Weight gain for 11 month old section D colt

lashlake

New User
Joined
20 February 2006
Messages
7
Visit site
Hi - I have an 11 month old home bred Welsh Section D colt. His weight in Dec-Jan-Feb even after weaning was great. For the last month he has inevitably been having a growth spurt and now he looks positively "lean", not helped by a current lack of grass. He is currently on ad lib good quality hay, grazing 11 hours per day, Alfa-A, Fibre Beet, Countrywide stud nuts, Lex Vet Blue Cool Mix (he can be very silly but he is a baby Section D!), Cool Stance (Copra) and micronised linseed. He looks exceedingly well but his ribs are barely covered but he is very energetic out with my 21yo Section D Gelding. Has anyone any ideas what I can give him/change his diet to gain some weight as I want to show him? Interestingly his mum was the same at this age but looked superb by the end of the Summer and the stallion owners say that his foals often look "scopey" as yearlings? Any advice greatly appreciated! Thanks ��
 
Last edited:

ester

Not slacking multitasking
Joined
31 December 2008
Messages
60,198
Location
Cambridge
Visit site
I wouldn't worry about him, and I wouldn't feed to show him if that isn't how he wants to be right now, I'd just wait and show him later in the summer if he picks up, or next year. The size many yearling section Ds are showing makes me really uncomfortable and is likely setting them up for future metabolic issues.
 

be positive

Well-Known Member
Joined
9 July 2011
Messages
19,396
Visit site
I wouldn't worry about him, and I wouldn't feed to show him if that isn't how he wants to be right now, I'd just wait and show him later in the summer if he picks up, or next year. The size many yearling section Ds are showing makes me really uncomfortable and is likely setting them up for future metabolic issues.

I agree, more harm than good will be done by having him too well covered and I think you are risking his long term soundness by feeding him so much hard feed at the moment, he will catch up once the growing slows and the grass grows, if it means he doesn't do so well in the show ring think of his future which is far more important.
 

TheMule

Well-Known Member
Joined
14 October 2009
Messages
5,483
Visit site
You want him lean at this stage. The grass is now coming through and he'll naturally pick up. I would be extremely cautious about feeding any yearling, let alone a native, hard feed for anything other than a mineral top up at this time of the year
 

splashgirl45

Lurcher lover
Joined
6 March 2010
Messages
15,043
Location
suffolk
Visit site
sounds like he is getting plenty already, it is better for him to be a bit lean, the last thing you want is a fat baby, agree show him later in the year ...
 

NiceNeverNaughty

Well-Known Member
Joined
16 October 2015
Messages
641
Visit site
i would take him off all the cereal based hard feed he is on. Swap the adlib hay for haylage and give him several small feeds a day of soaked grass nuts and suregrow balancer :)
 
Top