What to feed the pregnant mare when you haven't got stud cubes/mixes?

[PapaFrita]

PF is 6 mths pregnant. She's on alfalfa, oats, a double handful of sunflower seeds a day and lots of carrots and yams as she's getting a bit fussy with her food and tends to leave her oats. Sooo, anything else I can feed her? We don't have hay here, as it doesn't rain, so that's unfortunately not possible.

 

[the watcher]

As she gets towards the end it is the calcium intake that becomes quite important - so I guess you would need the check the small print on whatever proprietary feeds are available to find the most suitable. What does everybody else feed expectant mares there?

 

[Shilasdair]

In the first two thirds of pregnancy, I believe you can feed them pretty normally.
After that they need a higher level of nutrition.
Agree with Mother_Hen - ask the studs what they feed...it's hard for us to all make suggestions when we don't know what's available.
S

 

[PapaFrita]

So upping the alfalfa would make sense? My YO breeds but his mares are out in 'pasture' and have to sort themselves out... no thought goes into what they eat at all!! And they look pretty manky.
PF gets gassy colic from cubes. The ones here are full of bone meal and crap like that!!

 

[PapaFrita]

Well, I asked my uncle and he said to give her 2% of her body weight in alfalfa and increase the protein I'm feeding ... a bit vague really...
I suppose I could ask again

 

[the watcher]

alfalfa is good, as is sugarbeet if you can get it there, try not to increase grains too much if you want to keep the balance right, you can always add condition with oil

 

[PapaFrita]

Nope, can't get sugar beet or even swedes...
I'm definitely going to try and keep the grain down and up the forage/succulents...

 

[CrazyMare]

I was advised to up the Alfalfa beacuse of its calcium content. Its not much help but I fed it alongside a normal balancer (TopSpec). So mine was pretty much the same as before except twice as much Alfalfa.

 

[PapaFrita]

That does help, thanks

 

[Spyda]

I'm another who'd suggest Alfalfa and a comprehensive feed balancer. I've used that combo before with no ill effects and very nice foals at the end of it. Good luck.