5 Tips for Feeding Lactating Mares
- Go with grain. Although high-quality hay and/or grass should remain the basis of the diet, in most cases forage alone cannot meet lactating mares’ nutritional requirements.
- Split it up. Many mares in the first three months of lactation will require between 10 to 15 pounds of a commercial grain mix per day to meet their increased ...
- Include ‘building blocks.’. High-quality protein is vital to delivering essential amino acids to the foal. ...
- Watch for food thieves! Most foals will begin to nibble on their mare’s grain within weeks of birth and can easily consume up to four pounds each day by the ...
- Monitor body condition score. Monitor a lactating mare’s body condition frequently, and adjust her diet as needed. ...
- Take-Home Message. Lactating mares have drastically increased nutritional requirements in order to keep themselves and their foals healthy.
How do you increase milk production in a lactating mare?
Adequate protein in the diet is essential, considering that milk is 20-25% protein (on a dry matter basis). Simply adding high-starch concentrates to a lactating mare’s diet may not be desirable. This change can increase milk production, but the milk contains less protein and fat.
What do you feed a pregnant mare to produce milk?
To produce milk and to repair the reproductive tract in preparation for future pregnancy, the mare requires substantial amounts of energy, protein, calcium and phosphorus. To maintain both adequate milk production and body condition, lactating mares will often need to be fed substantial amounts of grain.
What is the best forage for lactating mares?
Legume hay such as lucerne hay or chaff are good quality forage for lactating mares. Lucerne hay and chaff have a higher protein and energy content then grass hay.
How much to feed a lactating horse?
Feeding the Lactating Mare. It is not uncommon for a mare of this size to need 6 to 8 pounds of an average energy density grain mix in addition to 20 to 25 pounds of a good quality hay to meet her energy needs. One option to increase the energy content of the mare’s diet without increasing the grain is to feed a fat supplement.
What should I feed a lactating mare?
A lactating mare usually requires between 2 and 3 percent of her body weight in total feed (hay + grain) daily. Requirements can be met using the rations described in Tables 4 and 5. Including fat in the diet can increase the fat content of the milk, which may help nursing foals grow.
How much should a lactating mare eat?
Generally, mares produce an average of 24 lb (3 gallons) of milk daily during a 5 month lactation period. These mares require between 2 to 3 percent of her body weight in total feed daily, which may be as much as 25 to 30 lb of hay and 10 to 15 lb of concentrate feed daily (Refer to table 3 below).
What is the best mare and foal feed?
Purina® Omolene® #200, Strategy® GX or Ultium® Growth horse feed would be good choices, or Purina® Enrich Plus® Ration Balancing horse feed may be an option for mares that are easy keepers. During the tenth month of gestation the greatest amount of mineral retention occurs in the unborn foal.
How much milk does a lactating mare produce?
Lactating mares produce approximately 2-4% of their body weight in milk each day. That means that a 1,200-lb (545-kg) mare will produce 24-48 lb (11-22 kg) of milk per day, equivalent to 3-6 gallons (11-22 liters).
How much protein does a lactating mare need?
A lactating mare needs twice as much protein as a barren or early pregnant mare. She needs this much protein because mare's milk is high in protein, typically containing about 20 to 25% protein on a dry basis. A mare during peak lactation will secrete over 1 lb (0.5 kg)/day of protein in her milk.
Which is more nutritious for horses corn or oats?
Corn is the more energy-dense cereal grain on an equal-weight basis due to oats having more low-quality fiber, namely the oat hull that is poorly digested by the horse.
How can I increase my mare's milk production?
Mares need energy and high-quality protein for milk production (14% crude protein grain mix). Generally an increase in grain volume will supply more energy. 2. Low lactating mares consuming fescue pasture or hay may benefit from a veterinary-prescribed paste marketed as Equi-tox to increase milk production.
Are oats good for pregnant mares?
