Creep Feeding

[Little Bits]

I am wondering do you creep feed your foals? I have always creep feed our large horse foals. Do you do it the same way or is one way better than another as far as setting up a pen? Pic of how you do it would be great.

 

[Becky]

My foals eat with their dams starting at just a few days of age. I feed a Growth formula feed to mares and foals and the foals stay on that up through their second year. That works well here and the foals are used to that feed at weaning and generally just keep on eating.

 

[kaykay]

If I could set up a creep feeder I would for sure do it. I think foals that are creep fed look great and its much less hassle. We start separating ours from the dams once a day to feed on their own but I would love a creep feeder. Getitia has one

 

[DianeT]

We use a calf creep feeder and it works great for the foals. The foals go in and out all day getting their feed. We live in Ohio and purchased ours at Tractor Suppy Co.

 

[drmatthewtaylor]

Certainly creep feeding does improve the look of foals and improves their ability in the show ring. But, if you aren't going to show them as a baby or at all, then I would encourage not feeding a creep feed.

Many health issues in horses, especially smaller breeds, can be traced back to feeding too much, too early and creating fat deposits at a young age that produce endocrine problems later in life. Creep feeding should not be considered good normal management, rather consider it show prep.

Dr Taylor

 

[kaykay]

Dr Taylor

I normally so agree with what you post but not this time. I see so many underfed mini and pony foals that it isnt even funny. Then you see them again as yearlings and they are still underweight and in poor condition. To me these foals are at much higher risk of issues then ones that are well fed while they are growing.

Like I said we dont have a creep feeder but we do feed our foals well and they never get those huge bloated bellies, bad looking coats etc.

 

[drmatthewtaylor]

Dr Taylor

I normally so agree with what you post but not this time. I see so many underfed mini and pony foals that it isnt even funny. Then you see them again as yearlings and they are still underweight and in poor condition. To me these foals are at much higher risk of issues then ones that are well fed while they are growing.

Like I said we dont have a creep feeder but we do feed our foals well and they never get those huge bloated bellies, bad looking coats etc.

Well you should agree, I'm normally right. Although my wife doesn't agree.

It is a difficult concept to get your mind around, but healthy does not necessarily equal pretty and what we want to see in a show ring is not necessarily healthy. Another difficult concept for many is that when feeding a group of animals some need to be thin, some just right and some fat thus producing a good average. Most farms go to either one extreme or the other. Its OK, and frankly better for most prepubescent animals to be thin.

My guess is that poor foals are usually on farms with many other poor animals, that caretaker needs to be educated about the entire group, not a fix for an individual or small group (ie; just the young foals).

On this board there have been many more threads about founder, metabolic syndrome and cushing's disease (all having a feeding component) than under/malnourished horses. Feeding and housing animals poorly does occur, but the education needs to be on total husbandry issues, not quick 'fixes'.

Dr Taylor

 

[Riverrose28]

We don't use a creep feeder here, but when I notice the foal eating with Mom, I give them their own bowl, with a little feed in it, if they don't eat it all then Mom will finish it, but I also will give her a smidge less then usual. Nursing moms and foal are free fed hay only, limited grain, even if showing. No founder here and all horses are in good weight. not to skinny although I do have a couple of tubby's, but they could live on air and still be fat. One of my mares and foal where Reserve Champion mare and foal of current year, Eastern Regional AMHA in 2008, no special diet, just mare and foal and good hay and exercise.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

My foals are offered feed, separate to their dams, from 10 days on.

I do not like to see foals attempting to feed from their mothers buckets, as some mares, in fact most mares, are just too greedy to allow them to get anything worth having!

I also have a couple of mares that would quite happily eat their own foals rather than allow them to share.

So, mares are tied up, foals are loose and are offered a selection of feeds in an old sand tray, which is at about chest height on the foals, and made of thick polythene, so if they knock it over it cannot hurt them.

At around two to three weeks I start shutting the mares outside the round pen and feeding the foals inside.

Once they are tying up each foal has it's own, measured, feed, so I can record the amount each foal is eating.

I think it is very important to have foals, any foal, any breed, eating a good amount of feed by the time they are weaned, and this is the way I have done it for forty years. I have never over topped a foal.

You have to use your brain, of course, but I like to see my foals well made up and well fed.

Creep feeding can be dangerous for two reasons.

The first is that the biggest, most forward foal will, in all probablity, get most of the feed, while the smallest weakest foal (the one that needs the feed) will get pushed to one side.

The second is a little lighter veined- I used a creep for my first Miniature foals, 32 years ago, and came out to find Rabbits mother wedged into the creep. She had been able to get in but had then raised her head and could not work out how to get out!

She was nicknamed the "Limbo Dancer" from then on.

If however, you have only one foal, or two evenly matched foals, and the mares are not as evil as Kitty, I could see it working well.

You can get at least a couple of specially formulated for creeps, tiny pellets, for use in them.

 

[kaykay]

Well you should agree, I'm normally right. Although my wife doesn't agree.

LMBO!

On this board there have been many more threads about founder, metabolic syndrome and cushing's disease (all having a feeding component) than under/malnourished horses. Feeding and housing animals poorly does occur, but the education needs to be on total husbandry issues, not quick 'fixes'

The issue though is that most of these people have no idea their horses are underfed and will actually think they are fat (due to the bloated belly) and put them on a diet and then its a viscous circle. I also agree that "fat" minis is a bad thing too and have been pretty vocal about that on here (much to some peoples dismay) But I will say that in person going from farm to farm I see way more underfed minis than over fed. That myth of a handful of hay being enough is still out there.

I dont feed mine well just for the show ring, I just feed them well period.

Like anything moderation is the key and not going over board in either direction.

Also we all have to keep in mind that this is a huge board with people posting from all over the world, so you are always going to see what seems to be a higher incidence of everything (cushings, abortions, dead foals etc) simply because more people post when something goes wrong; then post when it all goes fine.

Kay

 

[whitney]

Perfect timing thanks for the post. I have my first miniature horse foal and was wondering the same exact thing experienced with big horse foals. The mare when I purchased her was WAY fat. She got nothing except good grass/alfalfa hay until the last month and 1/2 and then it was just a ration balancer. The foal is almost a month old he looks FANTASTIC about the healthiest foal I've ever had. But he is starting to push his maiden mom away from her food. (She's turned out to be the best little mom, tolerates that little hellyun to no end.) I think I'll just do as Doc says and let them share. Mom is finally starting to approach a healthy weight too.

Off subject but an observation of mine, I had never wormed the mare the day she foaled with zimecterin but did with this little mare and NO FOAL SCOURS. In big horses my foals had them EVERY TIME. I was wondering if everyone who uses this worming technique experiences the same results.