Very First Mini Foal

[HGFarm]

Foals HAVE to eat poop, as gross as it sounds. It puts the good bacteria into the guts so they can digest the food they will start eating soon.

If you walk slowly with the Mom to go outside, the foal will follow. If she doesnt and the Mom starts fussing, she will get the foals attention and the foal should come to her. Then continue a few more steps- the foal will get the idea pretty quickly.

I am shocked that the two mares are together since the one has a new foal. Hope there are no 'protective mama' problems when the 2nd mare foals! The foals could get stomped or hurt by fighting mares. Can you seperate the stall or area where they can see each other, but just not be in the same pen? I think that's kind of risky with them together.

 

[Zipper]

I cant thank all of you enough for helping me.

I see the foal sucking and she is full looking has tons of energy but she is eating hay and the straw(she I guess sucks on it and then spits it out all wet and in a clump) and licking out of the mothers dish is this normal?

Laurie, I dont know what to do I tried separating them and the mare that is due just went nuts and tried jumping over and racing around and I thought she might hurt herself and the mother of foal just kept going in a circle.

How much space do they need to have a baby? I dont know how I can separate them and give them enough space. Is this just till she has her foal or until they can go outside?

 

[HGFarm]

Yes I would personally seperate them til after she foals and they have a few days to bond with their own babies. The mare that has the foal now may try to hurt the other foal, or the new mother could go ballistic and in the process, babies get stomped. They will fuss being seperated but if they can see each other, they should be fine.

Also, 2nd mare foals, first foal goes over there out of curiosity- wham! New mom freaks and kicks it or attacks it to run it off and it has no idea what is going on.

 

[tagalong]

The day she was born I went to the vets and got her foal needle so she has had that.

I am not sure what you mean by "foal needle"... ????

And I agree that having both mares in such a small space with two foals could be a recipe for disaster. I am hoping you can figure out a way to seperate them so that they can still see each other - this should have happened not long after you got them but I know it can be hard to get things sorted out...

 

[Zipper]

Thank so I am going to separate them as I sure dont want anything to happen because of my stupidity.

The box stall is 11x10 so if it was split down the middle would that be big enough for the mare that doesnt have a foal to have

her baby in because that would only be roughly 5.5 by 10

 

[Jean A]

Zipper..

Our two mares are due any minute. They are both rescues, have never had vet care at all, and we know nothing other than their Coggins were negative. We also have a palomino stallion from the same grouping..the man just wanted to get rid of his herd, and they are really sweet. They were used to being petted and given treats by passers by.

The two girls are almost glued together, They insisted on being together, which really had me worried, as I have no idea when they are due.I got the third stall ready today (thanks to two of my sons!), and separated the girls. They are fine..after a little calling and pawing, they were touching noses under the wall. Hopefully, they will do as well tonight. When I first tried it, they panicked, and so did I!.

Good luck..it will be much safer for your foals this way.

 

[Zipper]

I have them separated and the mare without the foal was more upset than the other one.

I will have to figure out something as for now she is in one of the draft horses box stall.

I cant believe a week has gone by. I will have to get some more pictures of her and I havent got

her outside yet.

 

[Zipper]

Thanks Diane.

Well the mare and foal went outside the mare and I where having heart attacks as she went zooming around the pen and than I let the other mares out with her one at a time and noboby even cared which was good as I had my son there just in case we had to grab her.

These mares are doing so well as they have never been handled that much but they do all like being together so when they come in they are separated in different box stalls.

My question now is when can I put a halter on the foal and what can I do with her do I just let her wear it?

Thanks.

I can touch her all over and lift all her feet and I brush her and I still cant get enough. So exciting.

Still havent named her thinking.

Giter Dun I'm A Keeper

Giter Dun I'm A Pita

Its hard to think of a name because you want to make sure it is a suitable one.

 

[Jean A]

We're working on the foal halter idea here too. I need to find out what and when shots are to be given, though I want to do both (all..) on the same farm call. I've already spent a fortune, though my husband is in love with them too.

You are really doing a great job..I don't know what we'd do if we couldn't handle them much. Becky, that still hasn't foaled, is the one with the runs. It seems to have improved with alfalfa and less sweet feed than they were getting.before.

I just love these guys!

 

[Allure Ranch]

Congratulations.... What a sweet baby.