Oats contain around 13% protein, but the protein in oats is low in the essential amino acid lysine which is an essential nutrient for all horses, especially pregnant and lactating mares and growing youngsters, and horses in work.
What should pregnant horses not eat?
Salt, water, and fescue. One type of hay or pasture to avoid is fescue, which is often infected with an endophyte that causes problems in pregnant mares, including prolonged gestation, difficult delivery, and lack of milk.
How do I know if my mare is producing enough milk?
If the foal isn't getting enough milk, he or she will often bang the udder with their muzzle and sometimes appear frustrated. Additionally, the healthy, well-nourished foals will have periods of being very active and playful and should seem to visibly be growing in front of your eyes.
Why is my mare's udder swollen?
Some mares develop fluid swelling (edema) around the udder before foaling because the blood supply and lymphatic system both change their course during this time. "There are some large blood vessels on the ventral (lower, or underside) abdomen when the mare is not lactating," says Palmer.
Can pregnant mares have alfalfa?
The short answer is yes, it is perfectly acceptable to feed your mares alfalfa hay. If the hay is moderate quality or better, your mares will likely have no trouble maintaining their weight.
What is the body condition score of a mare?
Aim to maintain pregnant and lactating mares at a body condition score of 6 to 7, and never less than 5, on the 1-9 Henneke scale. Should a mare’s body condition drop substantially, her reproductive performance (for example, cycles per conception) might decrease.
What happens if a broodmare is undernourished?
In severe cases an undernourished broodmare can suffer weight, muscle tone, and bone loss. Thus, it’s crucial to provide lactating mares with enough feed to sustain both themselves and their growing foals. Here are five tips for meeting mares’ nutritional needs during lactation.
What is the most demanding stage of a broodmare's life?
Lactation is one of the most physiologically demanding stages for broodmares. Their nutritional requirements increase drastically in order to maintain weight while providing nursing foals with enough critical nutrients. Lactating mares have the highest nutrient requirements during the first three months of lactation.
What is the best feed for a mare in lactation?
Mares in early lactation should be fed Poulin Grain’s EQUI-PRO® Mare & Foal which contains increased concentrations of 100% natural Vitamin E and 100% highly bioavailable organic selenium, along with chelated trace minerals. Recent research showed that foals born to mares supplemented with chelated minerals throughout their entire pregnancy had increased immune function at birth and mares had higher colostrum immunoglobulins. After the first four months of lactation, mares that are maintaining their weight well, or are a little over weight can be gradually transitioned to Poulin Grain's E-TEC® Balancer, a low-intake, low-calorie vitamin and mineral supplement pellet that is ideal for weaning mares and fortifying the diets of those in early and mid-pregnancy. All the Poulin Grain feeds have been formulated specifically for the unique conditions of the northeast region of the USA.
What is the most important nutrient for a lactating mare?
To produce milk and to repair the reproductive tract in preparation for future pregnancy, the mare requires substantial amounts of energy, protein, calcium and phosphorus. To maintain both adequate milk production and body condition, lactating mares will often need to be fed substantial amounts of grain. Without adequate energy (calorie) intake, mares will lose body weight, decrease milk production and will be difficult to rebreed. The most common feeding mistake made with lactating mares is to underfeed them.
Why is careful management necessary in this class of mares?
Careful management is necessary in this class of mares because individual requirements will vary greatly. A nursing foal can quickly lower body condition in the mare, and lactating mares in a thin body condition may take longer to rebreed and have lower pregnancy rates than mares in a moderate to fleshy condition.
What is the most common feeding mistake made with lactating mares?
The most common feeding mistake made with lactating mares is to underfeed them. Energy requirements will nearly double following foaling. A 1200lb mare will produce 2-3% of her body weight in milk daily during the first 3 months of lactation. Underfeeding mares during this period can result in decreased milk production, ...
Why do mares need concentrates?
Because some heavily milking mares may need high levels of concentrates in their diet, the addition of fat and the subsequent reduction in concentrates may reduce the possibility of colic and founder in these mares. Careful management is necessary in this class of mares because individual requirements will vary greatly.
