foal feed

My baby is 11 days old and is nibbling at mom's hay and grain. WHat kind of creep feed do you guys feed?

denise

I use oats and mare and foal. So, mine get whatever Mom is eating.. I would avoid the 16% people tell you to feed foals. It is too hot and can mess up their legs.. Just give some of what Mom gets..

I know everyone has their strategy on foal feeding, but we've always added foal-lac pellets as soon as they start to nibble.

mine get buckeyes foal starter for the 1st 90 days they really should have a milk based product as that is what they are able to digest and can get the best use of the nutrients most lines carry something like this, after the 90 days then I move to a regular diet like Bluejay suggested... don't get growth products... just Gro n win which is a ration balancer and oats if needed for extra calories and free choice hay if they are up in a pen if they are out in pasture they are on free choice minerals and ration balancer. If they are at 2 weeks and not eating the recommened amount of foal starter you can get foal aid a mineral supplement just for foal and give it to them that way you know they are getting all that they need.

I like to put Calf Manna in with the mare's feed, and whatever mom gets, they get. Once I pull 'em, they're used to the calf manna, the feed, and the hay. And I totally agree with Bluejay on this - don't get that blasted 16%... if you do, feed VERY LITTLE of it... That stuff will blow out some legs big time.

The mares and foals stay outside all the time. I want them running up and down hills as much as possible... HA! Once I pull 'em, they're up for oh, about a week during halter breaking, and then they're put back outside in a separate pasture, and there they stay until I decide what to do with them.

denibun wrote:

My baby is 11 days old and is nibbling at mom's hay and grain. WHat kind of creep feed do you guys feed?

denise

You already know my stance on this and what I've recommended you feed.... but do not feed your baby oats. As I've stated before, oats have an inverted calcium/phosphorus ratio and unless your a chemist you will not be able to add the proper supplements to balance that out. Also, like Lynn said, up until your baby is about 3 months old they aren't able to readily digest anything that isn't milk based

Anyone have a list of those milk based feeds? I noticed my little guy checking out Bella's feed this morning..

We have mostly Purina and Nutrena dealers here, if that helps narrow the list some

That is very intersting I have been feeding my foals oats for several years now with no trouble what so ever. I alse add some LMF devlopment A and they eat alfalfa. So do my friends.

What kind of trouble do you get from feeding oats?

Bluejay wrote:

What kind of trouble do you get from feeding oats?

As I said... they have an inverted calcium/phosphorus ratio which causes DOD - I can post photos if you don't believe me..... or call a nutritionist.... or heck, google it. Most breeders.... even big name breeders.... don't recognize (or won't admit they recognize) when their foals are exhibiting signs of DOD. They pass the elongation of the fetlocks and the contracted tendons off as "oh he's just growing right now" blah blah blah.... which is completely inaccurate. Your horses tendons should not be visible running across the fronts of their cannon bones and the fetlock joint should always be round like a ball and not have a boxy shape to it.

edited to elaborate and then again to correct a typo.

I'm going to edit again to add this.... it's been said a couple times not to feed 16% because it'll mess up your babies legs... that's not true. Protein is just protein and in itself does not cause a problem.... unless of course the trace minerals are unbalanced and your protein bumps your foal into a growth spurt which makes the problem more visible.

Buckeye! Love it! The new forumla, I have talked to them about as it is less on starch which means not as sweet. But with my new foals, they don't know the differance.

PHENOMADACIOUS wrote:

Anyone have a list of those milk based feeds? I noticed my little guy checking out Bella's feed this morning..

We have mostly Purina and Nutrena dealers here, if that helps narrow the list some

YGM

I have learned my lesson on the 16% feed and straight alfalfa. That is what I fed my mare and my foal was a little over at the knees. Then, my baby got diarrhea at 12 hours old and I don't mess around with diarrhea in babies so I called the vet out on a Sunday and they said, "Mom's milk is way too rich. Switch to good quality grass hay and a 12% feed." Lesson learned there. I have a progressive dealer that I see regularly at my kids 4H meetings and I'll talk to her monday. I've only heard good things about Progressive.

My babies love the buckeye foal starter but I do know progressive has a similar product (I personally am not a progressive fan but I hear a lot of people who really like it) I will check tonight while I have high speed internet to see if nutrena has one after 90 days the foals no longer need a milk based so then I stop feeding the foal starter and just feed the ration balancer and hay. Right now I have one foal that is getting foal aid it is a vitamin and mineral paste where you give 3cc per 100lbs daily once they are a week old until they are eating the recommended amount of foal starter for their weight great stuff. I wait for my foals to show interest in momma's feed to start their creep feed and each is different this filly is almost 3 weeks and really doesnt show much interest where my 6 day old colt has been trying to get into in his mommas bucket from about day 3 you just never know.