Question on weaning in winter

[Songcatcher]

Here is my situation. I have a foal born July 21, who is now near 5 months old. This was not the time I had planned this foal for, but things didn't go according to my plans. She is eating well, separately from her mother (creep feed situation where she and another filly can eat separately from the mares). She has a buddy, just 3 months older than her. Her mother is in good flesh and is NOT bred back. I know the foal is old enough to wean and is eating well enough to wean, but I am concerned about the time of year. According to the almanac, it is time to wean this weekend.

I am in southeast Oklahoma and our winters are generally mild, compared to other parts of the country, but still chilly and unpleasant. Horses are pastured 24/7, but have access to entering the barn/shed whenever they want.

I just would like to hear others thoughts on weaning in the winter.

 

[Maple Hollow Farm]

I personally dont wean by the almanac , the one time I actually did (not intentionally) that foal was the worst about being weaned. Anyways I worry more about the weather when I wean, in the winter you are better off to wean on one of the days that it is a little nicer out so that it is less stressful than when it is really nasty cold. Its just like in the summer you try to wean on the cooler days instead of the really hot and humid ones. Hope this helps

 

[REO]

I always wean by the Almanac and I'm weaning my last colt tomorrow. He's 5 months old and his mom needs him off of her so she'll go through Winter in good shape. (she's fine now, but is older) He is in a pen with his mom and 3 other weaned foals. They're all buddies. The only difference is, his mom will be in the next pen to him. Right now when it rains, she keeps the shelter for herself and her kid. But with her gone, they can all have the shelter for the Winter.

So for me, it's my plan.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

I wean late foals earlier than I wean summer foals, as I feel the grass is going and therefore so is the goodness in the milk. I weaned my two July 31st foals two weeks ago, very, very gradually, they were weaned over two weeks spending longer and longer in sight of, but away from, their dams.

I wean according to the mare and foal, not by any book, although I know a lot of my colonial cousins use this "almanac" we do not have it, or an equivalent, so I have to rely on...well, me, really

Both foals came away without any fuss. The filly was the more nervy of the two, and she called a bit, but her dam, who had wandered off the graze, never answered. They are fat and furry and very independent now, not to mention spoiled! (Rotten)

I would go ahead and do it, they are plenty old enough.

Personally, I prefer gradual weaning but, in the end, it gets the same result!

 

[Becky]

I've weaned foals all times of year and never had any more trouble with one season than another. Having a buddy or two to wean with really helps.

 

[Eagle]

I have one foal left to wean, he was born on may 27th. He has been in his stable alone but next to mummy at night for about 3 weeks now. He runs to mum in the morning for breakfast but that is about all she will give him now. He wanders around all day playing with the dog as he has no other foals to play with. I have his brother coming to board in the spring as soon as the snow melts so he will have to put up with the dog until then. He hasn't lost any weight and isn't at all bothered about being alone at night as he can touch noses with mum.

Good luck

 

[Katiean]

I go by the maturity of the foal for weaning. I have two pens next to each other. It is a welded wire fence so baby can not stick their head through the fence for a snack. Mom is in one pen and baby in the other. Once mom is dried up I let them back together.

 

[Matt73]

I wouldn't worry about the time of year at all. I don't go by the almanac for anything at all. I thought it was a "just for fun" kind of manual (sorry). I weaned my last stinker in December. Very very easy process for all involved. Briar had a nice thick coat, so the weather wasn't an issue. I just stalled her next to mom. They went out separately for a few weeks. When I put them back out together, she showed zero interest in nursing

I'm sure it's not always that easy, but I guess I got lucky with her.

 

[kaykay]

Our only two foals this year were born in July (dont ask LOL)

They are now weaned and doing great. I did ponder weaning them in spring but they were pulling their dams down too much. Both have adjusted fine and look great but we feed a good pelleted feed and they were on that before they were weaned. I think that helps a lot. We also always feed them separate from their dams 1 time per day starting at about 1 month old. That also helps I think

Kay

 

[mdegner]

I am in a similar predicament. Our last little guy was born on Aug. 24th and we wanted to wean him this weekend. He is plenty independent and we swear by almanac weaning as well. (The only time we had a problem was when we didn't wean according to the alamanc.) My biggest problem right now is we are in the middle of blizzard scheduled to dump between 12-16 inches on top of the 17 inches we already have and then tonight we are supposed to have 20-30 below windchills with the temp not going above zero for the next two days. Its so important they drink water the first couple of days and I just think it will be too much of a shock for him to go from warm tasty mama milk to cold freezing water. I don't want to risk colic or something else, so I guess we will wait till the next time it looks to be between 15 and 30 above. Sigh. . .

 

[rabbitsfizz]

I think your boy is too young to wean yet, he will do better staying on now, till after Christmas.

 

[REO]

I have the 2011 Almanac

The Jan. weaning time is Jan 5-9 with 6th or 7th being the best days.

 

[mdegner]

I agree. The main reason for wanting to do it now is TYPICALLY december is milder than Jan and Feb up her in "da Nort" country and I wanted to take advantage of that. However, we appear to be having one of those long, early and brutal winters that I haven't seen for a very long time. May just wait now until later in Feb. We can separate him for part of the day to play with the other babies, but keep him with mom the rest of the time. This is her last baby and we won't be breeding her back, so no worries there.

 

[tagalong]

I have never weaned by the Almanac and have also never had any problems... I prefer to go by what the mare and foal are telling me as opposed to anything else. And yes, we have weaned late foals in December with no problems.

 

[Minimor]

I'm another that has never weaned (or anything else) by the almanac, and haven't had any problems. But, to each his own when it comes to things like that!

Here we try to avoid weaning in winter, but then our winter weather can be very extreme and nasty. If the foal isn't old enough to wean prior to our winter truly setting in, then we don't bother, especially if the mare isn't bred back....and it isn't likely she would be if the foal were such a late one. We would leave the foal with the mare until early spring--baby would be eating well on its own & not taking a lot from the mare by the time it's 5 or 6 months old. If by chance the mare was getting dragged down then it would be a different matter. Our Serenade was an early Sept. foal so she was 4-5 months old in Jan-Feb--she just stayed with her mom until spring & then weaned, which by that time didn't amount to anything at all.

If we were much further south where winter is very mild (compared to a Manitoba winter I consider the winter season to be very mild in the southern states!

) then I wouldn't have too much issue with it. If the foal were ready to be weaned I wouldn't consider the winter season to be a deterent--but then if the mare isn't bred back & isn't being dragged down, leaving the foal with her until spring isn't much of an issue either.

But, if the almanac says this weekend is the best time, but there is a raging snowstorm going on and next weekend is likely to be nicer....I'd have no qualms about waiting for next weekend to take baby away from mom!

 

[chandab]

My only 2009 foal, was old enough to wean by Nov/Dec, but we had tons of snow, so my weaning pen was snowed under; I just left her with her dam and the mare herd til spring started to show itself. And, the mare fretted when I tried in like November, so it was just easier to leave them together til some snow melted and uncovered a pen.

 

[mizbeth]

I would not try to wean them in the winter either. If the foal is pulling the mare down out in the pasture, then bring them up and feed them more-seperately. Should not be much pasture now though, most anywhere.

Most of the time the mares will wean them when they have had enough of em.