GinnieRedwings
Well-Known Member
Although my absolute preference is for weaning between 9 and 11 months, I unfortunately had to make the decision 2 weeks ago to start the weaning process for my colt Max, a week short of 7 months old - my mare had lost nearly a third of her bodyweight at stud and although she had gradually and steadily been putting condition on, this upwards trend reversed towards the begining of this month, whilst Max was proportionally getting, well, porky!
So I started the gradual weaning process. Max has been turned out with Mum (T'is) and 2 year old half sister (Gaia) since they came back from stud mid-September. As I was hoping, Max and Big Sis quickly developed a very sweet relationship - lots of rough play but no jealous or untowards behaviour, all very very nice and friendly.
So, on 13/11/10, at bedtime, I popped Max in with Big Sis rather than with Mum as usual. Mum knickered at him twice, then went to her hay net and went on chomping. Max did not even turn to look at her - he has been sharing Big Sis's shelter and hay net before, during the day when the gates are open and they have free access - nothing much had changed, just the gate was now shut.
Here is my set up:
The 3 field shelters have been fenced off so I can lock them up at night in the winter and save my ground and they have free access to them during the day. This picture was taken the morning after, when I arrived with breakfast.
I checked Mum's udders and let Max have a suckle and relieve her a bit:
She was very sensible about it. Let him have a quick suckle then stopped him from suckling and walked off. I served breakfast then they all tucked into their hay. Max tried to muscle on to the milk bar a couple of times but Mum just walked off.
They spent the day turned out together, then went back to their shelters as per previous night. I kept monitoring Mum's udders to see how the milk production was evolving as a result of the change in the suckling...
It took 3 days to "adjust":
I was going to keep this regime (phase 1) for a week then move on to phase 2, but I was really busy last week end so it didn't happen - but the great thing about gradual weaning is there is no need for a strict schedule. Things can happen very slowly, one can play things by ear, it just doesn't matter.
So phase 2 started today.
I fenced off the winter paddock with the fence right in between the 2 shelters and this afternoon, popped Mum on one side and the youngsters on the other:
I think the pics speak for themselves. There was no running around, no screaming, no panic, no trouble at all.
An hour later, Big Sis had had enough hay and decided to amble off to the other end of the paddock to stand and snooze near the fence with my TB mare in the next paddock (she was weaned with her as a companion in the very same way nearly exactly 2 years ago and still has a strong relationship with her). Max had a very short anxious moment there and knickered at Mum a couple of times... then walked off away from the fence to do his own thing:
They were then popped back into their shelters for the night, as has been the case for the past 2 weeks. No one worried or complained.
Tomorrow morning they will go in separate paddocks again. Day after day, I will place their hay further and further away from the fence. Morning and evening for 3 -4 days (depending on how the milk supply evolves) I will let Max suckle a little. I will not change Mum's feed intake, as she needs to put on weight, but the milk supply will dry off with the reduced suckling - I personally don't believe that Mum's diet has as much impact on the milk supply as the "demand" from the foal.
I will start phase 3 (where Max will be moved to his own shelter at night, next to Big Sis's) in 1-2 weeks, or whenever I feel the time is right.
I will then update my picture diary.
I hope this post provides an informative view of gradual weaning for those people who have been thinking about trying it out.
So I started the gradual weaning process. Max has been turned out with Mum (T'is) and 2 year old half sister (Gaia) since they came back from stud mid-September. As I was hoping, Max and Big Sis quickly developed a very sweet relationship - lots of rough play but no jealous or untowards behaviour, all very very nice and friendly.
So, on 13/11/10, at bedtime, I popped Max in with Big Sis rather than with Mum as usual. Mum knickered at him twice, then went to her hay net and went on chomping. Max did not even turn to look at her - he has been sharing Big Sis's shelter and hay net before, during the day when the gates are open and they have free access - nothing much had changed, just the gate was now shut.
Here is my set up:
The 3 field shelters have been fenced off so I can lock them up at night in the winter and save my ground and they have free access to them during the day. This picture was taken the morning after, when I arrived with breakfast.
I checked Mum's udders and let Max have a suckle and relieve her a bit:
She was very sensible about it. Let him have a quick suckle then stopped him from suckling and walked off. I served breakfast then they all tucked into their hay. Max tried to muscle on to the milk bar a couple of times but Mum just walked off.
They spent the day turned out together, then went back to their shelters as per previous night. I kept monitoring Mum's udders to see how the milk production was evolving as a result of the change in the suckling...
It took 3 days to "adjust":
I was going to keep this regime (phase 1) for a week then move on to phase 2, but I was really busy last week end so it didn't happen - but the great thing about gradual weaning is there is no need for a strict schedule. Things can happen very slowly, one can play things by ear, it just doesn't matter.
So phase 2 started today.
I fenced off the winter paddock with the fence right in between the 2 shelters and this afternoon, popped Mum on one side and the youngsters on the other:
I think the pics speak for themselves. There was no running around, no screaming, no panic, no trouble at all.
An hour later, Big Sis had had enough hay and decided to amble off to the other end of the paddock to stand and snooze near the fence with my TB mare in the next paddock (she was weaned with her as a companion in the very same way nearly exactly 2 years ago and still has a strong relationship with her). Max had a very short anxious moment there and knickered at Mum a couple of times... then walked off away from the fence to do his own thing:
They were then popped back into their shelters for the night, as has been the case for the past 2 weeks. No one worried or complained.
Tomorrow morning they will go in separate paddocks again. Day after day, I will place their hay further and further away from the fence. Morning and evening for 3 -4 days (depending on how the milk supply evolves) I will let Max suckle a little. I will not change Mum's feed intake, as she needs to put on weight, but the milk supply will dry off with the reduced suckling - I personally don't believe that Mum's diet has as much impact on the milk supply as the "demand" from the foal.
I will start phase 3 (where Max will be moved to his own shelter at night, next to Big Sis's) in 1-2 weeks, or whenever I feel the time is right.
I will then update my picture diary.
I hope this post provides an informative view of gradual weaning for those people who have been thinking about trying it out.
