6 Month Old Not Yet Weaned - Looking for Advice

[JB]

@*Tradewind*;7901084

Perhaps there was a good reason, but why would someone ever wean a foal at 3 months??

I know of one QH breeder who weans them all at max 3 months because he’s “just gotta” start getting them fitted up for sales :rolleyes:

It’s not the emotional issues I’d be concerned about as much as the physical ones - the article VirginiaBred posted shows significant physical differences between foals weaned at 4.5 versus 6 months (cannon bone circumference and bone density). I also read a study recently which found that weaning later (6-8 months) is associated with a lower risk of bone and joint problems.

I’d love to see the latter article if you know where it is I’d love to show it to that person, who claims no harm no foul for those little guys Unfortunately he sells them all and has absolutely no idea what they end up doing, so he’s got no validity behind his claims

[sid]

In my experience in breeding, foaling, raising/training many foals to adulthood, I have found that 8 months is the less stressful for both dam and baby. That said, if the foal is taking to much from the mare in weight, then of course, that doesn’t work.

My mares are WELL feed once they start lactating to deal with those demands. But I also have a lot of pasture, so once the kiddos start grazing in earnest and get their own feed (or f/choice great quality hay) they seldom nurse past 6 months (maybe out of habit or to wash down forage. ) Once they go past 6 months they become less dependent on mom.

I think this has be so successful for me because of a real effort to adjust the lactating mare’s diet to demand as she’s nursing, but even more important make sure they are in very good flesh before they deliver.

If they are thin pre-foaling you can seldom get weight back on once they are nursing, unless you really pull out all the stops with multiple grain meals a day, even added oil for calories. Most people won’t do that (or don’t know they can). I’ve rehabbed skinny pg mares and those post foaling that were so underweight.

Anyhoo, I have weaned at 2.5 months (sick dam), 4 months (dam arrived way underweight a foaling), 6 months (I did the standard for all others because I thought that was gospel)… then 8 months because winter came early, bad footing and late babies. Hands down the 8 monthers were just the easiest of all…even singleton foals. After that I always weaned at 8 mos.

My experience FWIW.

[_Tradewind]

[QUOTE=JB;7901130]

I’d love to see the latter article if you know where it is I’d love to show it to that person, who claims no harm no foul for those little guys Unfortunately he sells them all and has absolutely no idea what they end up doing, so he’s got no validity behind his claims[/QUOTE]

I am having trouble locating the article, JB, but I will try to dig it up.

Upon closer examination of the actual article referenced earlier (regarding physical differences between foals weaned at 4.5 versus 6 months), it appears that the differences observed in bone density were actually not observed at a later follow-up.

However, here is an article referencing a study conducted on method of weaning which seems to be just as (more?) important as weaning age, with “paddock weaning” being more optimal than stall weaning:

http://www.thehorse.com/articles/28112/young-horse-development-part-2-six-months-to-1-5-years

Also, this article references a study which found that foals who were allowed fence-line contact with their dams during weaning showed reduced physiological and behavioural signs of stress compared with foals weaned abruptly:

http://www.thehorse.com/articles/10498/weaning-strategies

[_Tradewind]

This article suggests not weaning prior to 4 months: based on swine and bovine research, early weaning can have a detrimental effect on immune function.

http://www.thehorse.com/articles/34548/weaning-ways

[sid]

[QUOTE=Tradewind;7902672]
I am having trouble locating the article, JB, but I will try to dig it up.

Upon closer examination of the actual article referenced earlier (regarding physical differences between foals weaned at 4.5 versus 6 months), it appears that the differences observed in bone density were actually not observed at a later follow-up.

However, here is an article referencing a study conducted on method of weaning which seems to be just as (more?) important as weaning age, with “paddock weaning” being more optimal than stall weaning:

http://www.thehorse.com/articles/28112/young-horse-development-part-2-six-months-to-1-5-years

Also, this article references a study which found that foals who were allowed fence-line contact with their dams during weaning showed reduced physiological and behavioural signs of stress compared with foals weaned abruptly:

http://www.thehorse.com/articles/10498/weaning-strategies[/QUOTE]

Yes. When I did wean my 8 monthers, I just put them in an adjoining field next to their dams. For single foals, I had already introduced a buddy in with it and its dam. By 8 mos. they were so independent and having a buddy it already knew, it was a total non-event. No calling, no pacing. Zip.:yes:

[whitney159]

[QUOTE=sid;7902954]
Yes. When I did wean my 8 monthers, I just put them in an adjoining field next to their dams. For single foals, I had already introduced a buddy in with it and its dam. By 8 mos. they were so independent and having a buddy it already knew, it was a total non-event. No calling, no pacing. Zip.:yes:[/QUOTE]

Well THIS is exactly what I wanted to hear. I have an 8 month old filly that I plan to wean over the Christmas holiday. I only have 4 horses on the place, including her and the horses are all turned out together right now. The mare is attached at the hip to my gelding. The filly has become buddies with another mare and hangs out with her quite a bit. I plan to split them into adjacent pastures. Any advice as to whether to start with just keeping them apart during the day, or just do the deed and make the filly go “cold turkey” 24/7?

