Prayers needed for foal

[scout]

I just got a call from the gentleman that I board with. His mare foal on monday night, and colicked this morning. To make a long story short, the mare had to be put down, and baby needs to be raised by humans.

I know that People here have bottle raised foals in the past, any help would be greatly welcomed. This is a full-size foal.

I am posting this, because the owner of the foal doesn't have a home computer. This topic will be printed and given to him.

 

[Vicky Texas]

I bottle raised a mini foal 3 years ago. It was work, but well worth the time.

I gave bottles of milk every 2 hours in the beginning, then we went to every 3 hours

after he was two weeks old. At a 2 months we put the milk in a small bucket for him,

and he had it when he wanted the milk.

I did see on the donkey's site on this formun, where someone took a Igloo and made a

milk spout for the baby donkey to drink from, It was really cool. I have the picture but

can't scan it. Maybe someone else here on the formun will remember it and have the picture.

They hung the igloo where the foal could reach it. It was really neat.

Others on here may have better advice. We used Buckeye milk replacer, but later learned

it was way to strong for our colt. I would Mare plus milk replacer. I used a baby bottle with the

drop in plastic container. Easy to feed to foal, and cut the nipple a little to get milk easier.

We also kept fresh water out for our baby. I raised him in our house, which was great for

late night feedings, but now he does not think he is a horse. He pick up more human traits then

horses, he did not have another horse to learn from. So if you can find a friend for your baby,

I would. He house broke him self, he would go to his stall for the bathroom, and now he will only

go in his stall, so he will hold till he is back in the stall in the barn, he does live in the barn now,

but against his wishes. He will only travel in the car to, not a horse trailer has major fits.

Oh just for reference, on my house foal, he thinks he is a little boy, and my baby.. He can say

yes and no by shaking his head. And he means it and understands what I am saying and talking

about. He knows where the refrigerator is, all my stuff animals, he loves to watch TV, and Mr. Ed

is his favorite. He gives great Kisses, Loves his smartie candy's and his Ice Tea With Lots of Sugar

Please.. He loves people and attention, but does not want to share with the horses. He trys to tell

them No, or yes, but they just don't get it. And I am planning for him to be my show horse. Oh he is

28 inches full grown mini.

Best wishes and if I can help let me know.

Vicky

 

[bevann]

I have a friend who foals out lots of horses(my Minis included).Last year she bottle raised a full size foal on Mare Plus which is a milk replacer for horses.She used the powdered kind and gave the foal a bottle every 2 hrs for many weeks.Every 24 hrs not just daylight.She also put the baby next to a big mare who liked her so she could have some horse companionship.It is not easy&the baby was often sick, but today is big and healthy.It is a labor of love.Good luck to your friend.

 

[Sunny]

Our own MaryLou had an orphan Standardbred colt a few years ago. Hopefully she'll come on and answer your questions. If I remember correctly, she started him on a bottle every few hours as described above, but I know that she eventually got him a nanny goat and she nursed the colt. He went on to be a successful race horse (but then died as a result of some freak accident).

Good luck to your friend's foal.

 

[Nickermaker]

Hi there,

I raised a full size orphan colt last summer. Lucas was born on July 5th and his mother, Remington, died on July 8th from a prolapsed uterus.

I assume since the foal was born Monday night and the mare was put down today that it did receive colostrum from the mare. Which is good.

When we found Remington Lucas was right beside her lying down. I know he thought she would be getting up soon to feed him. He yelled for her all night that first night. I was able to get to the vets to get some Foal Lac Milk Replacer (a powder) Some feedstores also sell it. That night I went out every hour to 2 hours as he refused to drink - I had a bottle and nipple the vet had given me. Needless to say he never did drink from this - what I finally did get him to drink from was a 2 qt grain bucket. He would lick it up and eventually he learned to suck it up and fast - I'd have to watch him closely as he would stick his nose in it to and I didn't want him to aspirate it. So when he would get to going to fast also I would take it away and give it back to him to slow him down.

The Foal Lac has very good instructions on it and this is what I followed. For the 1st 14 days i is 1 1/2 pints 8 times a day - every 3 hours. Then it gradually increases over time and you also add Foal Lac Milk Pellets plus grain. Just follow the instructions.

Lucas did develop a major diarhea - I got some meds from the vet and it cleared him up.

Needless to say - I still have Lucas and he is very tall and my baby still. I know he missed out on his sucking as he still will suck on my clothes or my fingers. People think he is trying to bite them - he isn't, he is trying to find something to suck on, on them. And I'm not quite sure how to break him of this since he isn't biting. But we are working on it!

If you have questions or concerns you can email or pm me and I will try to help. I am no vet by any means and this advise is just what we did and it worked for me. Good Luck and feel free to contact me if you need to.

 

[Getitia]

I'll bump this topic back up for you - we came close once to raising an orphan foal, however we had a mare who had just foaled and along with her foal, accepted the new foal.....That mare was worth her weight in gold.

 

[Miniv]

Last year our little guy, Jeffie, lost his mom when he was almost four weeks old.

And yes they need to feed the foal every two hours initially around the clock. They can pull back to 3 hours after a couple of weeks......the foal will show them how hungry he is by how much he takes from the baby bottle. We used the Mare's Milk Replacer like the other's did.

When Jeffie was about 6 weeks or so we also offered him the milk replacer in pellet form with a little bit of grain and hay. It wasn't a replacement for a bottle but it prepared him for growing up. At some point after 2 months old he started declining his bottle and eating more and more solids.

MA

 

[scout]

I just thought that I would update you lovely people on Charlie, the little colt. He refuses the bottle with a I'ma big boy look, and will only take his milk from a pan. He seem a lot stronger than I had thought he would be, as he did get much to eat yesterday.

Another mare in the barn foaled this morning, and Charlie got to nurse on her a bit. I don't know if she'll take him on or not, only time will tell. Regardless, the pan feeding will continue because we don't want to pull the mare down too much. The mare's little filly is going to be named Dixie, after Charlie's mama.

Thank you all for your encouragement.