 

[minie812]

I too have a maiden getting ready to foal any day. I also have her full sister and dam that is also due anyday. They are all very bonded but I have Tango in a stall seperate but able to 'Visit" with her dam and sis. Her dam is our alpha mare and 17 and can get a tad testy. You have a pretty girl there and when the other mare has her foal she will be to busy to care about the others.

 

[AnnaC]

Congratulations, you have made great progress!! Not sure I have this straight? You now let both mares out during the day with other mares (sorry didn't realise you had other mares)? Its great and good for expectant mares and young foals to have as much outside time as possible, but obviously in a safe area for babies.

As far as your foal picking at/eating her Momma's food, this is fine, but you need to feed your mare a good quality mare and foal food as it is specially formulated to be safe for a baby to eat. A lot of other feeds (pony nuts/cubes, chaff type mixes, sugar beet etc) are not suitable as a foal cannot chew them and it could cause the foal to choke.

Yes you can halter your baby as soon as you like - just do it quietly and slowly - but never leave a halter on a foal unless you are right there with it - put it on and then take it off again, too many babies find things to get hooked up on, sometimes with fatal results! Also never leave a headcollar on a mare with a foal at foot - another accident waiting to happen!

I think we deserve some new pictures of your sweet baby, especially now she's outside and running around. How's your other mare progressing towards having her baby?

 

[Zipper]

Thanks everyone for the comments and all the help. I really do use all your suggestions so it is not wasted.

When I got that group of mares there was 5 mares and 6 foals. Kinda stupid buying them all but it was sad there.

I let 3 mares stay together so far all the time as I am trying to watch them and see who is next the mare that I think

is next she comes into a box stall by herself and mom and foal are together in a pen by themselves.

They are used to being together as they have lived together all their lives and have always had there babies together just outside in

the hay or in a part of the barn.

I feed them Purina Maternity which is suppose to be for the mare and safe for the foal and it says foals can eat it.

I feed the yearlings Junvenille and everybody else gets Elite. All Purina products Canada

 

[Zipper]

The foal has diarrhea she was fine earlier today and tonight she has it.

She was running around and played in the water pail and was acting normal but is there something I should give her.

I will phone the vet in the morning. I am so afraid something is going to happen to her.

 

[AnnaC]

Many foals have a short spell of diarrhea at your baby's age - usually caused by the dam coming into season for her foaling heat. Just keep an eye on her, it should pass in a day or two. It would be good if you can gently clean her up and maybe spread a little vaselene round her botty and down her back legs to help protect her delicate skin. As you will have noticed she is not feeling ill!!

With your next mare to foal - give her a dose of an ivermectin wormer within 12 hours of her foaling - this has been known to help prevent 'foal scours' when the mare has her foaling heat.

 

[Zipper]

Thanks Anna and Diane,

I was so worried I set my alarm for every 2 hours and checked her. She thought it was great getting petted and scratched.

She has lots of energy and is sucking and gets up and runs to the gate and whinnies for me to hurry up and get there and as

soon as I filled the water pail she ran right over and put her 2 front feet in it.

What do I wash her butt with should I run to the drugstore and get something to put in the water. I have vaseline or should

I use diaper rash (pentetan) used for babies butts?

 

[chandab]

If it'll take the poop off, just plain water will work, if you need alittle soap then something gentle like ivory or baby shampoo. If you have them handy, baby wipes work pretty good too. the vaseline is fine, as its used to keep the poo from sticking and irritating the skin (if the skin does get irritated, then yes, diaper rash ointment is a good choice).

 

[Zipper]

Sorry I havent been posting but was helping a friend that was ill.

Decided on a name I think she will be Giter Dun I'm A Pita

I cant believe a month has gone by and I love her more and more every day if that is possible. Kinda scary because now I have that what if something happens images.

She is a full time project when she is outside she eats dirt and everything she can find, when she is loose in the barn she is like a vacum cleaner.

Her mom is getting 2 cups of Purina Maternity morning and night and all the second cut hay she will eat and Pita is right there like a dirty shirt eating the goodies and then

eating the hay. She has the cleanest 2 feet in the barn as soon as you put the water pail in she runs over and puts her feet in them. Full time job keeping clean water to them.

Now that she is a month old can I put a halter on her and walk her outside away from her mom for a couple minutes or is it to early for that. When Pita is in the barn her mom is

locked in her pen. I dont know what I can do with her this young. I brush her, lift all her legs, hold her so she knows what restrained is. Kiss her tons.

Thanks Cathy

 

[SampleMM]

I don't know how I missed this but congrats on your new foal. She looks like a real sweetie pie.