[JB]

Thanks Trade! I’ll do a little digging too

whitney - I was in exactly your spot. 4 horses including the foal, all turned out together.

At 8 months I fenceline weaned. Dam and foal had already been spending nights apart for several weeks, and eating meals apart for a bit longer.

I would start physically separating them for at least meals starting now, and see if you can get to overnight. I did this in adjacent stalls, so the transition was gradual.

Once I did a permanent separation, I would alternate which horse was with the mare and the foal, so the foal did not develop a new “dam” attachment to someone else. I also rotated which pasture the foal was in. I think I rotated about weekly, give or take. With my setup, that meant at times the foal would be taken with his buddy for the week to the farther pasture, and be “stuck” there while mom was still in the barn, until I put the other 2 out. The other rotation was mom and her buddy would be taken out first, leaving foal in while she left. It was good for him. Not always peaceful lol but that seemed to have a lot more to do with general herd separation than it did her specifically.

[KIloBright]

In over 25 years of weaning yearly foal crops, I have weaned both early (3 months)
and at around 8 months.
It made no difference on how those horses turned out in the end, but it was more stressful for the foals at the time, that were weaned early.
I did that early weaning at a time I was showing those babies in foal futurities, which I quit doing, and then just weaned the in the fall
In both cases, I did the cold ‘turkey’ method. None of the foals were weaned alone. The early weaned foals had been eating creep feed
I put the foals in safe stalls, and the mares were turned back out with the main herd`
The foals were halter broke and taught to lead, first just up the barn isle. After a week, they had lost their major separation anxiety, were eating a mixture of rolled oats and soaked beet pulp and hay. At this point, they were ready to be led out to a safe corral during the day and brought in at night
After roughly 6weeks of this routine, they were ready to be turned out in the winter weanling pasture, which shares a common fence line and stock waterer with the main herd,in which their dams were
I kept my weanlings separate for that first winter, as they were fed like young growing horses. In the spring the colts were gelded and the ‘new’ yearlings joined the main herd

[sid]

[QUOTE=whitney159;7903208]
Well THIS is exactly what I wanted to hear. I have an 8 month old filly that I plan to wean over the Christmas holiday. I only have 4 horses on the place, including her and the horses are all turned out together right now. The mare is attached at the hip to my gelding. The filly has become buddies with another mare and hangs out with her quite a bit. I plan to split them into adjacent pastures. Any advice as to whether to start with just keeping them apart during the day, or just do the deed and make the filly go “cold turkey” 24/7?[/QUOTE]

She’ll have her buddy with her, right? If so, 24/7.

[Sporthorse_Shop]

I haven’t weaned yet, I have had to deal with some of my own medical issues this week. I have a very tiny property so can only do a fenceline type weaning or I have to take the mare off the property, which I don’t want to do. My setup is 4 pens under the shade that all open directly to the one and only turnout. So, I either need to add some no climb to one of the pens or add some extra panels to create distance between one of the pens and the turnout. My colt seems less and less interested in his mom, so I am hoping this will be a non event. My vet is coming tomorrow to do fall shots and check teeth. At the last check the mare didn’t need them done, but maybe she does now.

[whitney159]

[QUOTE=sid;7903488]
She’ll have her buddy with her, right? If so, 24/7.[/QUOTE]

Her buddy will be with her 24/7, and JB made a good suggestion about rotating the buddy she has so she doesn’t develop a step-mom attachment to the other mare. I can do that, they all get along well enough.
The filly is already in a stall by herself at breakfast and dinner and has been since early September. When out in the pasture, she is just as likely to be found closer to the other mare or with the gelding than with her mom. Although when I did ride her mom last week and left the filly up with the rest, she did get upset and run a bit, but that might be more because of the strangeness of me riding the dam. She was in a stall away from mom for an hour for the farrier visit on Monday and was fine. Maybe between now and then I"ll get her away for an hour at a time, or for short stints to give her a little heads up.

[KIloBright]

Is she still nursing?
If so, that bond is still there, even if the filly has become more independent, as she still knows that she can return to mom .
It is very natural for foals as they grow up, to spend more time with other members of the herd, returning to mom only to nurse.

[JB]

Has there been any study done to look at, at what point nursing is still part of the bond, vs having just become habit?

[Doctracy]

I dealt with a single weiner once. After she jumped a panel to get in with mom, I had to take her to a stable with stalls for the first few days. Just make sure he’s in an idiot proof stall because they do get very upset and weaning is the time when babies get hurt.

[Doctracy]

I dealt with a single weaner once. After she jumped a panel to get in with mom, I had to take her to a stable with stalls for the first few days. Just make sure he’s in an idiot proof stall because they do get very upset and weaning is the time when babies get hurt.