How much weight should foals gain/.

[DancinWithDiamonds]

My orphan filly is thriving. She is drinking goat's milk from a bowl 4 times per day, and eating her grain and hay, and of course drinking water.

My vet has suggested that we weigh her weekly so we can adjust her milk consumption. They want her to continue on milk until she is 5-6 months old. Obviously, after 3 months of age the amount goes down, but apparently we judge this by weight. I can't seem to find much information on how much weight she should be gaining....

Right now, at 5 weeks of age, she is 24.5" tall and weighs exactly 40lbs.

I would appreciate any wisdom on the subject!

 

Keeping her on milk for 5-6 months is quite the endeavor. I know here, I usually weaned at around 4 months, but I know some people go on to 5-6 months. I've found many of my mares had actually weaned their own babies before I decided to separate and wean at 4 months.

I'm not sure about the weight, but I know someone will chime in.

Congratulations on her doing so well. You've done an awesome job to have her growing so well and making the adjustment to her bowl feedings. I hope you will post a picture or two of her. We'd love to see her!

 

[chandab]

This might sound a bit snide, but is your vet selling you the milk replacer? 5-6 months on liquid milk replacer is very expensive and time consuming. Most of what I've read, has said a good milk replacer pellet is a good choice starting at about a month old. Of course, along with that she needs to be drinking enough fresh, clean water; and getting a good foal ration. [Ok, just read again, and see you have her on goat's milk. Are you buying it or do you have a milk goat to provide it? Buying milk gets expensive and/or milking a goat gets time consuming.]

Check out the Progressive Nutrition website, they have a good library there with articles on caring for an orphan foal, granted they do recommend their products, but still a good read.

 

[amysue]

I am not 100% sure on the actual weight gain as every foal is different. I do know that your filly should be eating approx 1% of her actual body weight daily (divided into atleast 3 feedings). After weaning her off of milk (4-6mos of age) she needs about 2 1/2% of her body weight daily. Get a weight tape for minis (full size horse tapes aren't always accurate for minis) get her weight and calculate 1% of that to figure out how much she needs a day. Even though she was orphaned, it sounds like youvare doing an amazing job feeding her, so im sure she'll grow and develop just fine. Watch her condition, if she appears thin or dull then she is lacking nutrition, but if feeding a complete foal grower ration and good quality hay, that should not be an issue.

 

[DancinWithDiamonds]

Thanks everyone.

We had zero success with milk replacer, and she was not a fan of the pellets either. She will only drink goat's milk from the goat I bought for her (non horse people think I've lost my marbles). Once we established milking and bucket feeding, we've now gotten to a point where I have to buy extra goat's milk for her. I pay $20 for approx 10L which should last me about 10 days. She will not drink store bought goats milk, so that goodness I found a local farmer willing to sell me fresh raw. My friend's 14 year old daughter wants to get into milking goats, so she milks the goat and gives me the milk in exchange for goat ownership once baby is weaned.

I was hoping to wean her around 4 months of age. That brings us to the end of September. However, I am 'in foal' myself and due in October. I've decided I will board her at my friend's place from mid-Sept and then we will wean her once she settles in. What do I remove first, her milk, or her buddy? She shares a stall with a very quiet coming yearling filly.

We haven't done much changing to her grain ration yet. She is still eating the same grain she shared with her mom. Now that we've got a bit of consistancy back, we will establish her on something more apprpriate. Her dam was just on an vitamin/mineral pellet.

 

[bevann]

When you decide to wean her take away the milk -definitely not the buddy.She will need a companion if she is not part of a herd.I have had foals who were weaned at 2 months due to illness of the dam-she did just great.Most foals are eating grain and grazing or eating hay by the time they are a few weeks old.the nipple is more of a security issue after they reach 3 or 4 months old JMO and after raising numerous foals over a 20 yr period.

 

[Tab]

Just as AmySue has said every foal is different. My mares milk like holsteins and this colt (Guy) has put on around 20# in his first month of life. He hasn't gotten much taller but he has filled out tremendously.

 

If you are moving her to your friend's home, please take her buddy with her during the weaning period. There shouldn't be any big problems getting her off the milk, and I would suggest a good mare/foal feed (Purina Omoelen 300 is one) and start moving her on to that for her grain.

I'd leave her buddy with her, to help keep down the stress of the move and weaning. Once she is weaned, which shouldn't take but a few days, she will be ready to come home with her buddy. I recommend doing "creep feeding" with weanlings....that means they have grain in front of them at all times, so they can nibble to their heart's content -- and they don't become "hungry" or wolf down food when it's given. They will not overeat, they will nibble like children, and it's much easier for you just to put down food and let her eat whenever the mood strikes her.

I do creep feeding until they are yearlings, then start with the 2-3 times a day feedings, when their tummies are bigger and their meals can be larger. It's important to make sure she has a good hay (I recommend Alfalfa for the protein content and the fact that it's a tummy soother) and just let her nibble that as well.

Best of luck with this little one.....and YOUR foal!