4 1/2 month old hates grain

[lilnickers]

We have anywhere from 2-4 foals born each Spring for the past 7 years and this year is the first time I have had a foal that just plain doesn't have any interest in grain, including sweet feed

Has anyone else had this happen? She is now almost 5 months old and ready to be weaned. Will she be okay with only grass and hay? Our hay is of high quality. The second cutting even has alfalfa and clover mixed in it.

I included 2 pictures below that shows she is doing okay at this point with only hay and mama's milk.

 

[Minimor]

How many kind of grain have you tried? I've had a foal here & there that simply didn't like the grain everyone else was getting and so I experiment with a few different kinds. Each one did finally find a grain he liked and then we were all good.

If it were me I would probably wait a little longer to wean--I do like the weanlings to have grain, especially when they are under 6 months old. They do well on hay (&/or grass) and mama's milk, but when you take away that milk & baby won't eat grain he/she is almost certain to drop some weight. After 6 months they will fare a little better if they won't eat grain, especially if they're getting some alfalfa, but it's also possible that in another month or two your foal will be more interested in eating grain. Or in that extra time you might come across another grain that your foal will go for.

 

[stormy]

Babies not eating grain but eating hay and grass can be a sign of ulcers, would watch for other signs before weaning like playing in the water...laying on there back, etc.

 

[targetsmom]

I too would suspect ulcers, because not eating grain is one of the key signs. For a foal, I would suggest a product called Stomach Soother (Google it), which should help the appetite no matter what the cause. You might also try soaked alfalfa cubes - with a little Stomach Soother - and try mixing in different types of grain. If it IS an ulcer, you want to avoid sweet feeds, as those will only make an ulcer worse. Maybe that's what she is trying to tell you???

 

[lilnickers]

Minimor: I think I will try another grain first,good suggestion. I also should try apples and carrots just to see if she likes anything else.

Stormy and TargetsMom: I never thought about ulcers, as I have never had a horse with them. I sure hope that isn't it.Thank you for the heads up on this,I will put off weaning her, till I figure this out.

She is a happy filly and acts like a normal foal should....just turns her nose up at the sweet feed and starts munching hay.

I just love this forum for info and help, you all are so supportive and ready to help others. It's great to be a part of the team

 

[chandab]

She is a happy filly and acts like a normal foal should....just turns her nose up at the sweet feed and starts munching hay.

I would definitely check out the possibility of ulcers, but also try something other than sweet feed, perhaps something like Purina Equine Jr. Do you have other feeds available (in your feed room) that aren't sweet feeds, even if they aren't foal feeds just to try them on her and see what taste, texture she likes? If you find one she likes, then you could buy a similar feed in a growth formula.

 

[targetsmom]

The reason I suggested the soaked alfalfa cubes is that when Max wouldn't eat grain he would happily eat the alfalfa cubes, which I fed at the same time as everyone else's grain. The calcium in the alfalfa is good for ulcers (think Tums) and the protein is good for growing foals, so you are ahead in lots of ways. If she eats the cubes, you can start adding grain gradually, but I would avoid the sweet feeds.

We have a fussy eater (I don't think it is ulcers, but she is also on U-Gard just in case) that is getting mostly soaked alfalfa cubes with just a bit of grain and plain (no molasses) soaked beet pulp. She clearly prefers the alfalfa cubes and beet pulp to the grain - and I tried 3 different kinds!

 

[lilnickers]

I am going to try the soaked alfalfa cubes. When you say, other than sweet feed, do you mean pellet form or straight oats?

Sorry for my ignorance, but I have never had even one picky eater(just lucky, I guess!) at any age. They all get sweet feed grain,good hay, salt and water daily. This is a new issue for me

 

[chandab]

I am going to try the soaked alfalfa cubes. When you say, other than sweet feed, do you mean pellet form or straight oats?

Sorry for my ignorance, but I have never had even one picky eater(just lucky, I guess!) at any age. They all get sweet feed grain,good hay, salt and water daily. This is a new issue for me

Try both pellets and straight oats, see what she likes. If you have to go out and buy a pelleted feed, then I'd choose something like Purina's Equine Jr, as it would be what she needs. And if she were to like straight oats, then you could always add a supplement to it, like Colt Grow. [if she likes the alfalfa cubes, then you could always add something like Colt Grow to those.]

 

[targetsmom]

Sweet feeds have molasses added and it is the sugar that is hard on ulcers. Well the sugars are not good in general, just like for people! But the feed has to be palatable or horses won't eat it. Another thing to try to make feed more palatable (works for people too!) is to add fat, such as oil or sunflower seeds.