Why do mares skip breeding?
Those mares in marginal or poor body condition (under a BCS of 5) are more likely to skip a breeding season, as their bodies use dietary nutrients primarily for milk production rather than reproduction. When mares receive inadequate nutrition the incidence of embryo loss also increases.
When should a mare have access to fresh water?
As such, mares should have unlimited access to fresh clean water. This is particularly important in the management of mares that foal early in the year when water sources may freeze or in drought conditions when water is scarce. By the fourth month of lactation, the mare’s daily nutrient requirements start to decline.
What is the best diet for a lactating mare?
In summary, the lactating mare should be offered a well-balanced diet that contains adequate amounts of energy, protein and minerals to support milk production and maintenance requirements . A positive energy balance will support the reproductive performance and the development and growth of the newborn foal.
What do lactating mares need?
Breeders that feed grains must complement the diet with a protein supplement. Lactating mares need large amounts of quality protein. Protein quality is determined by the essential amino acids present and their relative amounts.
How much hay should a lactating mare eat?
The lactating mare should receive high quality forages (pasture/legume hay) at 1.0-2.0% of the body weight per day. However, on pasture they can voluntarily consume up to 3.0-3.5 % of their body weight as dry matter daily. In most countries, grazing lactating mares have to be supplemented with forages, concentrates or supplements ...
What are the daily requirements for a lactating mare?
The mare will produce approximately 3.0-3.5% (early lactation) and 2.0-2.5% (late lactation) of her body weight in milk per day . Important nutrients are secreted by the mare to supply her foal with energy, protein, fat, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals for optimal development and growth. To correct these nutrient losses and at the same time support maintenance requirements, lactating mares must consume adequate amounts of quality feeds. A selection of the daily nutrient requirements of lactating mares are described in table 1. These requirements are recommendations of the National Research Council (NRC, 2007).
Why is it important to avoid negative energy balance in lactating mares?
A negative energy balance in lactating mare should be avoided because it affects not only the milk production but it is also known to impair the reproductive performance. Lactating mares that have difficulties maintaining body condition can be given a fat-supplement.
What minerals do mares need to grow?
However, it is essential to supply also the lactating mare with sufficient amounts of trace-minerals and minerals, especially calcium and phosphorus. After foaling the skeletal growth of the foal will continue and a healthy foal grows quickly.
How to keep a mare lean?
Always take care that the mare is offered a concentrate high in protein, vitamins and minerals to meet her requirements. In addition, some exercise can assist with keeping the mare in an acceptable body condition. On the other hand there are some mares that tend to become very lean at the peak of the lactation period.
What happens if a mare is not getting enough calories?
If the mare is not getting enough calories, she will lose weight. If she is low in other critical nutrients, unfortunately, we may not realize it until the foal begins to show poor condition, excessive condition and/or signs of developmental orthopedic disorders (D.O.D.).
Is a mare's milk genetic?
The quantity and quality of mare's milk is primarily genetic, but her nutrition can have an important impact. It is important to make sure the mare’s daily intake of nutrients is AT LEAST equal to the nutrients she is putting out in her milk.
What is the energy requirement of a lactating mare?
Once the mare has foaled and is lactating, her energy requirements will increase by as much as 44% and nutrients, such as protein, calcium, phosphorous and vitamin A, will be in particularly high demand.
When does a mare reach peak milk volume?
The Mare Lactation Curve shows that the mare reaches peak milk volumes around five weeks into lactation, although exact volumes will depend on the number of previous lactations the mare has undertaken as well as her diet and the amount consumed by the foal per day.
What happens if a mare is deficient in calories?
If the mare’s diet is deficient in calories at this stage, she will lose weight and, if deficient in quality protein, she will lose muscle and top line and “milk off her back”, whilst an inadequate supply of major and trace minerals means her liver and bone stores will be sacrificed.
