At what age do you usually wean?

[Dandy]

At what age do you usually wean your foals? Is 3 1/2 months too early? I have a colt who is eating really good and doesn't seem to nurse that much anymore.

 

[Sandy S.]

I start weaning at 4 months.

Of course I have one special girl that Mom will not let go of, she knows she is special and she just turned one year old on the 9th and still nursing. Mom freaks out if we try to separate so I guess I will let mom decide as long as it is in the next 6 months or so and mom stays healthy. Mom is an easy keeper and gains weight real real easy and it is not pulling her down at all to have her still nursing.

 

[Range]

I wean at 4 months. You can wean as early as 3 months as long as the baby is eating grain and hay consistently. At three months, mama's milk isn't very nutritious anymore and nursing is mostly for comfort. I feel it's okay for them to continue to have that comfort until 4 months! There have been studies, can't remember the website, that show that babies who are weaned at three months and given good grain are healthier than babies weaned later....

 

[lvponies]

I usually wean at 3 months if the baby is eating well.

 

[kaykay]

we dont wean until 5-6 months unless the mare is being drug down by the foal. Just my opinion but i think 3 months is way too young. We have noticed that foals weaned that young usually get the big weanling pot bellies. When we wean at 5-6 months they never get that and seem to stay at a better weight then the ones weaned young. We are just never in a hurry to wean. I have also known people that bought weanlings at 3 months and they are a mess. Way too much stress to wean and foal and then move it. Dont flame me its just my opinion!! We are waiting on our weanling and the breeder and i both agreed he would not be weaned until at least 4 months. I want him to have the best possible start and as badly as i want him here with me i can be patient

 

[bob r]

we just had our 22nd foal last night and we have weaned over 200 foals at 3 mo. old and it always works for us. if they are put on the correct diet , they don't get pot bellies, we wean them and quite often start showing them a week or so later.

we have found it's better to wean 2 at a time if possible.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

Sorry, have to disagree. Physical health is NOT my priority when weaning, although it is obviously VERY important. I worry more about the poor mares state of mind. I wean at around four- five months and I have no problems with the mares mental health then!!

 

[ThreeCFarm]

We wean at 4 months, as long as the baby is healthy and eating well, and not too dependent on mom.

 

[kaykay]

bob i realize alot of breeders do this but man i just cant think that is a good thing. I truly believe they need time to be a baby and learn from their dam. Nursing is much more then just getting nutrition. Their mothers are their first teachers on what is acceptable horse behavior. Like Rabbit i dont think a 3 month old foal is mentally ready to be seperated from its dam. Then again i dont show foals either. I just let them be babies.

I guess its like everything in life you have to do what you feel comfortable with and what you think is the best for your horse.

 

[Lauralee]

I usually wean in pairs or triplets, at around 3 to 4 months.

Never had any problems with this method. My foals get ample Equine Junior while nursing and they stay on it for at least a year afterwards. They look great! And so do the mares!

 

[Miniv]

4 months up to 6 months. The mares and foals tell us. We also wean with the buddy system.

MA

 

[walter]

I wean at 3 months also. Sometimes waiting to wean two at a time one will be 4 or more months, but try to do it at 3 mo. Mine are also eating equine junior or omalene three hundred by then very well and also get wormed monthly until at least a year old. They sure seem to look good and feel good to me. I do also wean by the almanac.

Clara

 

[New_Image]

I always read wean from 4-6 months old. I plan to start weaning Image when he is 5 months old I think.

 

[minih]

I like to wean at 5-6 months also, one time we had a colt that was the only baby that year I think we left him in with mom until he was 7-8 months.

I just couldn't put him in with the others by himself too early. He made friends with another mare and she went in with him to be weaned. Ever since we have had several to wean together, and in they go with varying ages from 5-6 months.

I'm with KayKay, I'm never in a hurry to wean unless I had one that was pulling the mare down. Hasn't really happened yet, all of my mares are filled out nice, I don't really have a hard keeper.