How long can colts and fillys live together? I have 2 foals this yr, a colt and a filly, and I plan to wean them together. How long can they live together without there being the concern of them becoming reproductive?
I have read reports of colts as young as 9 months successfully breeding. The other thing to be aware of is mixed genders can mix it up and kick and injure each other. Fillies often boss the colts.
I think it depends on the individuals. While colts may be capable at 9 months, fillies are generallu not fertile till over 1 year old.
I have had a colt and filly share a stall till close to 11 months old, and another yearling gelding share a stall with his weanling sister. Worked well. Yes, the fillies ruled, but no problems (“yes dear, I’ll give you more space …”)
as colts are weaned around here are gelded at an average age of 6 months and certainly by early spring of their yearling year at the latest I don’t worrry about seaprating the kids.We run a mixed herd of girls and geldings.
I’ve kept boys and girls together until the spring of their 1st year which is when the boys lose their jewels, and in 20-some years have never had any problems.
I had to pull my colt away from the herd at a year - as soon as everyone went into heat. Before that time all my mares seemed to look after him like he was the whole herd’s baby.
Our vet said 14 months, but our colt is at 16 months and next to a pasture with mares and he still hasn’t noticed;)
I keep mine together but last year I gelded at 4 or 5 months of age so not a problem. I didn’t wean until around 8 months since mare was chubby and everyone was content. I will probably do the same thing this year as well. The mare kept the foal moving for drainage and the gelding was really easy at that age.
9 months is the generally accepted point at which establishment of a pregnancy may become possible from either sex’s perspective. Having said that, I am aware of a filly that became pregnant at 7 months… :eek:
We’ve had to geld colts on open dam’s side that were trying to breed her during her cycles. It isn’t necessarily the rankest colt either that is very mature in that regard! Sometimes, it’s the sweetest “never would suspect them” colt! We’ve seen it as young as three to four months. Others don’t know that they are stallions at three years old, go figure!
[QUOTE=Jos;6534778]
9 months is the generally accepted point at which establishment of a pregnancy may become possible from either sex’s perspective. Having said that, I am aware of a filly that became pregnant at 7 months… :eek:[/QUOTE]
yikes…that would be awful!
There seems to be a wide range of opinions, but definitely not worth taking the chance! It looks like after they are weaned they will not be living together!
