What do you feed your foals?

[Monkers]

I have a three month old warmblood foal who is huge and I worry about him growing too quickly, so I don't feed him anything, he's just on reasonable grass and Mum's milk. Mum is on Stud cubes, but not very much as she gets fat quickly, and sure limb (all d&h) I was thinking of putting her on the mare and youngstock cubes, they are only 1% less protein than the stud cube. I will keep up with the surelimb.

When do you start feeding your foals hard feed and what do you give? I was thinking I wouldn't give him anything until October time when the grass has gone off. What do you think of Suregrow? It's 26% protien though, is that not a bit on the high side if he's growing too fast?

Should I give him surelimb now on a tiny bit of chaff or something? He doesn't get any of his dam's, she won't share!!

 

[Alexart]

I never feed mine hard feed because of the OCD risk. Mine just get a vitamin lick, add lib good quality hay/haylage all winter and that is it, and they have all done very well on it! I think there is a huge amount of pressure nowadays to feed hard feed as there is so much in the shops making people feel bad if they don't feed them!! - they really don't need it and are not designed to have such high protein and fat diets when they are growing so much! I would only feed a youngster if it had been ill, was very skinny or had bad worm damage, likewise my mares don't get fed except the last few months of gestation if they are due before the spring grass hits, if they are due later then good grass and a vitamin lick is all they need unless they are looking poor - which is not likely with mine as they are all fatties!!!
Good quality forage and vitamins are the most important things!!

 

[Monkers]

Thanks Alex, that's very sensible advice. I didn't feed the mare anything special until her last 3 months of gestation. It's been a bit tricky feeding her as she's really milky and the foal is growing at an alarming rate! I had to section off her field and cut back her stud cubes (she only gets about 1.5kgs per day anyway). She dropped off a bit so I had to increase her grass intake again, but I have to be carefull, if the foal's droppings go a bit runny I have to cut back. She's pregnant again, so I am keen to make sure I get it right as when I am feeding her, I am feeding three if you know what I mean!

My other small concern is that my hay is crap this year, like most people in the east, I had to cut it late and I only got 10% of my normal crop!

I might need to give him something? I definately want to keep up with the surelimb which is just a mineral and vit supplement. Maybe he should have a small amount of hard feed?

I have another question.....!

Is 4 months too young for him to be in a seperate box at night once they start coming in in the Autumn? He would be in with his mum in the field during the day. I am only considering it as he is so big, the box gets very mucky with two of them (six barrows out in the morning!) and his Mum is getting a bit fed up with him!

 

[carousel8703]

I feed mine Baileys stud balancer.
I gave the mare (A Good Doer) The recommended amount throughout her pregnancy and will continue to do this until weaning. It hasn't caused her to put weight on but will help to ensure she produces good quality milk.
The foal is now three months and is now starting to get his own small portion. This along with ok grass is usually enough but if the grass is poor i would add alfa.
I admit this is a very confusing issue as it is important to ensure they get the right type of good quality protein to support regular growth, without over loading and causing problems.

 

[Whizz105]

I don't feed mine anything, they are out 24/7.

I agree with Alex. We are brainwashed to believe we must feed foals, unless they are looking poor I wouldn't give hard feed.

With regards to separate stables at night, I have started to introduce this idea to the foal by putting the foal in her stable and having the mare tied up outside. For about 1/2 hour, enough time to groom them individually before turning back out.
Last weekend I then did the next step by lunging mare in school (which is in front of stable so still in view) so far this is going very well!! She goes off investigating stable and eats hay!

My foal is almost 5 months.

Hope that is helpful?

 

[joy]

As above. No feed, out 24/7 on 2 acres of untopped old ley. Mare aged 21 and strapping 7/8tb five month old filly foal, looking good.

 

[Tempi]

Nothing, good grass and hay if there is not enough grass during the harder months. I would never give a foal of mine hard feed, but thats just personal preference. I am way to paranoid about OCD, i like everything to be as natural as possible.

