Weanling feeding advice

GemG

GemG

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Our newly weaned 6 month old filly (Trak x) is now on very good winter grazing 24/7 (or as good as, just the occasional night inside, more for my peace of mind to make sure we haven't forgotten the leading /handling /stable etc). It is basically unlimited grazing - huge field. She is and will continue to be un rugged and has a lovely plush glossy winter coat on.

She looks great, is happy, is well grown for her age, appears to be relatively good doer. She will eat feed if offered of course - but she doesn't get any hard feed at all. Just needs to grow up slowly and steadily.

Q. Should I offer any sort of mineral/lick type balancer? If so, is there anything I can leave out in the field? Or am I overthinking this. Wherever you look there seems to be a prolethera of young stock feeds / mixes and balancers and I am a great believer in grass/haylage ad lib unless under condition.... But what would you do.
 
I would probably have a lick to make sure they get enough calcium etc (provided they don't lick it continuously until it's gone) but I wouldn't worry about hard feed if they are in good condition :)

Pictures are mandatory by the way :p
 
I am so so glad to finally see someone managing a weanling properly!

You've got it just right :) with my weanlings I fed a youngstock balancer to make sure they were getting enough calcium etc but other than that no hard feed, just hay when the grass started to get a bit poor.
 
EQUIDAE said:
Oh and she's rather lovely too!
Click to expand...

She IS lovely - and very well grown too - so right not to over-feed her. The only thing I'd say is the grass is VERY wet now (unless you're in a dry part of the country) and that reduces feed value and makes it harder for them to eat enough in 18 hours grazing.

My 2 and 3 year olds are out in a HUGE field with lots of grass - and I give them a few pasture nuts on the ground - just to kee them coming (so I don't have to walk big hills fnding them.) They also have mineral licks. But I know that as soon as I decide it's time for haylage, they'll scoff that too - even though still plenty of grass.

The first of my weanlings are just being weaned now - they have a meeing with Mums in the manege twice a day (for 10 minutes) and plenty of haylage. When we stop the milk, I'll give them a TEENSY bit of Stud Balancer (much less than recommended) mixed with Grazon to help the loss of milk - otherwise it will just be haylage.
 
Thank you for the sound advice, just needed that confidence by checking with others that have experience.

Ive had people asking me when will I get a rug for her (I'm not - she doesn't need one!) / am I bringing her in? (No I'm not unless it's for feet trim) and you know what I mean anyway.... Was beginning to doubt myself and wonder if I'm too 'tough' ! But even with the rain lashing she always looks happy enough, bum to rain.
 
Don't worry:) usually this 'advice' and concern comes from those who have never even had a youngster...

My 3 youngsters are overheating in their winter woollies and when they came in last night for gelding they were dripping in sweat (despite being bib clipped). As long as they have shelter (mine have a tall dry stone wall) to keep out of the worst of it, they really don't care :)
 
GemG said:
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn8/GemG/image.jpg9_zpsj8ute2lw.jpg

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Click to expand...
Thanks for link advice
 
EQUIDAE said:
Don't worry:) usually this 'advice' and concern comes from those who have never even had a youngster...

My 3 youngsters are overheating in their winter woollies and when they came in last night for gelding they were dripping in sweat (despite being bib clipped). As long as they have shelter (mine have a tall dry stone wall) to keep out of the worst of it, they really don't care :)
Click to expand...

Yes, our filly is fast resembling a big brown bear! Lovely plush silky fluff all over!

I will get some balancer in and give her a very small amount, the grazing is rather good still and don't want to overdo it.

When reading through the feed co's websites it's amazing how much hard feed in some cases is recommended (in my opinion far too much!) even alongside grazing and ad lib hay/haylage. Of course, I know there are some horses thatdo take a bit of feeding, but I think a lot of people are mistakenly over feeding their horses which are often in far less work than they think they are. ....oops sliding off topic. :)
 
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A lot of feed is aimed at tbs. they want them grew up as fast as possible which I don't think is good for them. I'm feeding my brood mare a balancer and some fast fiber at the moment but only sporadically not every day. It's a token feed for when she comes in I could literally hold it all in one hand. As she's the size of a fart and foal will be the size of a silent fart I don't plan to buy a bag of stud balancer because I would never use it all so might just borrow a few scoops off someone lol
 
I raised mine on Dodson and Horrell Suregrow + good haylage. They all live out and ran into a barn for shelter and the haylage.

Youngsters + rugs = accidents in my view.
 
Hi all sounds like great advice. Isn't it great to get reassurance that you're doing the right thing!
I weaned my foal on Friday. Mum is so happy to be off up the road having some peace. Babba has her two aunties for company in a big field by day and sharing a stable with one auntie at night. We've shut the top door as the first night she wasn't happy at being in without mum. Settled now. My question when should I worry about stabling her alone? I'm just aware the bigger she gets the harder it'll be!
Thanks and hope you don't mind me adding on to this thread.
 
Mega, I stabled mine alone from day 1 but he did have a barred window between him and his companion. I did put mesh over the bars as was worried if he had a hissy he could get his hoof stuck.
 
I wouldn't worry about stabling just now. As long as you can bring her in and out and she is happy in for a short period with company.

Each to their own but ours is out 24/7 pretty much no matter what, no rugs. She has grown a lovely thick grease filled coat and has tons of grass. She only comes in when I need her in for farrier or jabs (twice this week as she had both!). I go and check on her and give her a scratch and a chat and basically leave her to it.

Maybe you are stabling due to the others coming in at night - which I can understand - you wouldn't want to leave her out on her own. Is there another companion that can just stop out with her?

You need to (if your going to continue stabling at night) either just carry on doing what you're doing or tackle head on and just stick her in on her own and that's it - but it's much fairer if she can see the companion next door at least. She is still young and newly weaned - the easiest thing is for her to stop out.

With ours, the stabling without company will come in time when we need her to, by that stage she will be much older and more self confident in general and won't need so much 'reassurance' with a nannie pony.

Well done for getting the initial weaning bit done - that's always a stress in my head when it's approaching!
 
She is stabled because our other two ponies are. Normally we try to over winter out but sadly this year we've had a lot of renovation work done to our house so until the fencing has been finished next week they need to come in at night.
Glad to hear that she will be fine with her buddy until she gets a bit older. Sadly our stables are old school brick ones and they can't see each other next door. But they look fab and are lovely and big so plenty of space for them to share.
They all seems really happy now I'm pleased to report.
Thanks for the support.
 
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