arwenplusone
Well-Known Member
Do you store this in your foaling kit? If so, where do you purchase it from?
I know most vets stock it but thought it would be worth having some to hand.
Colostrum question
- Thread starter arwenplusone
- Start date
Do you store this in your foaling kit? If so, where do you purchase it from?
I know most vets stock it but thought it would be worth having some to hand.
Tempi
Well-Known Member
Hmmmmmmmm good point!
My foaling kit is geting bigger by the day!!
My foaling kit is geting bigger by the day!!
1275gta
Well-Known Member
Dont know whether this is any help but with our cows me milk some out and freeze it. Not sure if this would be possible with a mare if you were foaling lots.
Bounty
Well-Known Member
I just bought the Net-Tex 'Whole colostrum for foals' via Horseactive on Ebay (as they did other bits and bobs that I wanted) as a 'just in case'.
It does say on the packet though that you need two tubs if you are using it as a full colostrum replacer, and one tub if you are using it in the case of poor colostrum quality.
It does say on the packet though that you need two tubs if you are using it as a full colostrum replacer, and one tub if you are using it in the case of poor colostrum quality.
arwenplusone
Well-Known Member
Thanks Bounty. That's excellent
My mare often runs milk a day before so I worry that she loses some.
My mare often runs milk a day before so I worry that she loses some.
GreedyGuts
Well-Known Member
I wouldn't bother.
Powder colostrum is not a substitute for the real stuff. If your mare runs milk before foaling or your foal doesn't get colostrum for another reason then you need to get the vet out to give the foal plasma.
Powder colostrum is not a substitute for the real stuff. If your mare runs milk before foaling or your foal doesn't get colostrum for another reason then you need to get the vet out to give the foal plasma.
S_N
Well-Known Member
Have to say I agree with the above from GreedyGuts.
Arwen, I am expecting B to run milk again, but I will collect it as soon as it starts and freeze it. Defrosting it for foalie when she foals. I am fortunate in that I have a colostrometer to test it before I freeze it or if she doesn't run milk, then I can still test it before the foal nurses. I will than know if plasma, AB's etc will be necessary. Can you not contact any large studs near you, they often have frozen colostrum and either sell it or give it away for a charitable donation etc...
Arwen, I am expecting B to run milk again, but I will collect it as soon as it starts and freeze it. Defrosting it for foalie when she foals. I am fortunate in that I have a colostrometer to test it before I freeze it or if she doesn't run milk, then I can still test it before the foal nurses. I will than know if plasma, AB's etc will be necessary. Can you not contact any large studs near you, they often have frozen colostrum and either sell it or give it away for a charitable donation etc...
Penniless
Well-Known Member
Agree with GG and SN - the substitute powder stuff is nowhere like the real thing. As they say, if she runs milk then collect it yourself or failing that, ring around the studs and they may let you have a bottle. We stored some from the first mare that foaled this year and have it in the freezer in case it's needed for any visiting mares foaling down. So far, we've had one foal needing a plasma transfusion as the IgG levels were dangerous low, the others have been mid-range and one of them was pure gold top! If you approach the big studs, some don't like releasing any until they've got all their foals on the ground just in case they need all of theirs.
KarynK
Well-Known Member
Always have this one to hand http://www.nutrecare.co.uk/prod6.asp?pro...sg=&offset=
It has a long sell by date so is good value, and is to be fair not marketed as a replacement, just a good energy 1st feed. I agree there is no substitute for a vet in these kind of circumstances but I would say mine is at least 30 mins away, if they can read a map! Add to that that they are not all stud or even equine vets and so I would rather be prepared than left wishing. They might not even carry milk replacers so at least this will keep the foal going until a sensible hour when you can get supplies.
I have frozen real colostrum in the freezer, vet advice is a mare with a good supply and good quality will not miss 200-250gms and will be good for a couple of years if defrosted slowly, so again the above can help. So In an emergency I can get the real stuff and the substitute into a foal in trouble whilst waiting for the vet. I do contact them when I think the mare will foal to make sure they have my details too hand, but again this doesn't always work!
Ideally you want to get local colostrum the absolute would be from another mare on the premises, as the foal will need antibodies for that specific locations potential insults.
Have been told in the past to avoid cows colostrum and milk with foals, but I know of a mare successfully hand raised on cows milk following rejection. Plus a lot of products like the above are derived from cows?
It has a long sell by date so is good value, and is to be fair not marketed as a replacement, just a good energy 1st feed. I agree there is no substitute for a vet in these kind of circumstances but I would say mine is at least 30 mins away, if they can read a map! Add to that that they are not all stud or even equine vets and so I would rather be prepared than left wishing. They might not even carry milk replacers so at least this will keep the foal going until a sensible hour when you can get supplies.
I have frozen real colostrum in the freezer, vet advice is a mare with a good supply and good quality will not miss 200-250gms and will be good for a couple of years if defrosted slowly, so again the above can help. So In an emergency I can get the real stuff and the substitute into a foal in trouble whilst waiting for the vet. I do contact them when I think the mare will foal to make sure they have my details too hand, but again this doesn't always work!
Ideally you want to get local colostrum the absolute would be from another mare on the premises, as the foal will need antibodies for that specific locations potential insults.
Have been told in the past to avoid cows colostrum and milk with foals, but I know of a mare successfully hand raised on cows milk following rejection. Plus a lot of products like the above are derived from cows?
stanhope
Member
one of our foals this year needed a transfusion, have to say i would never go down that route again as it was extremely stressful for the foal and we nearly ended up loosing it during the process, stopped breathing the works, luckily pulled round and no ill effects, but definitely going to work on the ignorance is bliss theory from now on.
KarynK
Well-Known Member
Sorry to hear that, yes sometimes I think it's better not to know.
As a kid I helped out on a local stud, about all the bloke that ran it did was lay out the afterbirth, he totally left the mares to it living out in huge 40+ acre fields often with the stallions, but in all the years I helped ot only one mare was lost giving birth, he owned over 30 broodmares at one point!!!!! If I tried that I dread to think what would happen.
As a kid I helped out on a local stud, about all the bloke that ran it did was lay out the afterbirth, he totally left the mares to it living out in huge 40+ acre fields often with the stallions, but in all the years I helped ot only one mare was lost giving birth, he owned over 30 broodmares at one point!!!!! If I tried that I dread to think what would happen.