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Post by Michelle Clarke on Aug 30, 2008 21:37:58 GMT -5
It's about that time...! Thought maybe some can share how they do their weaning - what makes it easier on the mare and foal - what age and any other factors that come into play.
Each year here is different, depending on the group of mares and what ages the foals are. Usually I like to leave them with the mares until about 6-7 months old, but this year with the combination of the heat, having later foals and this particular herd of mares, we are having to wean earlier than I like.
Most times all the foals get weaned together and live together, turned out during the day with the yearling fillies, and in a big covered pen with access to a large outside pen at night. Last year, we had to put them in seperate stalls at night because some in the group were very rowdy or pushy with feed.
This year we did Lynns' two foals first, Zues and Cali for a few weeks together and at night they get to be with Momma and Dory when they come in from the pasture. Last night we added Nitro to the mix and Momma will stay in with them for a few days until he settles down, then we will put her out and wean Dory. The other 3 will be weaned late next month.
We may not be able to keep our whole herd together over the winter like we prefer too, as Hawk is kind of a bad boy - jumps fences to be in with older fillies/mares and is attempting to breed them..yes, at three months old! Little stinker...I may have to seperate the colts and fillies this year.
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Post by citykid on Aug 30, 2008 23:07:28 GMT -5
Its that hot "Latin/Spanish" blood - gets em goin early Michelle... tee hee!!!!! B.
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Post by dara on Aug 31, 2008 12:49:09 GMT -5
I dont have other babies to put my filly with when it comes time to wean so i was going to try just seperating them by a fence. I have read this is a easy way to do it. i have two paddocks side by side that both go into a run in shed. The baby will not be able to suckle from mom but thet can see each other and touch over the fence.
I have never done this before and some one told me that its a bad idea becouse the mare will still be droping milk if she can see the baby. Has anybody had success with this method. i t seems not very stressful for both,but i will separate if need be. What do you think?
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Post by Michelle Clarke on Aug 31, 2008 13:36:41 GMT -5
Dara, I have never heard of the mare keeping milk if she can still see the foal. The milk will dry up and quit being produced when it is not being utilized. You can help your mare dry up faster by taking most grain away. I quit giving alfalfa and just give a small amount of vits/mins with a small amount of dried pepperment leaves only (plus free choice grass hay or pasture). Cutting wau back on protein and fat will help alot. Also make sure the mare is moving so that bag does not get too tight and she gets too miserable. If she is not keeping it down on her own, maybe you can lunge her or move her around the pen or roundpen twice a day to speed things up....at least take her for a walk or two per day!
I know some folks have luck seperating the mare and foal (like in your situation with seperate paddocks), then put them together at night for a few days to help the mares milk production go down before complete cold turkey. Also helps a foal by itself settle down easier.
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Post by kimk on Aug 31, 2008 14:39:17 GMT -5
I know some folks have luck seperating the mare and foal (like in your situation with seperate paddocks), then put them together at night for a few days to help the mares milk production go down before complete cold turkey. Also helps a foal by itself settle down easier.[/quote]
This is what I do most of the time. I'll separate them during the day for about a week, then I'll separate them permanently but side by side like Dara describes. then after that is successful for awhile I'll take mom out of sight and into another pasture with her buddies and baby is on his own or with other buddies of his.
My mare Mariah is not doing well, and her bloodwork came back with abnormally high calcium and low phosphorus, as well as anemia. This could be from several different things, but we've pretty much ruled out diet.So I will be weaning her foal earlier than planned. Keep her in your prayers, guys that it isn't something as serious as cancer.
Kim
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Post by Michelle Clarke on Aug 31, 2008 21:16:17 GMT -5
Kim, so sorry to hear that...be thinking of you and Mariah and hoping things turn out okay. What is the next step in treatment or further diagnosis?
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Post by kimk on Sept 1, 2008 14:26:45 GMT -5
The next step is to re-check her blood for the calcium level in about 10 days, and try to collect urine to check kidney function. If the calcium level is still high and the kidney function is okay, then we check her thyroid. If that is okay, the we look into the possibility of cancer.
