What do you feed your weanlings?

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novachick

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I was curious as to what everyone feeds their weanlings? How much minimum protein do you recommend? 12% or 14%?
 
Orchard grass hay and a complete senior pellet that is 14% protein / 5% fat / 18% fiber. All my horses get this particular pellet, in varying proportions to their hay. This is all good with my vet and with my herd
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I also think Purina Equine Junior is a great feed for weanlings, and it is readily available in most parts of the country
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Personally, I don't like to feed sweet feed. I choose the Buckeye products and add hay, beet pulp and so on. When they are within 120 days old, they also get Progressive Foals First.
 
We feed all of our horses Progressive Nutrition's Diet Balancers (usually the Grass Balancer) with oats and Envision if needed for extra calories. This year we've been using alfalfa pellets more than oats, so we may continue to do that.
 
After experimenting with different brands and types of feed and supplements over the years, we like the KISS...........Keep It Simple, Stupid! method of feeding.

We use the Progressive Grass Balancer along with the 1/2 inch alfalfa pellets about half and half for all the horses along with grass hay and pasture. Our older 25-year old mare gets six cups of this mixture daily, the weanlings get 1 cup, and the adults (depending upon body condition) get 1-2 cups daily. All have a mineral block, always fresh water available, and they are all extremely healthy. We've never had a case of colic, and both young and old thrive and do well.
 
I do the same as KayKay, Equine Jr and hay/grass mix.
 
14% Senior Pellet mixed with a 12% All Grain Sweet. It is what they all get...young and old. They do great on it. Of course I ad a Mineral Granual to everybodys grain and some Rice Bran to the babies and nursing mommas! Coastal hay twice a day and Soaked Alfalfa Cubes in the evening. This works great for me!!
 
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Our foals get rolled oats and alfalfa or alfalfa mix hay, plus the Equest mineral block. If they need something extra--like the two '07 colts did (our homebred colt dropped some weight when we took him off the mare and the colt we bought came here right off the mare and he too dropped some weight)--then they get the Frontrunner foal pellets (16% protein) added to their oats. Once they're a year old if we give them pellets--and again, depending on the yearlings they may or may not "need" the pelleted feed) it is the Frontrunner mare/yearling pellets (14%).

At one time we always gave Calf Manna to the weanlings, but now we've been very happy with the results we get with the Frontrunner feeds and so that is what we will continue to use.
 
I have a weanling here right now that i bought, she is already weaned. She is on mostly orchard grass as it is easier on the babies belly, it has a small amount of softer alfalfa in it. She is on Omlene 200 which is a 14% and add Dumor Vitamins onto of that which is a 16% suppliment. She is smooth and topline is full and hip / shoulder is nice.
 
After experimenting with different brands and types of feed and supplements over the years, we like the KISS...........Keep It Simple, Stupid! method of feeding.
We use the Progressive Grass Balancer along with the 1/2 inch alfalfa pellets about half and half for all the horses along with grass hay and pasture. Our older 25-year old mare gets six cups of this mixture daily, the weanlings get 1 cup, and the adults (depending upon body condition) get 1-2 cups daily. All have a mineral block, always fresh water available, and they are all extremely healthy. We've never had a case of colic, and both young and old thrive and do well.
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Free choice grass hay (softest available whichi is generally mountain pasture or orchard grass), alfalfa 2x a day and Nutrena Senior (no molasses) served as a slurry soupy mess. I use to use EQ Jr and have tried the Omelene product. Omelene seemed to get 'buggy' with moths to quickly and EQ Jr a nutritionist friend advised against it because of the sweet feed sugars and metobalic problems horses - especially minis can be prone to.

Of course salt and mineral block as well as fresh water 24/7!
 
I'm feeding an Aussie Logic feed, Kool & Kalm, to almost everyone now including weanlings. It's a 15% protein, alfalfa based extruded pellet (looks like crunchy dog food LOL), and the company owners/makers say it is an extremely safe feed. So far so good with it. Weanlings also get a little extra alfalfa, almost free choice hay and I've added some Platinum Performance to their ration.

Jan
 
YES to the "KISS METHOD" for feeding! I've been tooting that horn for years!
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Our broodmares while in their last trimester of pregnancy get 14 percent complete Senior Pelleted Grain. They get it while lactating........so their foals obviously share...........So it makes sense to continue it for our foals.

Our hay is a homegrown grass hay that has also been tested between 14 to 18 percent, depending on the year. When we have to buy hay from another grower in this area, the percentage is in the same range and it tends to be orchard grass.
 
Thanks everyone! So many options out there, it is really confusing!

Our weanling that will arrive on Sunday is currently on Purina Complete Advantage (which is only 12% protein) and 12% sweet feed. I guess I'll start him out on that to make the transition more smooth for him, but I'd like to use a higher protein feed like the Equine Jr instead. Especially after reading the post about the belly they get with low protein.

My yearling has been on the Platform mini feed and 10% sweet feed since shortly after we got her and it was a hugh improvement over her previous diet which was only sweet feed, but I do think she has a bit of the belly that others have been posting about. Since Platform is only 12.5% protein and very expensive, maybe I will transition both her and the weanling over to the Equine Jr.

Thanks again for all the advice!
 
All our show horses including the shetlands, miniatures and weanlings are on the Complete Advantage and mix of sweet feed mix and have never had a problem with bellies coming, Some of the show horses get also the soaked beet pulp included with the feedings also. I guess it depends on the conditioning program as well as the feeding program being used. Most of the show horses get fed three times a day since we do travel just about every other weekend to keep weight on with the heat and stress. We make our own hay here and the horses have and limited pasture as well and we also feed ground flax and black oiled sunflower seeds. Its just whatever combination you would prefer to use in your feeding program and what works best with your horses.
 
All our show horses including the shetlands, miniatures and weanlings are on the Complete Advantage and mix of sweet feed mix and have never had a problem with bellies coming, Some of the show horses get also the soaked beet pulp included with the feedings also. I guess it depends on the conditioning program as well as the feeding program being used. Most of the show horses get fed three times a day since we do travel just about every other weekend to keep weight on with the heat and stress. We make our own hay here and the horses have and limited pasture as well and we also feed ground flax and black oiled sunflower seeds. Its just whatever combination you would prefer to use in your feeding program and what works best with your horses.
Hi Pam, it's Jen here! How are you? How was the fair, is it over yet?

Hey, since we don't do any showing (yet, maybe....) and the horses don't get a lot of conditioning, they are kind of just loved on, I wasn't sure if that was the right food for horses that mostly hang out all day. I'd really like to get to one food for all of them (to keep is simple) and since on Purina's website, it says the Complete Advantage is formulated for vigorous training and competition, I was afraid it might not be right for them all. I'd love to hear what you think...and take a look at Goldi on Sunday...maybe she doen't have a belly at all...it's hard to compare when she's the only one I see all the time and from all the beautiful pictures on here it's hard to compare!

BTW...Sunday couldn't come soon enough, I'm like a kid at Christmas time lately!
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Hello Jen ~ Nope ....the fair is not over yet, wish that it was, but its been a long week with taking charge of the horse shows and us being supervisors of all equine, big and small for 10 days at the county fair plus taking care of the horses at home and working our daytime jobs,ugh... .

But anyway, we will go over a feeding program with you when we get there sunday and check Goldie out in what would be best for her as well. I bet you won't be able to sleep much until we arrive that morning with your two new additions, you will love them both, they are sweet. Looking forward in making the trip to see you and your family soon ~
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