Belly on a weanling

[MountainMeadows]

I know this one will bring on a lot of negative comments -- but I am wearing my flame-proof panties today soooo -- I would add in 1/4 cup Calf Manna and at least 1 cup of "foal type" of grain both AM & PM -- just something about Calf Manna that really seems to help keep those "baby bellies" from forming.

OK - running off to turn on the hose!

 

[BlueStar]

No flames from me...LOL Our mares get calf manna 30 days prior to foaling and typically till weaning and then the foals get it and Purina Eq Jr and beet pulp, and vitamins and good quality hay and alfalfa plus pasture.....whew. We don't typically get pot bellies on the foals we raise but go one this year on the one weanling we bought. He was weaned too early and not getting enough groceries, so we are doing all we can to get him back on track.

 

[kaykay]

No flames here stacy!! I always feed all weanlings Purina Equine Jr. I had one this year though that still bloated so I added a little calf manna and that seemed to do the trick

IMO weanlings just cant be on a hay/pasture only diet and get enough nutrition. And that is what causes the swollen belly. Its either a lack of protein or a lack of fat or both.

In a perfect world we could all creep feed them but I know many cant. I feed mine 3 times per day and they get really all the equine jr they want.

 

[muffntuf]

I use a 19% protein pelleted feed, I don't remember the fat content. I have good hay, tested out at above 16% protein. I haven't had any of my babies with bellies. I did acquire a filly a year ago that was still on momma, but she had a horrible belly. Took me almost a year to get rid of it.

Good luck!

 

[Minimor]

Calf manna is a great suggestion too. We used to always use Calf Manna, but then it became almost impossible to get here. Our feed store does now stock it, but after getting away from using it for a few years I haven't gone back to it now that it's available here. I'm getting such good results from the Frontrunner pellets that I haven't felt the Calf Manna is necessary.

 

[luv2ridesaddleseat]

MountainMeadows, do you add the 1/4 cup of Calf Manna once per day or twice per day? I bought a weanling colt recently that is a mess, and I'm trying to figure out the right thing to do for him.

Thanks!

Joyce

 

[MountainMeadows]

Joyce,

I would go 2X per day. In addition if your little guy is "potty", I would de-worm with Strongid weekly for 3 weeks, then switch to Ivermectin 2 weeks later, wait another 2 weeks and then EquiMax - then back to Strongid 4 weeks later & from that point on rotate as usual. Sometimes these little guys have a load of parasites that are really hard to get rid of and monthly de-worming just doesn't do it. You probably won't have a really frisky, good weighted foal for around 3 months if he is really "potty" - it just takes that much time for them to catch up - especially as weanlings when they are growing so fast.

Goood luck - I am sure that all will be fine.

Stacy

 

[luv2ridesaddleseat]

Thank you so much Stacy! My boy looks horrible. He was previously fed a "low carb" grain. This is my first weanling and I'm trying to figure this stuff out. He is so quiet and has no energy. I just want to do whats best for him.

Thanks again for your help!

Joyce

 

[minisch]

I have to agree that this weanling should also be on a grain diet.

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

Just a quick update for those of you who were kind enough to comment on this and offer suggestions. I started Dyna on 'phase 1' foal grain and since my feed store people just gave me a blank look when I asked for Probiotics I picked up some brewers yeast and went to the drug store and found some acidophilus plus capsules (a combination of live bacteria) I empty the caps onto the grain and top it with a small amount of the brewers yeast 2x daily. I'm not absolutely sure whether its the grain or the yeast/bacteria that is responsible but ..... the basket ball has been deflated (it has only been 10 days since she started on the new feed) She is not perfect but the improvement has been so dramatic I just had to share. If it would stop raining (still beats snow tho) I'd get a picture of her (altho I don't have a before pic anyway so you would have to take my word for the improvement regardless

) So Thank You all again!

 

[maplegum]

That's wonderful news!