Weaning

[mickey]

I'm not at the weaning point just yet but have a few questions. I can see I am going to have to wean Belle earlier rather than later, Becky is 20, Belle is huge and strong and Becky is already giving signs of she has had enough of her. In the field Belle is with the other 2 mares rather than Becky, at tea time if Belle decides she isnt coming in Becky will happily leave her in favour of tea and today I saw Becky kick out at her because she dared to feed She is feeding- it is only on Becky's terms and others have seen it too. She is not allowed to share her tea.
I'm making Becky sound horrible- she isn't. She isnt attacking her- just telling her to get lost.
So...
how old do you all wean?
What food do you use? She loves mix (when Ive been making the dales' feeds up eat night a head has popped over the door demanding some!)

[Tynedale]

We wean at about 6 months sometimes a little bit earlier, I haven't weaned before 24 weeks but I haven't needed to. Mares are fed hi fi lite, Baileys low cal balancer and Baileys stud cubes and foals share.
Our foals are about 4 months old now and all loving tea time!
When we wean the foals are fed the same but obviously small amounts and twice a day.
We had one mare a few years ago wouldn't let her foal share her feed so I did another bowl with a tiny amount in for the foal when it was trying to share and fed them next to each other and you could see their heads going from one bowl to the next.
It's so funny at tea time at the moment because ours all get a quarter of an apple sliced and a few sticks of carrot with their tea but I put it on one side of the bowl and place that away from the foal. I put the feed down and all of the mares go straight to the nice bits and stuff their mouths full, just in case their foal should dare have any carrot or apple!
I am currently seeing  some of our mares with foals telling them off when they go to feed because the foals are being rude sometimes and the mare is just telling them to behave and putting them in their place!
How old is Belle?

[mickey]

She's too young yet- 10 weeks tomorrow which is why I'm worried! I will try putting a seperate feed bin in for Belle. She isn't suffering weightwise and I have seen her suckling, just not always allowed which she was initially. She's my 1st foal so I may just be being very protective!

[jap]

We've weaned at 16 weeks before, its not the end of the world, the foals cope fine. We do them all at 5 months normally.

When Becky is feeding, give the foalie her own feed, we do chaff and balancer and then there is no worry about food dominance. Most mares will tell their foals off if they are being rough and it can be sharp, Katy absolutely whalloped Midas one the other day as he tried to drink when she was in and eating haylage and was being a bit rough. Just keep an eye on things and see how things progress.

Anna on mums laptop (again....)

[cadeby]

I think what you are describing is quite normal behaviour, particularly with an older mare who has had a few foals before. They don't over indulge their babies once they get past the tiny baby phase and the foals become independant quite early in life. My filly Dakota, who is now 3 months old, spends hardly any time with her mother. Lass is simply a milk-bar, and Dakota gets chastised quite strongly if she is rough with the udder. Two of my mares never allow their foals to suckle whilst they are eating, nor share their mum's feedbowl. We just give the foals their own bowl and everyone is happy.
As long as Belle is still being allowed to suckle I wouldn't worry. Becky is teaching her manners and Belle will soon learn that dinner is now only served when mum says it is

[mickey]

Thanks Put my mind at rest. I'll sort her having her own feed. Belle was being pretty rough a couple of weeks ago- made me wince as she'd dive onto the teat grab it and pull it very hard. She seems a bit gentler now but swaps between teats after 3/4 suckles. The not feeding rule started initially when Becky had hard feed but has progressed to haylage as well. Belle has eaten haylage from only a few days old.
I'd love to leave them out 24/7 but Becky has an absolute fit if she isn't in by 4pm which possibly isn't helping. If I didn't let her in, she'd let herself in removing whatever stands in her way. It does mean Belle is getting pretty good at being led and is very handleable though! She loves being groomed.

That's a week or so ago- she's going much darker now!

[tinkerdorisalison]

Aug 18, 2013 19:11:29 GMT -1 cadeby said:

I think what you are describing is quite normal behaviour, particularly with an older mare who has had a few foals before. They don't over indulge their babies once they get past the tiny baby phase and the foals become independant quite early in life.
As long as Belle is still being allowed to suckle I wouldn't worry. Becky is teaching her manners and Belle will soon learn that dinner is now only served when mum says it is

This !

Great pic by the way

[heathera]

We started giving Tola and Legs their own feeds from around two months old. It was just a few mushed balancer pellets and more to keep them entertained and away from their mum's feed than for food but they did start feeding properly from around four months onwards.

I prefer to wait until at least six months to wean as the colas guts undergo changes at that point which makes it easier for them to manufacture certain nutrients from the raw ingredients but I know lots weaned earlier that have been fine.

With Legs we had a problem that Lady didn't 'let down' that easily and he was a greedy blighter. JG suggested a Horselyx block. It worked brilliantly, both of them loved it but didn't overindulge and it helped them both gain condition and chill out more.