broodmare supplement

[cloppy]

please can you tell me what you all feed your broodmares. Do you feed an additional supplement or balancer? Do you feed anything special before conception. many thanks

 

[MissIndependance]

Mine get Baileys stud cubes and baileys stud balancer - how much of each depends on whether they hold their condition well or not... some are, ahem, a little more rotund than others!

 

[machannah]

Spillers stud mix, hifi, s/beet, and then recently top spec which i think has been great!

 

[Fleur100]

Stud mix from the local mill, chaff & sugarbeet. I up the quantity of stud mix 3 months before foaling. A slimer mare will conceive easier than one in too good condition....

 

[S_N]

Everywhere I have ever worked in this country (TB or Sportshorse) has fed D&H Suregrow throughout the mare's pregnancy and to youngstock. For the mare, combined with stud cubes, depending on how well she does. My mare has been on Sure grow thorughout her pregnancy and is now in her final tri-mester and has started on stud nuts for breakfast too.

 

[cloppy]

thankyou would you start to feed the baileys balancer/ suregrow before she is covered or not until she is infoal?

 

[S_N]

Some people feed suregrow as a general balancer to ridden horses, so I suppose you could feed it before she was put in-foal. If you are sending your mare away to stud, it is rare for them to be fed a hard feed, unless a) requested by the mare owner (at extra cost, naturally) b) the mare is not doing well (again at extra cost). Personally I have not known maiden/barren mares to be fed this prior to conception, only mares with foals at foot.

 

[KarynK]

Baileys stud balancer with simple systems red bag grass nuts and alfafa or dried grass chop in final trimester and in lactation fed with good quality big bale haylage. Normal maintenance rations at other times with general purpose supplement.
If they are barren or maidens I don't send them to stud too fat!

 

[spitchwick]

I use Baileys stud mix, simple systems chaff, and their Total eclipse which is linseed, seaweed and brewers yeast, and they look fab on it.

 

[springfallstud]

mine are on nuts, sure grow, and a bit of alfa a, they are on good grass..been rested all winter and was good before the rest and ad lib horsehage at night when they come into the barn

 

[firm]

Hi Spitchwick

Just a small caution I was told never to feed seaweed to in foal mares or mares with foal at foot. I think it is the iodine that is the problem.
Total Eclipse may well be fine but just to highlight for others.

 

[spitchwick]

I have not heard that firm, what can be the problem?, my mares and foals have and are fine on Total eclipse.

 

[firm]

It can result in deformed foals. I think the foal gets it in a concentrated form through the placenta but cant secrete it out. I am not sure about why foals at foot have probs. The vet who warned me has dealt with foals born with deformaties caused by iodine.
I am sure in a general supplement rather than straight seaweed it would be fine but I would always double check with the manufacturer.

Edited to add I have just googled seaweed & pregnant mares & there is loads of info.

 

[CBFan]

Baileys stud balancer and hi-fi / alfa a. She shouldn't need feeding until she is in foal and ditto thefact that she is better to go to stud (and stay that way) slimmer rather than too fat...

 

[cloppy]

thankyouy all so much this has been very helpful.

 

[CrazyMare]

Mine is on TopSpec and was when she went to stud, mainly because up til the day before she went she was still competing and being ridden. Have carried it on through her whole pregnancy and she looks fab