Due to a death in my family, I unfortunately let my colt & filly nurse from their respective mares for far too long. They've been seperated now for about 3-4 weeks. How long does it take for the mares milk to dry up? I let the 2 mares out with the the colt & filly yesterday and the filly went right to her mom and tried to nurse. I caught her before she latched on, so I just need to know how long the mares will produce milk after nursing stops. Thanks for any info you can provide. I'm really looking forward to letting them all out together again.
Weaning...When Do Mares Dry Up??
- Thread starter clpclop
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nootka
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IME, a mare can produce milk anytime.
If they are apart for six months and a foal would start to nurse again, it is conceivable, possible and observed that the mare will being to produce milk again.
It is different for every mare and foal pair, but often there is a period of time that will transpire (and obviously you have not reached that, yet) that the foal will no longer try to nurse and/or the mare will stop them from nursing and so the milk will not come back in.
Good luck,you just have to stick it out some longer. I would try again in a few weeks or a month. It can take a long time, though, with some of them. Most often, mine take about two months to lose that urge to both try and allow.
Liz M.
If they are apart for six months and a foal would start to nurse again, it is conceivable, possible and observed that the mare will being to produce milk again.
It is different for every mare and foal pair, but often there is a period of time that will transpire (and obviously you have not reached that, yet) that the foal will no longer try to nurse and/or the mare will stop them from nursing and so the milk will not come back in.
Good luck,you just have to stick it out some longer. I would try again in a few weeks or a month. It can take a long time, though, with some of them. Most often, mine take about two months to lose that urge to both try and allow.
Liz M.
Nathan Luszcz
Well-Known Member
In the situation you are talking about, years... I've had two year olds, who have not seen their mother since weaning, restart nursing. I'd seperate them for at least a year, personally.
We've not tried to re-introduce a mare and filly for up to a year here........by that time the mare is either pregnant or has a new little one and has other things on her minds, I guess. As was posted above, it can vary from mare to mare.....baby to baby.....
MA
MA
Irish Hills Farm
Irish Hills Farm
I have a mare who had a foal last year, she did not have one this year. The other day I saw what looked to be one of my foals nursing from her. I decided to go and check it out and she has milk and doesn't mind being the nurse maid obviously.
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We have a mare who foaled out a colt last year and was VERY protective about not letting anyone else nurse... I went to hand breed her this year as she didn't wasn't bred back last year for a 2007 foal.... To my surprise she has a FULL udder. So obviously one of our fillies is nursing off of her!
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Thank you to all who replied. I guess it's a longer process than I'd hoped, but it has to be done. We live in a residential area and have limited space. Now I have to let the colt & filly out together, then put them away and then let the mares out. It was so fun to have them all together running and playing, but I guess those days are over for a long time. Again...thanks for all the info!
Nathan Luszcz
Well-Known Member
Just make sure you seperate the lil ones when they turn into yearlings
Don't want any unexpected foals!
