Supplementing mare's milk?

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Dolcé

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Thank you all for your help and advice with the plasma question. I started 'Dolce' on the paste yesterday, bless her, she is such an angel, took it no problem. She is quite lively but it appears mum hasn't much milk, I think she is getting a bit but having to work for it. I offered her some milk replacer in a bucket this morning after seeing her drinking from the water bucket, I just want to supplement the bit she is getting but don't want to bottle feed in case she won't go back on mum. When I offered milk tonight she quickly drank the lot and then went to mum for a top up. Both times I have fed her she has bounced around the stable afterwards (not sure if this is good or bad) I am really not sure I am doing the right thing but mum's udder is still no bigger than the night before foal arrived after 1 weeks development, there is milk there but it is a job to get any.

I don't want to overfeed and rush her growth but at the same time don't want her underfed as she really is skinny and small with being born so early. She is bright and happy in herself and very inquisitive. Any advice from people who have experienced this would be very welcome. Will the supplemented milk a couple of times a day be enough or should I be looking at handfeeding. I am hoping that mare's milk will come in over next few days or so if she keeps suckling and that it is just that mare body wasn't 'ready' for her to be born and will catch up. Does this make sense?
 
Have you tried feeding her cocoa powder? I don't know why it works but it does seem to stimulate milk production.
 
LOL, she loves it but it doesn't seem to be helping much. I had to restrain foal this morning so I could wipe the milk off her chin from the bucket, she has grown a lot already and filled out so she must be getting something from mum (she has only had 2 proper bucket feeds so far). She appears to be thriving but mum still hasn't got much of an udder, there is definitely milk there but it is not what I would describe as a full udder and is still no bigger than when it first appeared. I will carry on with a couple of feeds a day and just keep a close eye on her growth, her poo is normal and she is urinating regularly. I hate this not knowing what I am doing bit though! It is a bit of a scary responsibility because it can all go wrong so quickly.
 
hch4971 said:
Thank you all for your help and advice with the plasma question. I started 'Dolce' on the paste yesterday, bless her, she is such an angel, took it no problem. She is quite lively but it appears mum hasn't much milk, I think she is getting a bit but having to work for it. I offered her some milk replacer in a bucket this morning after seeing her drinking from the water bucket, I just want to supplement the bit she is getting but don't want to bottle feed in case she won't go back on mum. When I offered milk tonight she quickly drank the lot and then went to mum for a top up. Both times I have fed her she has bounced around the stable afterwards (not sure if this is good or bad) I am really not sure I am doing the right thing but mum's udder is still no bigger than the night before foal arrived after 1 weeks development, there is milk there but it is a job to get any.

I don't want to overfeed and rush her growth but at the same time don't want her underfed as she really is skinny and small with being born so early. She is bright and happy in herself and very inquisitive. Any advice from people who have experienced this would be very welcome. Will the supplemented milk a couple of times a day be enough or should I be looking at handfeeding. I am hoping that mare's milk will come in over next few days or so if she keeps suckling and that it is just that mare body wasn't 'ready' for her to be born and will catch up. Does this make sense?
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Whilst I've bred relatively few horses, I've brought many thousands of lambs and calves to maturity.

I read, very briefly, your post regarding the plasma transfer, but can't remember why there was a need for it. That's all by the way.

I've just looked at your pic of the foal. At 4 or 5 days of age, I would be worried at the amount coat which she's carrying, and I'd assume that she was born with it. I would also worry that she's drinking water from a bucket.

You can try giving the mare cocoa powder, though most artificial milk powders will work just as well. The problem is, that once a mammals milk supply shuts down, or doesn't start, then re-booting it simply doesn't work. Your foal was premature, and it sounds to me, as if her milk supply has never really started.

Have you considered that the reason why the foal is so inquisitive, is that she's hungry? I can only go by your post, but from what you say, I suspect that this is the case. Were your foal mine, then I'd consider the mare as a companion for the foal, and start to supplement the feed. Not twice a day, but ever few hours.

