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pinck43

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Does anyone wean according to the farmers almanac? Weaning for August if from the 12-22. If so what is the reasoning for this? Thanks, dionne
 
Yes, I do. I am currently weaning 2 of my fillies. I started on the 12th for a couple of hours the first day, then I increase each day until a week later I'm ready for final, total separation.

I do think it makes a difference, especially for the mare. I've been doing it so long, I don't really remember exactly the reasoning. Maybe someone else knows why!

Rita
 
We just weaned 4 colts last month, no problems, no crying or yelling from either Moms or boys at all.

The reasoning behind it is the gravitational pull of the moon on the earth.
 
I usually wean by the Almanac too - the one I read though suggested the 19th & 29th of August. I have three I'm weaning next week on the 19th.
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Jan
 
I did for the first time this year.

It went great! No yelling or crying ...

a wee bit of comfort calling the first day and then nothing

and they are only a couple hundread feet from each other!

Plus the mare's dried up faster than I've ever seen before!!!
 
Does anyone have the dates for weaning in September? I don't want to wean mine til I'm back from Nationals....
 
I've always weaned according to the almanac....horses and cows both...except for one year when I let Hubby have his way...NEVER AGAIN!!! We had more screaming fits, fence jumping and a mare that NEVER dried up!!! My grandmother was raised back in the hills...1890 era...and she SWORE by the "signs" of the moon...wouldn't do anything unless the moon was "right", and I'm a firm believer also. She always said that if you wanted to quit anything associated with the mouth (smoking, weaning, etc.) to do it when the signs were in the feet, and vice versa. Mother Nature seems to revolve around the cycles of the moon. BTW, I also "plant" fence posts according to the signs and I haven't had any loose ones yet...hubby laughs and puts them in whenever and we are CONSTANTLY restretching his fence because of loose posts!
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I don't go by the website, I go by the book.

Each Zodiak sign (which is what it goes by) is assigned a different part of the body. To where "the blood" is in the body. The closer to the FEET the blood is, the easier it is to wean and geld!

Capricorn is "knees"

Aquarius is "Legs"

Pisces is FEET.

Each sign has several days. I'm weaning today.

Aug. 16 LEGS

Aug. 17 FEET

Aug. 18 FEET

Aug. 19th the blood goes back up to the HEAD and is NOT the time to wean until next month.

Lori, you will JUST make it if you pull the foals Sept 14 when you get home! And Sept 15 is the last day. You'll just make it!

'
 
ok so why is the website and the book have different dates ?/ That could be pretty confusing...
 
I don't know. Going by the chart in the book is what has worked for us for many years, so that's what I go by.

I say, ANY way that works is the way to go, no matter what is is. Healthy, happy foals and mares is what counts!

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I was just sharing the way we do it.
 
I'll likely only wean one filly right away when I get back from Nationals, because her dam has been sold. The new owner very kindly let me keep the mare a little longer so the filly would a little more time with her dam.
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The other foals I will do my customary gradual weaning, then separate them for good on the next good sign after that.

All five foals born this year-- all fillies-- are keepers.
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Isn't there more than one Farmer's Almanac out now? That could explain the differences in dates.

I haven't tried weaning by date but think I will this year. I was planning to wait until September but will be gone - poor babies if I wean them tomorrow!!! GAWD! Do I wait unilt October - lol!! The mares will be tired of those babies with teeth by then.

Good information ladies - thank you!
 
Yup I believe (think) there is the Farmer's Amanac and the Old Farmer's Almanac. I go by a chart in the book, The Old Farmers Almanac.

You going to wean them today Michelle? Today is a FEET day, the best time!!! Good luck!
 
We are weaning three fillies right now and didn't know we were doing so, according to the Almanac.

I dread the weaning process and this time it seemed to be less stressful than others, so I'll be watching the almanac in the future.

I have always weaned when I have two or more foals past the three month stage, then they have each other for company.

This makes these two fillies a few weeks older than the "just past three months" girl, but they settled down much better with company.

I don't wean at three months if the baby looks like it's not ready to leave Mum but I watch them spending more and more time away from Mum and when they are mostly playing with other foals and rarely around Mum, then that's the time.
 
I have a question about this also, do you gradually do it or take them away on a specific day and do not put them back together? I have a couple that's ready. Thanks in advance
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Well we are trying it by the almanac. Weaning 2, so will be interesting to see how they adjust. dionne
 
I don't go by the website, I go by the book.
Each Zodiak sign (which is what it goes by) is assigned a different part of the body. To where "the blood" is in the body. The closer to the FEET the blood is, the easier it is to wean and geld!

Capricorn is "knees"

Aquarius is "Legs"

Pisces is FEET.

Each sign has several days. I'm weaning today.

Aug. 16 LEGS

Aug. 17 FEET

Aug. 18 FEET

Aug. 19th the blood goes back up to the HEAD and is NOT the time to wean until next month.

I also go by the book and use this method. It WORKS, and I highly recommend it!
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Pam C.
 
We wean by the Almanac, and do it all at once. No need to prolong the agony. Just take moms out of the field. It also helps if you have a gelding that likes babies, or will at least tolerate them, in with the group before weaning, then leave him wih the babies as a grown up with confidence. As stated before, no yelling, no crying, and we weaned in July.
 

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