weaning

[TPs flat rock acres]

when do you start and how do you do it

 

[SilverRose Farms]

Some people just take the foals away and put them as far away from the mares as possible. Others wean by the Farmers Almanac. Some leave the foals and mares together until the mare is ready to wean on their own.

There are 1000s of ways to wean.

I start by slowly taking the mare away for an hour then two and ect... while this definitely takes time I find I have less stress on the mares and foals. I also have one mare who unless weaned very very slowly will get mastitis and so I have to watch her very very carefully.

You have to make sure you have completely safe places for the mare and for the foal as well. To avoid injury.

 

[Riverrose28]

There are many methods to use, but, I'm a big softy since I'm a Mom so this is my method. I have four paddocks that are fenced with stock fencing, I wait until all the foals are old enough, so that means some may be 6 months old, some may be older, but I take the mares away from the foals for the day. Keep in mind they can still see and nuzzel through the stock fence. The foals play all day and moms eat and groom. No screaming! Then I put Moms back in at night with the foals, that way they nurse and help to get the bag down and they also know that even if Mom is away for 12 hours, she'll come back. I do this for two weeks, then I take the Moms away, but they can still see each other. Then after a week I take the Moms and move them to a paddock far away from the foals. It takes alot of time and patience, but no stress on either the mares or the foals, no screaming, etc.

 

[TPs flat rock acres]

almanac please let me know about this. what age do you usually start. my to fills from last year I let the moms do it. I was keeping the girls so figure they know what's best, one girl still try's to nurse urrrrr she's 1 yr old now with pups we start weaning at 4 wks and they are completely weaned byn8 wks

stress do some really freak out?

 

[Riverrose28]

As far as stress goes, yes, but it is usually harder on the mares, if you just pull them from the foals they scream and run the fence line, plus their udders are always full and need to be hosed. I also reduce the mares feed intake to help to stop milk production. If you allow the foals to nurse till yearlings they will drag the mare down. That is your choice to what you want to do.

 

[vickie gee]

Personally I prefer the 4 month to 8 month range.

Pick the month you want to wean. Remember that they will be more calm with a buddy so if you have multiples in that age range do them together. Even an auntie horse will help them not stress so much.

Google farmers almanac or buy one. Often you can find them in the magazines for sale at the check out line of the grocery store or any bookstore or even the home improvement stores. The almanac will tell you the best dates for all months for various livestock.

Reduce the mare's grain and assuming you have mare on Mare & Foal pellets (higher % protein) start to mix it with lower % protein pellets in order to get her completely back on the lower % but not too suddenly. Keep the weanling on the higher % protein.

If you can keep the moms and babies from having a visual of one another it works better. Think of babies that cry as soon as their mommy shows up. A week, maybe even less, should work.