lib.. so what else can you guys suggest? I did wonder about changing her onto a stud balancer and putting it with A&P Old faithfuls as she did fantastically on this before she foaled Otti. What do you all reckon?
Thanks!!
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paulineh said:
Talk to Baileys they will help you.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your suggestion, but every time i speak to baileys ive had terrible advice. I like their feeds but they seem to be more concerned about selling their feeds than giving constructive advice! This is why ive asked on here, i always seem to get unbiased, knowledgeable advice from other horse owners!! :)

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Have answered on the other one but if you don't trust Baileys then give D & H a ring, they're always very helpful. I do have to say I have never had a problem asking Baileys for help, they've always been helpful and suggested other brands/types to try as well.
 
Hi there - I have a mare and 9 week old filly foal at foot. I was feeding two large heaped wheelbarrows of hay, 2 scoops of mare and youngster D & H and a D & H feed balancer + oil and milti vits.

She was still losing weight so I called D&H - lady was fantastic - turns out I need to double it!!

Anyway, now on 2 wheelbarrows of hay (and I mean massively heaped) 2 x feeds a day with 1.5 scoop D & H stud cubes, 1 scoop mare and youngstock and half scoop build and glow balancer in each feed. Told me no to bother with the multi vits and oil as it is all in the feed.

When the mare and youngstock mix has finished I was told to just give her the stud cubes.

Mare is 16hh ID x TB.

Hope that helps.

Oh and we have absolutely no grass at all - thank god for recent rain - hopefully it will help!
 
My mare has been a nightmare to keep up to weight both during her pregnancy and afterwards. Topspec super conditioning flakes have really improved her condition, plus she is a very fussy eater but seems to love this with the topspec stud mix (although this is quite expensive stuff!!)
 
my foal is only 2 weeks old but my mare is on d & h mare and youngstock mix 1 1/2 scoops, a big double handfull of alfa a and 2 scoops of soaked sugar beet, this is twice a day with ad lib hay at night and reasonable grass in day time. She is looking absolutely great on this. (15.3hh wb/tb type)
 
Dodson & Horrell are really helpful, definitely would give them a ring.

When I was in a similar situation, they recommended feeding the mare Sure Grow, which is a foal starter pellet and also doubles as a feed balancer, started with a few pellets and built up to 1kg a day for similar size mare. Did the trick.
 
I think if you know what feed suits her I would try that again, it is normal for a brood mare to start to lose weight at this stage, we tend to move ours onto fields rested after the hay has been taken, and that does the trick, but this year we are still cutting!
I would use a stud balancer or pink powders, I struggle with keeping weight on our stallion from April to October, and the sheer amount he eats shocks people, but he has ad lib haylage plus two feeds a day, pink powders, molasses, summer shine additive and garlic plus sugar beet. Make sure you are feeding the manufacturer's recommended amount, that's where many people go wrong, I weigh the food the first time I use it then know what is required afterwards.
 
I wouldnt worry about her she is looking better than i have ever seen her, but its best to catch her early before she looses too much weight

i would add some sugarbeet to her feed it should help add a bit more weight on her and i always found she could be a little fussy about what you fed her but sugarbeet is quite tasty for most horses, our mares at work as also fed on linseed cake as well as the sugarbeet and a stud mix and all keep their weight very well off it despite a few being poor doers, baileys outshine is also fantastic although not everything seems to like to eat it and its a damn pricey feed

i would also maybe feed him as well, the milk quality tends to drop off around i think three months anwyay so i would personally start to supplement his diet a little provided he has a good appetitie and that way he also doesnt need to drink from his mum quite the same
 
To be fair to her shes always been fairly good with whatever i put infront of her! She seems to have picked up a little over the past couple of weeks since pumping the haylage in! I tend not to buy sugar beet over summer as it goes off soooo quickly! ive upped her intake of stud cubes and shes now back on the a&p mix as it really does suit her. Im pleased with her progress now, so i think i'll keep on at it this way. Thanks for everyones help!!
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