foal feed question

[angilou]

My filly is 7 weeks old and she drinks her milk from a bucket not from mama, she's been nibbling on hay and a little grass in the pasture. When I feed the big minis grain she stays away from them, and hangs out around the alpaca. But this morning she went and ate some of the alpaca's grain. Do you think she's to young to be eating grain? When do foals usually start nibbling on grain, I thought it would be when she was a lot older.

 

[minifreishorsefarm]

My girl will be 2 months old on Sunday. She has been sharing mama's grain for quite some time now.

 

[angilou]

Thanks for the input, I feel better now, I went to work worrying that she'd be sick when I got home.

 

[Loess Hills]

We have a little "creep" feeder in the foaling stall for the foals. There is a bar where the foal can get under, but Mom can't. At about ten days old we start putting a few grains of pelletized feed (Progressive Grass Balancer) in the bowl for the foal. The pellets break down easily and are digestible. They love going in their little corner of the stall, sometimes just to play, and others to nuzzle the grain. By about a month of age, they are eating a few grains, and by six weeks eating some every day, along with grass in the pasture, and a tiny bit of hay. By three-four months of age they clean up their little bowl, perhaps up to 1-2 cups per day. They also use the water bucket in the stall because it is positioned low. We never have any trouble weaning, because they are already eating and growing well.

 

If you will check, your filly has teeth by now, and knows how to use them! So they are ready for independent eating........not just mother's milk.

 

[angilou]

They grow up so fast....sniff, sniff.

 

 

[chandab]

Last year's mini filly was a little slow to start on feed, but the APHA filly I raised several years ago was a real chow hound (her dam was a little short on milk) and started in on creep feed at 6 days old, and ate fairly significant amounts by 2 weeks old. She grew up nice and strong.

 

[Miniv]

Actually, I'd be encouraging your foal to be eating the grain.....

We allow our foals to share in their mom's grain from day one! It's how they learn.

 

[txminipinto]

Foals instinctively start mimicing mom around day 3. She should have free choice to grain at this age. What type of grain is the alpaca eatting? Make sure your foal is getting access to horse grain and not ruminant grain.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

Any foal I bucket raise is almost weaned by the time it is your foals age. If I were you I would be getting in some foal feed pretty darn quick!!

Milk alone is just not enough for a foal, and I am not sure the Alpaca feed is a good idea, I would keep her away from that.

Mine are started at ten days, just offered feed in a child's sandtray (it's the right height!) whilst their Mamas are tied up.

By the time they are a month old they are eating proper feeds and coming in on their own for them.

 

[Charlotte]

We start feeding our mares from big pans on the floor of the stall when baby is about 24 hours old. They quickly become curious and start nibbling on what mom is eating. At about a week old we put a little pan in there too so baby can nibble without competing with mom. As weaning time approaches we begin adding a little of whatever we plan to feed the weanlings on so that they are used to it and eating well at weaning time.

Foals may not digest well the grain and hay products you would feed a mature horse so you will probably want your babies on a feed that is appropriate for their age. We continue this sometimes into their second year. (it depends on how each individual is doing)

Charlotte

 

[angilou]

oh wow, i didn't realize they started on grain so fast! Well Chloe ended up at the vet this morning, she had some sort of spell that looked like a seizure, I was so freaked out and stuck her in the SUV and ran straight to the vet. Her blood work came back all normal accept for potassium levels. He thinks she's not getting enough milk so suggested to switch to milk pellets mixed with feed. He also gave her some meds that I need to give her once a day. She's alright now, but laying down a lot more than usual, but it's also like 95 here with 10000% humidity. Shaving her this evening if she's seems up to it, and keeping a close eye on her today. thanks for the input on the grain issue, guess I should have asked about that earlier.

 

[Matt73]

My foals (none right now) eat Buckeye Foal Starter (milk based) pellets from about day two or three

There are lots of great books out there on foal nutrition

Edited...Ooops didn't see your last post. Hope your filly is okay...