Anyone feed Purina Enrich throughout entire pregnancy?

[Amchara]

I’ve been feeding Purina Enrich for quite some time now. I had my reservations at first, but my mare has done really well on it the past couple or years.

She is in foal now and I noticed on the tag it doesn’t have a section for third trimester mares. I emailed Purina and they suggested I switch to strategy so I can creep feed the foal the same product the mare will be on. Mare is half pony and the foal will be 3/4, I’m not keen on feeding her pounds and pounds of grain or creep feeding the foal.

Has anyone kept their mare on Enrich through out her pregnancy? As I said I am pleased with how she looks so I’d like to avoid switching if I can. Other products available are LMF Super Supp (not my favorite) and Nutrena Balance.

[MysticOakRanch]

I have fed Ration Balancers throughout entire pregnancy - I do NOT like to give a ton of concentrates (AKA Strategy or any other such feed) if I don’t need to, and I most definitely don’t want my foals eating grain concentrates while they are nursing! So I guess I disagree with Purina there - and I’d ask why they feel it necessary to make that switch? If they are just trying to get more protein into the mares, there are other ways to do that - Strategy is so full of sugar and soy, it wouldn’t be my first choice. Main ingredients are wheat middlings and soy hulls (and molasses).

I fed Super Supplement to my mares - it was most readily available of the ration balancers. Then grass hay and some alfalfa to get the protein up, and flax to help balance the calcium and add Omega 3s.

[JB]

There’s no reason you can’t keep a mare on a ration balancer for her entire pregnancy and through lactation.

The question is whether its feeding rate will give her enough calories. If it does, you’re good.

If it doesn’t, then you either switch to a good low NSC growth feed, or you can add alfalfa pellets for additional calories.

I would NOT creep feed a foal on Strategy. I wouldn’t even put the mare on it. Ultium Growth is a MUCH more suitable feed for her now, and the foal later, and even then, the foal won’t get much out of it until he’s 3-4 months old.

As well, there’s NO reason the foal can’t eat a ration balancer at the same age, 3-4 months. Prior to that he needs a milk-based foal feed, if he even needs additional calories.

[Dance_To_Oblivion]

I keep a couple of my mares on a ration balancer for their entire pregnancy (Buckeye Gro N Win) and have been very happy as they don’t seen additional calories until after foaling. I don’t want my foals eating any grain at all until 3-4 months old and then ration balancer is fine there too.

I honestly wouldn’t listen to the advice from Purina.

[exvet]

I feed Purina Enrich Plus and have for many years. Everyone I own is on it. Mares that are pregnant are on it until their last trimester and then I transition them over to Purina Ultium growth. My babies are started on ultium growth and stay on it until they’re a full 2 years old and then they’re transitioned to Purina Enrich Plus from that point forward. I’ve been very satisfied with how the babies have done, my mares have done as well as stallions. My mares were always heavy milkers but between the ultium growth and my hay I never had to worry about their weight as long as I kept up with where their foals were in their development/grocery needs. Of course, I breed/own welsh cobs and all are on desert, no grazing so I’m able to control everything that goes in them.

[clint]

I have fed Purina Enrich through the entire pregnancy of a few mares for several years. I like it and my mares have done very well on it. I switch to Strategy when the foal is born and depending on the growth of the foal, they may stay on Strategy until weaning and later, or not. A foal this year went off Strategy and back to Enrich at about six weeks, and now, at seven months, she is doing very well.

[Personal_Champ]

I fed Blue Seal’s Sunshine Plus (their version of a RB) throughout the entire pregnancy and lactation. If I put my mare on an actual grain, she wouldn’t fit through the door!

Baby (now 2) has eaten a RB his whole life as well, up until recently, when a growth spurt made him a touch ribbier than I wanted going into winter. He’s now eating a bit (about a pound 2x/day) of Ultium Growth with his RB and doing fine.

[Amchara]

Thanks for the responses everyone!

Exvet, what kind of horses do you have? I’ve heard good things about ultium growth but I think it might be a bit rich for pony crosses.

I ended up emailing Purina again yesterday asking for more information, including my desire to stay on a RB. I’ve heard good things about the Nutrena product, so will likely be trying that out if I don’t hear what ibwant from Purina.

[JB]

For the most part, any ration balancer will do. There are slight differences, some are 28% protein, some 32%, most 30%. Lysine content varies a little. Mostly it doesn’t matter, though for the lower protein ones you might need to feed a little more (and IME, they are also a little cheaper).

[beowulf]

[QUOTE=clint;8872558]
I have fed Purina Enrich through the entire pregnancy of a few mares for several years. I like it and my mares have done very well on it. I switch to Strategy when the foal is born and depending on the growth of the foal, they may stay on Strategy until weaning and later, or not. A foal this year went off Strategy and back to Enrich at about six weeks, and now, at seven months, she is doing very well.[/QUOTE]

Just curious, why Strategy - is there a specific reason?

[TrotTrotPumpkn]

I did with my first mare. She was also getting some alfalfa though, which helped. Current mare, started losing condition during the later part of her 3rd trimester and needed more, so I switched to Triple Crown Growth (or Ultium Growth when I couldn’t get a shipment in on time a couple times). She stayed on that until late spring. Now the mare and foal are back on just Enrich (good grass right now).

I do sometimes add oil along with the Enrich. Just depends.

FWIW, mine are warmblood mares, not ponies. I think a ration balancer is a great idea for ponies! Or maybe a vitamin/mineral if they are obese.

[exvet]

OP I breed welsh cobs, both section Cs and Ds. They are the ultimate in air ferns imo.

[Hillside_H_Ranch]

I do keep my warmblood mares on Enrich throughout the entire pregnancy and lactation. Sometimes the foals start nibbling at it, too, although I do not intentionally creep feed them. I like the feed and everyone has done well on it for many years now.