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.
What do lactating mares need during lactation?
Here are five tips for meeting mares’ nutritional needs during lactation. 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.
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.
Can a lactating mare eat hay and grass?
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. Grain products formulated for broodmares are designed to meet pregnant and lactating mares’ nutritional needs.
What happens if you dont feed a lactating mare enough energy?
Not feeding a lactating mare enough energy means she will lose weight. If she falls below a condition score of 5 (on the Henneke 1 to 9 scale), it may make it difficult to get her back in foal and could also reduce the amount of milk she produces for her foal.
How much feed does a lactating mare need?
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).
How do you take care of a mare after foaling?
Encourage the mare and foal to rest as long as possible. Give them an opportunity to bond undisturbed. Treat the umbilical cord with an antiseptic solution, recommended by your veterinarian, soon after the cord breaks and for several days thereafter to prevent bacterial infection.
How long do you feed mare and foal feed?
The lactating mare then provides 100 percent of her suckling foal's nutritional needs up to approximately 2 months of age. Adequate amounts of protein, energy (calories), vitamins and trace minerals are needed in the mare's diet for both mare and baby to thrive.
Can lactating mares eat fescue?
Mares that continue to eat fescue are at greatly increased risk of prolonged pregnancy and a difficult delivery of the overmature foal; thickening of the placenta leading to suffocation of the foal during birth; premature placental separation; and failure to produce colostrum or milk.
What do you feed a horse after birth?
Generally, foals consume 4 to 6 ounces of colostrum per feeding. Heavily milking mares produce higher levels of colostrum than the foal is capable of consuming during these early meals. On the average, approximately 5 to 8.5 ounces of colostrum could be hand milked from the mare immediately following each nursing.
When can you turn foals out?
Safe Turn-Out After your foal is a week or two old and your vet says it's safe for him to be with others, the best plan is to turn him out with other mares and foals of similar age, provided they get along. It's up to you to monitor how they're getting along and that the environment is safe for the young foal.
What is best feed for mare and foal?
Forage should always form the basis of the diet for good digestive health and is ideal for correct growth. If your foal is weaned during summer, grass should supply all the energy they need. If weaning occurs in the autumn or winter, good-quality, digestible forage like haylage, is perfect for growth and condition.
What is the best feed for foals?
Grass, the most natural of equine foods, should always be available when foals are turned out, and hay should be provided in the stall. Alfalfa (lucerne) or an alfalfa/grass mix will provide both energy and calcium for sound skeletal development. Water and salt should be accessible to mares and foals at all times.
When can foals start eating grain?
one weekAs early as one week of age your foal may start taking some interest in feed by nibbling at hay or grain.
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.
Is orchard grass good for pregnant mares?
If the forage (pasture or hay) is of high quality, very little grain is generally needed until just before foaling. Hay should be a grass or grass mix, with not more than about 10% alfalfa, and ideally should provide around 10% to 12% protein. Orchard grass, bluegrass, Timothy and Bermuda are excellent hay choices.
Can pregnant mares have garlic?
With pregnant mares consider the allicin-releasing action and its altering of the amniotic fluid, this suggests garlic should not be given during pregnancy. There are many common pharmaceutical drugs that garlic is not to be given at the same time.
What happens after a mare foals?
What happens after the mare has foaled? The mare usually stands and starts to lick her foal a few minutes after birth. She may squeal and 'nicker' at it and generally make a fuss over it. This is an important time of instinctive 'bonding' and this should not be confused by unnecessary human interference.
How long does it take for a mare to clean after foaling?
At around day 8 or 9 the vet will examine the mare and take a cervical swab. This swab will determine if the mare is clean or dirty (has an infection) after foaling. Once the swab is taken, it takes 24 hours to get the results back.
Can you ride a mare with foal at foot?
Most Mares Can Start Exercising 6-8 Weeks After Foaling And, similar to those human mothers who are bedridden for months after a birth, mares who entered motherhood unfit or unsound may be incapacitated afterward for an extended period of time.
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.
Why is it important to feed a lactating mare?
Getting a lactating mare’s feeding right is critical to ensure she can provide milk for her foal and provide the required nutrients for a foetus if she is pregnant again. A balanced diet is also essential to keep the mare healthy so that she can continue to reproduce or go back into work after her foal at foot is weaned.
Do lactating mares need vitamins?
Mares with access to green pasture will have the majority of their vitamin requirements met by the pasture alone. Mares with no access to pasture will generally need to be supplemented with vitamins.
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.
How much hay should a mare eat?
Because of this, mares should have access to appropriate forage at all times. Tall, large-framed broodmares (1,300 lb or 600 kg) may consume more than 40 lb (18 kg) of hay daily.
How much should a ration balancer feed a mare?
A ration balancer is a concentrated source of protein, vitamins, and minerals, typically fed in small amounts, such as 1-2 lb (0.45-0.9 kg) per day. Other considerations when managing lactating mares: While mares in late gestation may have a reduced appetite, lactating mares typically have normal, even ravenous, appetites.
Why can't mares eat forage?
Because of their high energy and nutrient needs, mares cannot generally consume sufficient forage to meet their nutritional requirements. Mares in late gestation and lactation are usually provided concentrates to fulfill this caloric shortfall.
Do mares need forage?
Because of their high energy and nutrient needs, mares cannot generally consume sufficient forage to meet their nutritional requirements. ...
Is broodmare hay good for horses?
As with all hays intended for horses, broodmares should be offered high-quality hay that is free of any dust, mold, or weeds. The texture of the hay should be soft, and the smell pleasant and appealing. Not only is high-quality hay more palatable, but it can provide significantly more calories than lower quality hay.
Do lactating mares need energy?
Experts assert that lactating mares may require twice as much dietary energy as horses at maintenance, placing them in the same nutritional classification as intensely worked athletic horses. Owners of broodmares can assure optimal nutrition through provision of a well-fortified diet. Before exploring dietary options, ...
Do mares need a lot of energy to lactate?
Lactation in Mares: Nutritional Notes. The nutritional requirements of broodmares peak as fetal growth surges in late gestation and as lactation commences after birth. Experts assert that lactating mares may require twice as much dietary energy as horses at maintenance, placing them in the same nutritional classification as intensely worked ...