 

[mturnbull]

I read this with interest as I posted a similar thread in the 'new lounge' area about feeding a warmblood filly who will be weaned and with us in October. The answers I recieved seem to be varied about what people recommend but I will see how the filly gets on and if we need to give her hard feed or not.

I still have not found an answer to my second question which was, what the recommended average amounts of different nutritional values that foals should be recieving are? e.g calcium/iron/protien. Can anyone help with this?

 

[Monkers]

Thanks for the replies. I agree, I think I will hold off on the hard feed and just use my common sense I guess. I don't want him growing any faster than he is already.

As regards to the actual levels of calcium, Protein etc, I guess again this will vary a little with the stage of growth and the breed of horse, but don't forget, if you are feeding your mare correctly, he will receive the correct amounts from her milk.
I guess the only time we should "worry" is in say Jan/ feb when the foal is weaned, yet there is no grass. If the foal starts to drop off a bit I would consider feeding something then for a couple of months.

Thanks for the reply about the foal being in a seperate stall from his dam overnight. I'm not too worried about the seperation part as the stables are right next to each other and the partition between them is door height, so they will be very close. I was more worried about the foal not feeding off the dam all night at 4 months old. Is this ok? He will be with her in the paddock all day?

 

[Monkers]

Sorry, I just reread your post and realised that the filly will be coming to you in October, weaned. How old will she be then?

I don't really need to wean my colt until after Christmas at around 7 months old, but I may have to wean earlier as he is a big boy and "trying it on" with Mum already!!

 

[mturnbull]

Yeah shes still with the breeder and mum is looking fab and eating well so she be getting all the vital things just now

She will be about 5 and a half months old when we are estimating we will be getting her, it all depends on the weaning process as her last foal she had weaned itself at 5 months as her last foal was just getting fed up with being with mum and I think mum was getting as equally bored! We will just see how Lilly (thats the foal we are getting) copes with everything and play it by ear.

Yes, its such a difficult thought about feeding/not feeding and the more I read the more I worry about doing the right thing! Will just have to see how we get on I think!

 

[Alexart]

I wouldn't be separating them at 4 months old - you risk mastitis in the mare, as you are feeding her, not to mention she won't be too happy with a huuuge udder!, and the amount of milk will drop as the demand will be less, so I would either keep them in the same stable or leave out which is by far the best thing, plus foals gut bacteria are not adequate until they are 6 months old to deal with a non milk diet. I know it's a faff to muck out if you do keep them in as they poop for england, but it's only for a few months - you just have to think of all the calories you burn just shoveling 6 barrow loads of **** every day - who needs diets!!!!!
I wouldn't worry about there being no grass when you do wean later in the winter, they are designed to drop a good bit of weight at the end of winter as this is when they start to shoot upwards, the fastest at any point in their growth, so the less weight on growing joints the better, it won't hurt the mare to drop a bit either if she is a good doer as she will soon blob out again on spring grass, it's easier to put weight on than take it off!
You should be able to see the last few ribs at the end of winter on youngsters, and until their fourth winter when their growth slows down, and feel the rest, they should however not loose weight over their bum and either side of their spine - that should stay covered, if they start to loose weight in those areas then I would feed a little bit of hard feed and get some really good forage to add to their normal stuff if it isn't great, and keep up to date with your worming program.
I also wouldn't worry about your mare being back in foal for next year, as it will be later in the year as this foal was late, so all she needs are the vitamins and forage, as the growing fetus at this stage is tiny, so don't panic!!
I have a late foal that is only 2 months old and will be out all winter on mum with add lib fibre and a lick, he won't be getting any hard feed, or a rug as they have a barn to go in, neither will his mum, plus she is on a diet!! - they will do just fine and I aim for them to loose a good bit by spring as he's going to be a big tall boy!! If he starts getting randy mine will be separated with my 3yr old gelding, if old enough, as I might leave his nuts on for the mo to see if he is worth keeping entire, I have gelded them on the mare before if they have been little randy buggers and it was by far the easiest time to geld, I usually do them as yearlings but I would do it early again no problem - so worth considering doing it now rather than spring if you don't want an entire!!
Any pics of your foal?