If your foal, as you say, is thin, and she appears to be making enquiries of you, and she is freely drinking milk from a bucket, then I would think that you only have one option. Feed it. Remember this, no young mammal which is receiving a natural milk supply, will bother with artificial milk, as it tastes revolting to them!! If she's freely drinking from a bucket, then there's a good reason for that.

Keep us up-dated.

Alec.
 
Thank you Alec, you have basically hit the nail on the head, all the things you mention are the things that are worrying me. Mum has definitely got some milk, the fact the foal has grown and appears to be thriving assures me of that, I also noticed milk on the end of her teats after foal had suckled this morning. The foal is having to work at getting anything so I think is not getting enough each time as she returns very frequently. This mare had a huge udder last foaling, as do most mares that I have seen, I was expecting her milk to be let down after a few days of the foal suckling but this doesn't appear to be happening. If anything I would say the udder is smaller which would seem to be confirming what you say about the supply never really getting going. The photo was taken about 2 hours after the foal was born so the coat is what she was born with. I will get some more pics tomorrow which will be day 6.

I am still convinced the wormer is what started her off and that her body was really not ready to give birth. I know that humans are different to animals but I discussed this with my daughter who gave birth 12 weeks early, she said her milk didn't come in until 2 weeks after the baby was born rather than the usual day or so and I wonder if foal continues to suckle if this will happen. I will up the bucket feeds over the next couple of days and continue to monitor mum's udder but I don't really want the foal to stop suckling.

When I say she is inquisitive she is no different to our other foal, I mentioned it more to indicate that she is happy and well and TBH never considered it may be because she is hungry. She was certainly more playful today which could be put down to the extra feed. It is such a fine line between interfering and not intervening early enough that it is scary.
 
I have to say I agree with Alec; the foal wouldn't look at a bucket if the mare was supplying her needs so I would be feeding her regularly, at least every 3 hours (including through the night!) In between, if she does get something from the mare it could help the supply improve a bit so you could drop off the bucket feeds but for now, I'd rather play safe and supplement her. Which milk replacer are you using, I used Equilac which was fabulously easy?
 
Thanks, the cocoa powder isn't really making a difference but the mare likes it! The foal drank the first half of the feed tonight but just messed with the rest as opposed to drinking it very quickly this morning, she was suckling as I went in the stable so I don't know if that has made a difference or whether it means mum's milk is increasing. OH thought her udder looked a bit bigger but I couldn't see a difference tbh. I will up the feeds and see what happens.
 
I know nothing about lactating mares. But instinct is telling me Alec is right. For what it's worth, as a new mum, my milk supply was poor and I supplemented my baby with formula. Do what needs to be done to give your foal every chance and I wish you very the best.:)
 
I've had an idea, and considering Maesfen's interesting post, how about an experiment?

Feed the foal, tomorrow, but stop at say 2000 hrs. This will give the mare a rest during the day from trying to make milk. At the last feed, pay particular attention to the size of the mare's bag. Don't feed during the night (the foal will be fine), and then when you go to the foal, first thing in the morning, if the bag's gone down over night, then she's obviously making milk. If the foal is really hungry, then the mare simply isn't making enough, and if the foal isn't that bothered with your bucket, then wait until she is.

This way you may be able to gauge the balance between the foal's needs, and the mare's ability to make milk. It's just a thought. Give it a go!! :)

Very young foals taking a large amount of water would worry me a great deal, and I would hope that by now she's stopped.

Alec.

Ets, Where are Janet George, or SallyF when they're needed?!! a.
 
Thank you, I know now why I love this forum! I will try that tomorrow and see what happens although both yesterday afternoon and this morning the foal immediately suckled after finishing the bucket feed. She wasn't drinking a lot of water Alec but it was only because I saw her drink water that I decided to feed her milk from a bucket rather than risk her not suckling mum if I fed her a bottle. We are having a haylage delivery on sat and will have to switch mum over to that as our supplier has run our of hay, I hate feeding natives haylage but really have no choice until I can source some more hay and I suppose it may help her milk production.
 
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