How is my 4yr old & 2 1/2yr old looking? feeding advice pls

cob&onion

cob&onion

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Okay here's my welsh D colt - he is 2 1/2 yrs old. He lives out 24/7 and is rugless with a sheltered field.
He's just started having his hay at around 4pm which is equivalent to around half a small bale, no hard feed just yet. When the temp dips i will be haying him in the morning too with probably the same amount (or making it up to ad-lib). There is a bit of the green stuff about - but its slowly disappearing :(
When i do feed he will be having sugar-beet and chaff 2 x per day- would you feed anything else along side this? ie a balancer/mix?

How is he looking? (he's standing on an uphill slope here)

65wsv6.jpg


2nd cob!
She's a 4 1/2 year old, very good doer, out 24/7 - rugless in sheltered field.
She has been turned away since June and will be brought back into light work/hacking in Feb.
She has a bit of grass about in her paddock still so is getting 3 slices of hay around 4pm. She has really filled out this year and now resembles a small dining table :eek: i do have to watch her weight.......
When it gets colder she will be having hay ad-lib too. Sugar-beet and chaff will be on the menu for her too - again would you add something to this?

She looks a bit out of proportion at the moment with her grown out hog!! makes her look very cresty which she's not! (excuse the mud :o:p)

15y8cuf.jpg
 
Personally I wouldn't be giving them the sugar beet or even the chaff, especially the Cob mare who looks quite porky ATM. I'm all for the ad lib hay to give them something to munch on, my the extras look to be unnecessary IMO.
 
FreddiesGal said:
Personally I wouldn't be giving them the sugar beet or even the chaff, especially the Cob mare who looks quite porky ATM. I'm all for the ad lib hay to give them something to munch on, my the extras look to be unnecessary IMO.
Click to expand...

Yes my coloured is looking a bit er hem *porky* :o:o am just thinking if she looses the extra weight and when it gets much colder - last night was our first proper frost of -2 tonight its gonna be 3 degrees then looks to be warming up again :rolleyes:
 
I think the youngster's looking OK for this time of year, although looking at the field and from what you said I'd be upping his forage fairly soon. Not hard feed though. At this stage I'd be tempted to give him a small amount of chaff with broad spectrum vits/mins, maybe a drop of oil, nothing else.

The 4yr old I think looks OK too. OK, a bit chubby, but she's been turned away since June and hasn't been doing the growing the youngster has. Again, I'd give her some forage and only enough chaff to give her some vits, nothing more. Winter's coming; if she's staying on that field you'll be able to control her intake.

I don't think you need to worry about either of them :)
 
If she looses the weight I'd be doing my best to keep it off if I were you! My Welsh D is also out 24/7 with no rug and has had no hard feed for a good 4 months and is looking quite tubby! He has ad lib hay and is really holding out. Your D looks perfect ATM :)
 
I agree a handful of unmolassed chaff with vits/mins for them both and just hay. He is very lovely.
 
just good quality hay on a req basis shouLd keep those 2 going. no need to foRce grow or shove sugar into them if they are happy and maintINING WEIGHT.
 
Your welshie looks great, I would just give ad lib hay and some chaff with vits as suggested by others.

Your mare looks very overweight, but it could just be picture angle.

My cob is overweight, and is also growing out a hog which I agree makes them look crestier than they are. He won't be getting any hard feed this winter, and will only be getting hay if it snows...oh and he is staying naked too. I know she has been out of work, but I really don't think you need to worry about feeding her this winter.
 
I'd just stick to the ad-lib hay for now, if you're worried about vits/mins a handful of chaff with a general supplement would suffice. Def wouldn't be starting them on any hard feed, in particular the 4yo who is looking rather chunky!
 
Thanks guys.

Yeah my mare is over-weight at the moment, doesn't help that she has a coat about 3" thick! the last of her grass has gone now so hoping she will loose some more weight as the winter goes on.
I think the grown-out hog look and the camera angle makes her look quite unflattering!!

Having a good doer is harder than having a poor doer! roll on Feb so she can start work again.........:)
 
I rather like the youngster!
Probably a mineral lick, don't start them on molassed sugar beet, this is for oldies and skinnies.
You can buy the unmollased to feed after Xmas if they are losing weight too rapidly, unless they need to be force fed, get them slimline for spring flush grass to avoid laminitis worries.
 
Congratulations on the baby!
I aim to have mine a bit ribby at the end of winter as Miss L Toe says then they can pig out more on the new grass.
 
Both are looking a bit too well.

Half a bale of hay in any 24 hours (with grass to pick at too) should be more than enough for a welsh D. I would only give any more than this if there is snow on the ground. I would really want him coming into spring with a lot less weight than he is currently carrying. So I would carry on with no more than you are now...
 
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