 

[Monkers]

Thanks Alexart! Great advice. My foal was born mid May, so he wasn't born tooo late!
Here's a pic of him at about 6 weeks, I must take some more, he's dark bay almost all over now

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/picture.php?albumid=1895&pictureid=11510

Not sure I can cope with mucking them out all winter, but I am too soft to leave them out at night too! I will try and leave them out as long as I can.

Do you think there is any benefit to mare/ foal if you wean after 6 months? I'm not in any major hurry apart from the mucking out/ randy issue! Mare is due to foal mid May again.

Thanks again!

 

[dianchi]

Well as my mare is being puled down by my foal she is on 1kg of cupra, 1kg of grow and win plus chaff, as for foal she is on 500grams of grow and win.
Grow and win is from spillers, dont think they would suggest something that would give my foal OCD. I have no choice as the mare is not a good doer and was getting to the point of being rspca, she was trying so hard to do the foal well after not producing the biggest/well foal during pregnancy.
I have no worries about the foal and mum is now picking up sensibly.
This is how they looked a month ago-

Mare has now picked up
And foal looks like this today-

 

[Spring Feather]

Yes I feed my foals from around 4 months onwards. Mares milk peaks in goodness at around 2 months and by 4 months is of a far lesser quality than previously. The foal no longer gets all his necessary nutrients from the mare at this point which is why many breeders start to creep feed their foals so that their nutritional requirements are met. The foal's gut is fully functional to digest solids at this point.

If the mare has been rebred, as is the case with many breeders, then we will look to wean at around 6 months, sometimes earlier should the mare be dragged down by the suckling foal. Breeders will not want to compromise the health of the unborn foal and after 6 months the standing foal no longer gets the necessary nutrients from its mothers milk, hence a substitute should be offered.

By starting creep feeding whilst on the mother, the 4 month old foal will be all set up to deal with weaning at 6 months as it should already be eating creep feed well and providing weaning is done in a considerate manner then the foal need not lose any weight at weaning.

 

[MrVelvet]

if you go on the dodson and horrell website theres a form you can fill in and they work exactly what he should be getting and translate it into feeds for you they ring you back within a couple of days with results

 

[Ladylina83]

I fed my mare D&H Mare and youngstock for her last 3 months then for the 1st 5 months while feeding the foal - he also ate this from her bucket.

When I stopped feeding her to let her milk down ready for weaning he started to get some of the M&Y and sure grow. He dropped lots of weight after being weaned and the very cold winter so he got a hand full of soaked barley rings as well at the sure grow but is now just on sure grow and grass. He's not the biggest of foals and the quickest groth spurt he has had is maybe the last 2 months when getting better grass on a rested paddock.

He was a mid July foal so quite late and pretty much lived out 24/7 with the odd bad night in here and there, when they had to come in at nights I had the same problem as you and my mare was getting quite narky chasing him off the hay and managed to clip me in the shoulder with one of her hind feet ( I am 5'9 so figure she meant that kick) I moved him next door for a few hours at a time in the day so they could both get some space

 

[Rollin]

I feed Mare and Youngstock plus surelimb to mums and babies.

Decent sized foals who grow with lots of bone and substance. No evidence of OCD confirmed by x-ray.

Our first ever colt was approved for his stud book in France this year, one of 3 out 13 to be approved and an international panel of judges.

Some failed stallions did not meet height requirement or had problems with feet - at 3yo he was one of the youngest to ever be approved.

I think nutrition played a part in his success.

 

[Lgd]

I feed Winergy Equilibrium Growth to the mare from around 9 months of pregnancy (I feed the Senior version normally for the non-preggers girls). Foalie is allowed to pick from it when they are tall enough to reach the manger, although last year I had to give the colt a handful in his own little manger and stand guard over Mama as he was greeding far too much.

Sadly never really got that far this year as I lost the filly at 8 weeks old, so gutted about it as she is the best I've ever bred and had planned to keep her as she was Mum's last foal. Her Mum is back on the Senior now and looks fabulous - have just had a lameness work up on her and vets could not believe she is 22yo and had two foals in successive years.