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Post by mickey on Oct 22, 2011 10:31:05 GMT -1
Duke is 4 and a half months old so still a baby.
Just wondering if those of you who have foals feed them and if so what? He's quite chunky and ok weight wise at the moment. Our grazing isnt the best as it just didnt grow this year however there is a round bale of hay in the field that the 2 of them can eat ad lib.
YM feeds her colt each evening and is willing to give him a feed at the same time.
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Post by jap on Oct 22, 2011 11:04:49 GMT -1
all our foals are on 1lb of baileys stud balancer plus hifi lite.ours get fed this in the morning only as one feed. this is a days ration so dont feed anymore
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Post by cadeby on Oct 22, 2011 11:26:52 GMT -1
Ours are still with their dams but the oldest 2 are coming in tomorrow, so they will gradually switch onto Destrier Excel Stud Mix (up to 500g per day) plus Alfa-A, grass and ad-lib hay when stabled. Like Julie we just feed once a day when they are brought in for "skool" (halter-breaking, tying, loading practice etc...) Duke is one week younger than our youngest foal Baron and they look very similar in size and condition so I don't think there's any need to worry about him. He looks like he's taken weaning and the stress of the sale and travelling totally in his stride  |
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Post by mickey on Oct 22, 2011 13:52:31 GMT -1
Thanks for that will go feed shopping tomorrow. Glad he looks at a similar stage to yours Helen, believe it or not he looked the biggest foal there in the dales!
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Post by lucydales on Oct 22, 2011 15:31:09 GMT -1
Poor old Tim was deprived then, he never got fed! Grass, hay and milk til March, then grass and hay. Perhaps that's why his legs haven't grown but there's certainly nothing slim about his body!
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Post by mickey on Oct 22, 2011 16:32:52 GMT -1
Haha poor Tim!! I'm more worried as he's been weaned quite young and he isn't on the best grazing. That said none of mine look slim on it!!
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Post by heathera on Oct 22, 2011 21:22:27 GMT -1
That really is too young to be weaned really but I know a lot of the traditionalists do this. All mine were given TopSpec balancer while growing and I'd recommend the same along with a very thorough worming. I just mix the balancer with a bit of chaff nowadays but fed it damped down on it's own at first so it was mushy and they learned within a few days how to eat it.
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Post by cadeby on Oct 23, 2011 6:57:43 GMT -1
Forgot to say that mine get Topspec balancer too (thanks for the prompt Heather  ) because I only feed the Stud Mix at about 40% the recommended level - mainly because it's formulated for TB type babies, and there's a much more limited choice of feeds in our part of France. In the UK you will have much more choice. I seem to remember Dodson & Horrell do a Stud Mix for natives? Or was it Baileys  |
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Post by mickey on Oct 23, 2011 14:59:31 GMT -1
Thanks- got topspec stud balanced as the choice was limited. However he has decided he'd rather not eat it. Never had a dales that turns food down!! Guess he's never had it before! He was worked on arrival so that's covere. I aren't too concerned about him and I guess he'll get the hang of a hard feed soon. He likes carrots though!
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Post by heathera on Oct 24, 2011 14:13:56 GMT -1
Merlin took about four days to realise he liked stuff that came in buckets. It helped that he saw Tola eating hers voraciously every day  |
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Post by mickey on Oct 24, 2011 18:03:27 GMT -1
He's quite keen on trying eltons feed just not his own although he has eaten some today.
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Ridgelane Duke 
Country Rose
) because I only feed the Stud Mix at about 40% the recommended level - mainly because it's formulated for TB type babies, and there's a much more limited choice of feeds in our part of France. 