numpty foal questions

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bugbee717

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sorry if this sounds stupid

I was told by the vet not to feed my foal any hard feed, he is out in a great field in the day and in at night, he has a small mountain of hay at night.
I can feel his ribs, but i think he is too ribby, i have started to give him a small amount of foal mix and chaff.

he is rugged, he is 8 months old and wormed.

should I give him more feed

also is it ok that he has a salt lick the same vet said not too.

oh he is a haffy X holstiener cross
 
I would certainly feed him a good quality feed suitable for his age, but I would telephone one of the feed companies and speak to their nutritionist. I have a 3 year old who came out of racing as he was too immature for racing and I spoke to Baileys and their recommended feeding has made a huge improvement to him since we got him in October. He needs to grow and get all the vitamins etc which he isn't getting from winter grass and hay. In my opinion no harm in him having a salt lick if he likes it.
 
I wonder where your vet thinks he will get his vitamins and minerals from at this time of the year, if he is not allowed any hard feed or mineral licks!!!!

Sounds very strange advice to me. Our weanlings are out in the day and in at night, they get ad-lib haylage when in, plus a morning and an evening feed. We also put haylage in their paddock too, at this time of the year there is very limited nutritional value in the grass.
 
bugbee717,

under usual circumstances, I'd be with cruisline on this one. Most certainly, i'd offer a good quality mineral, and vitamin lick. Generally, if an animal doesn't need the additional supplements, then they don't take them. If I COUDN'T feel the ribs, then I WOULD worry. I'd worry that the foal was being over done, and it's an easy mistake to make.

It may well be that your vet thinks that the foal is fine, as it is, and he may well be right.

I may well make a pigs ear of this, BUT, the best way to judge a foals condition is to view the area between the end of the ribs and the croup. It does take a bit of experience, but if you can look at the "back", of the animal, then that will give you the best indication of the animals condition.

Of course, there is more. You will need to be able to look at the bone structure and the shape of the legs. Does the foal "stand square"? Are the elbows pinched in, and therefore the feet pointed out? Toes should point out a little, but no more than a correct skeletal shape should decree.

If your vet is experienced with stud work, then listen to him. Offer the foal a mineral and vitamin lick. If it doesn't need the uptake, then it wont bother. DON'T offer the foal a sugar based lick. They will be after the sugar, and probably give you a false indication of their needs.

Having rather lectured you, I would suggest that you post some pics, and ask the opinion of those more experienced than I!!

Alec.
 
There is no way on this earth a growing animal can get all their vits/mins from grazing alone at this time of year. Grass & hay/haylage are not enough. If you are worried about overfeeding (though I also believe you should ring one of the feed Co's for advice) then ensure he gets them in another form. I am gob smacked
confused.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
I wonder where your vet thinks he will get his vitamins and minerals from at this time of the year, if he is not allowed any hard feed or mineral licks!!!!



[/ QUOTE ]

OP Says he has a 'small mountain of hay' to eat which according to my vet and my Experience should be sufficient to supply even a growing youngster with all the vits and mins he needs.

OP, if you are concerned I would look at a fibre based feed rather than a mix or protein packed balancer. give him a small amount of hi-fi with a small amount of speedi-beet and see how you go. but be aware, that come spring he will be transformed by the spring grass. offering a broad spec lick is also a good idea..
 
I went to an interesting talk a couple of years ago given by my Vets in conjuction with a feed company (who did not push their products). The problem the Vets have with owners who have underweight/overweight horses or who want to check they are giving a suitable diet, is that the owners don't measure anything. Someone's "mountain of hay" is someone-else's "bit of hay". One person's round scoop is heaped up and another's is flat. Someone's "feed" means a complete mix, but to others this is "hard feed" and they will say they don't feed their horses even though they give balancer,chaff and beet.
So lets be clear, top quality hay given ad-lib MAY be sufficient or he MAY need supplementing. But to give the best care I give mine a small amount of Balancer ie1 mug which is way below rec.amount. But then I don't have fantastic grazing. I know people in the Midlands who have high quality grazing and do not supplement at all. But also people in the Welsh hills with same breed, "feed" in the depths of winter.
Look at the picture on page 179 of"From Foal to Full Grown", of yearling at END of winter. This is fine, but I wouldn't want mine ENTERING winter looking like this.
Wow - I've gone on too long. But I sometimes think we are all saying the same thing but how we describe it differs.
 
Hey
I have a 9 month old gypsy vanner, I am new to the baby stuff as I've always had older horses. This one is my first, I'm at a yard with a few others an have gone by what they have said to feed as they know a lot more than me. I currently feed mine Hi-fi dengie and stud mix. If anyone has any other suggestions do let me know. I want to do what's best for mine. Also if I do change what I feed how do I do it as I know you can't just change it. Also does it matter having different hay sometimes or haylage some days an hay others.
 
Being a gypsy vanner they are usually good doers so won't need too much actual feed but will need something to carry the vitamins and minerals a growing body needs without pumping too much goodness into them.
Personally, I would go with D & H Suregrow and he'll only need a mugful of it a day. You can feed it alone during the summer but if you needed to bulk it up you can add sugar beet of some description and chaff if you feed that along with decent hay or haylage. I'm feeding a 2 and a 3 year old, an Anglo Arab and a Dales, they are both getting a mug a day with Speedibeet and micro linseed purely because our grass is not great this year (it hasn't grown basically!) and usually I don't need to feed anything other than the Suregrow at this time of year. People think Suregrow is just for thoroughbreds but it's not; it has all the goodness a growing body needs whatever the breed, you just adapt the amounts needed to your own horse; it can also be used as a normal balancer for older horses, it's a very versatile feed without the price tag of some others; it should be about £16.
When you change any feed, do it over a few days starting with just a handful so they can get used to the taste easily; I've not found any that don't like it TBH. I chop and change from hay to haylage at odd times if I need to or I will mix it up so it's never an abrupt change, it's something they're already used to but both are our own home grown stuff so virtually the same make up; I'd be more wary of changing like that if suppliers source it from different locations if that makes sense. Have a look at the thread titled My Next Equine Project Horse by Adorable Alice, it's a mine of information and a lot of fun!
http://www.dodsonandhorrell.com/our-feeds/breeding/thoroughbred/mare-stallion/suregrow.html
 
I have noticed a lot of old threads re-appear. However, the questions are relevant to another thread.

I think Breeding Forum members know my thoughts, youngsters need enough in the way of vits and mins to lay down good bone. Soil can be so variable, I know that locally soil lacks selenium, so cattle farmers put out licks to compensate.

Non of our youngsters have 'suffered' from being fed small quantities of appropriate feed.
 
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