Foal Response

[minifarmgirl]

Does anyone use "Foal Response" for their foals? If so, what dose do you use? The manufacturer's web site says to use 1/4 dose for a mini. I bought some to have in my foaling kit, but I'm not sure if I should even bother with it since I've not heard any mention of it on this site. This will be my first foal and I don't want to make any mistakes if I can help it. Thanks in advance for any input.

 

[Miniv]

What IS it? Is it a colostrum replacer??? If so, then the 1/4 dose for a mini sounds accurate, but I would still have your vet involved.

MA

 

[DebiM]

Brandi,

I keep it in my foal bag as well. I used it twice last year after a prolong birth when the foal seemed a bit overly tired. I give 1/5 of the tube just as a Boost.

Mary Ann, this is what it has in it:



Foal Response is a colostrum paste supplement containing live (viable) direct-fed microbials, dried bovine colostrum plus essential nutrients normally found in a healthy mare's colostrum. Ideal for immediate foal care when birth is delayed or premature, access to mare's colostrum is limited or when extra support is needed. Also excellent for older foals and weanlings

Debi

 

[DunPainted]

GREAT STUFF !!

Last year, a mare foaled but had terrible contractions thereafter. Poor foal, couldn't get to the spiggot for nearly three hours. Thank God for Foal Response. When mama was finally able to get on her feet, the little colt had enough energy to get the real meal.

 

[Dona]

I've used it before too, when a foal seems a little "slow" to nurse. Wonderful stuff to have on hand!

:

 

[Miniv]

We have seen some different colostrum replacers available in catalogs and have considered trying them, but have wondered if any of them are truly as good as getting "horse colostrum"...... Does anyone know if there is anything THAT good?

MA

 

[virginia]

I don't think anything is as good as Mares Milk, but if you don't have it, it Foal Response is a good alternate.

Ginny StP

 

[Kim~Crayonboxminiatures]

I used to keep "Minigam" on hand for every foaling, it was freeze dried mares colostrum, from a hyperimmunized herd of mares. But it is no longer on the market.

I do have some of this paste on hand, but I also have frozen colostrum from previous year to use if a foal really needs the colostrum. This paste is bovine colostrum, so the foal will get little to no antibodies from the paste. It will however boost their blood sugar, etc so is a good boost supplement, but not as a colostrum replacement, IMO, but I'm not a vet.

 

[horsehug]

I also freeze some colostrum from some of my mares each year to have on hand.

One year several years ago we saved a friend's POA foal whose mom rejected her with our mini colostrum.

Susan O.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

I freeze mares colostrum but, unless you know your are going to need it it can take as long to defreeze as the foal will take to nurse!! I always milk the mare off and bottle feed the foal anyway. Then I know exactly what the foal has had. Bovine colostrum is of little or no use to the foal, the other ingredients may well be but PLEASE do not rely on this stuff to replace an IgG test in a difficult foaling or late nursing. An animal need the colostrum and antibodies of it's own species.

 

[minifarmgirl]

Wow!

You guys are great! Thanks for the very helpful info. Now I feel much better about having some in my foaling kit. Do you usualy give just the one 1/5th of a dose and that's it, or do you continue giving it every few hours till the tube is empty? Or does that just depend on when he or she starts nursing? Also, how soon after birth do you give it? OK, that's it....sorry for the flood of questions.

 

[Little Wee Horse Farm]

Kim of Crayonbox says it's a blood sugar booster, so I guess it's essentially the same as my own vet's remedy for a "sleepy" foal. He said give a mini foal a teaspoon of sugar. Worked for us. Much cheaper, I'm sure.

I'm not putting the product down since we've never used it. I'm just stating that the plain old kitchen white sugar worked for us. We had a sleepy foal & gave it a total of about 3 teaspoons over 24 hours. Vet also said, once the foal starts nursing well, if it's still sleepy -- let it sleep! Yep, that works too.

If the blood sugar level is what's being helped, I'd caution not to believe it's actually a colosturum replacement, that's all. I'm no expert & we've only had one sleepy foal out of many here.

 

[DebiM]

Right, Jane. I'd never use this as a colostrum replacement if the IgG levels were low. I keep it on hand for foals that just seem to need a little boost after birth. It's worked real well and one tube last me a whole foaling season.