feeding questions

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becca114

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1) after how many weeks into lactation does a mares milk start declining?
2) why should you feed a foal from conception rather than just in the last trimester?
 
Mares milk in the first two months should supply all the foals nutritional needs and all its mineral needs for the first four months. SO the "decline" is in the 3rd month of lactation, but that decline is made up for in a natural situation by the foal beginning to graze more seriously, see recent thread on Sugar Beet and foals for more detail.

Re feeding from conception, I would never do this, the foal does the vast majority of its growing in the final trimester of pregnancy, before that the extra nutritional drain on a mare is negligible, except if the mare herself has a problem such as prior worm damage. You would be wasting money and possibly adding to the likelihood of foaling problems and or developmental disorders.

Thats why in a natural situation mares foal late spring, so they carry a foal with little extra demand on them through the harsh winter then have their final trimester and 1st few months of heavy lactation when the spring grass arrives.

In fact I have one due in early April and am just about to give the mare some balancer along with her haylage, she is living out happily and still has grass in the field, she is in very good condition so I will supply extra vits and minerals via a specialist balancer , keep her on good quality forage and stay well away from grains to avoid joint problems in the foal.
 
pocomoto is right. Only one of my mares is currently being 'fed' - and she has lost a lot of weight due to a heart problem. The rest - due from April onwards - are on haylage and Horselyx blocks. They'll stay on that diet until 8 weeks before foaling when we'll introduce a VERY modest amount of Bailey's Stud Balancer.

After foaling, I feed generous amounts of Stud Balancer for 6 weeks to boost milk supply (it peaks at about 6 weeks - and the higher it is at 6 weeks, the better!) Any that look like they're losing weight (the two TBs in particular) will get Balancer for a little longer, otherwise it's grass/haylage and Horselyx blocks (I use the big 50 kg Horselyx tubs). The foals start tucking into the Horselyx from a very young age which gives them a little boost without risking joint problems.
 
That is very interested and to me does make sense. I am doing the baileys feed knowledge award and they suggest feeding from conception. One of the questions is 'why'? I will contact them and ask.
 
[ QUOTE ]
That is very interested and to me does make sense. I am doing the baileys feed knowledge award and they suggest feeding from conception. One of the questions is 'why'? I will contact them and ask.

[/ QUOTE ]

It depends on the mares. With TB mares, it's not a bad idea because they need that bit extra anyway. But if I fed my RID mares any more, they'd be FAR fatter than I want a brood mare to be. What they DO need is a good source of Min/Vit from the start of pregnancy - but the Horselyx gives them that without the need to feed short feeds (I don't like feeding in the field because of barging and kicking - especially when they miss their friends and catch ME!)
 
Please dont forget to let us know what the reply is will you? This could be very interesting!!

Tend to steer away from the mollasses licks with my lot as they will demolish anything like that in a day! They are very persistant, they all stink of it and have brown lips! So I worry re overdose. I do use the big rockies salt licks though.
 
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