This is one horse I am emotionally attatched at the hip to, so it is hard to see her not well. She is 18 this year and I thought her weight loss was due to needing her teeth done, so we did that, but the vet did not think they were bad enough to begin with to warrant her weight loss. so we took blood. I amy put her on a thyroid supplement anyway, as I know that even though sometimes when the bloodwork comes out normal, it can help. Sure won't hurt.
Kim
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Post by DianneC on Sept 4, 2008 22:40:57 GMT -5
Gosh Kim, that's so scary. Is the supplement for too little or too much thyroid? I know our cat had too much thyroid and she got skinny and didn't want to eat. The extra blood pressure from that caused kidney trouble. Different animal of course, but maybe that's what it could be. She is such a cool mare, hope you find out what it is soon.
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Post by nrly on Sept 12, 2008 9:50:36 GMT -5
the foals born where I stable the owner of the stable made them wean their foals at 4 months, which I thought was a bit harsh.but I have not had foals so I do not know, however, what they did was put the foals where mom or foal could not see each other...and for about 2 days of calling they both stopped and all seems ok... My heart and thoughts and prayers are with you and your mare...
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Post by kimk on Sept 12, 2008 20:26:18 GMT -5
I had the vet out today to pull more blood for more tests. Hopefully will know more in 7 to 10 days.
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Post by nrly on Sept 13, 2008 3:42:30 GMT -5
I wish blood work did not take so long for horses animals and humans alike, the waiting can stress us out so bad...
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Post by fantasykiger on Sept 13, 2008 11:43:51 GMT -5
My mares and foals are a part of my herd of horses and then come weaning time I don't remove the foal from the herd, I remove the mare. Because my barn and the paddocks face part of the fence line, with a alley between, the foals can see the mare but have the comfort of the herd. I will keeo the mares there for a time until I notice the foals not really paying them no mind and the mares really do settle quickly. Then I move the mares to a front pasture out of sight until they dry up. I then put them back with the herd and cross my fingers the nursing does not commence...LOL.
kimk..I do hope for good results on the blood tests, as well as hope your mare gets better.
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Post by DianneC on Sept 14, 2008 9:45:48 GMT -5
Kim, do you think it could be ulcers?
I've pretty much let the mares wean on their own as we have just two big pastures across the road from each other. The mares get as upset as the foals in my experience and I don't want someone going over the fence and into the road. The upside is that we get more height when they stay together over the winter. The girls tend to wean much later than the boys. The boys get moved to a separate pasture at around 9 months or earlier though so no one gets bred by accident.
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Post by kimk on Sept 14, 2008 10:10:52 GMT -5
I don't think it is ulcers. Mariah began losing weight during her pregnancy...well...not really losing, but not holding it as well as normal. She was very finicky about food, which is also not normal for her. I kinda figured she was craving pickles and ice cream or something  I even tried buying her a nice orchard grass/alfalfa mix which I normally wouldn't feed, and she picked out all the orchard grass and left the alfalfa, which makes sense now, if her calcium level is high. Horses do instinctually know what isn't good for them, don't they? Waiting now on the bloodwork. The vet does seem to think there is a tumor somewhere.  |
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Post by dara on Sept 14, 2008 12:30:58 GMT -5
Kim i am so sorry hear that she is not improving it must be very hard to be going through this and the not knowing is really hard. I have has some wired stuff going on with my blm mare about two years ago and did bloodwork up the wazoo and never found nothing...vet agreed that something was off with her but he had no clue...he also said it was very odd since she was a mustang to have her be so ill. ( weight loss and not much of appitite) so, dont know this horse.. is she still prego??..or has she had the baby? other symptoms? |
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I even tried buying her a nice orchard grass/alfalfa mix which I normally wouldn't feed, and she picked out all the orchard grass and left the alfalfa, which makes sense now, if her calcium level is high. Horses do instinctually know what isn't good for them, don't they?