weaning

[Blume_Farm]

So this year has been a series of bumps in the road! Every time I planned on weaning something would happen…had to have minor surgical procedure, had to go to a convention, super bad weather, etc, etc, etc.

Well, New Years resolution #1 done! Weaned the little 7 month old today:)

My question is, I am having some construction done on my barn right now which doesn’t lend itself to perfect horse placement. Right now I have my riding horse in the only paddock that doesn’t exit directly into the barn. I have to walk her through the paddock with the weanling and her buddy which is just a PITA. I would like to put her mother in that paddock as she is not taken for use regularly. However, dam and weanling would then share a fence line. How long before you think I can put them in side by side paddocks/ pastures? To throw a wrench in this a bit this foal is not taking weaning as easily as my others. She is screaming and pacing all day (her mother has not even returned one nicker and remains happily eating)

Opinions?

[VirginiaBred]

I like more than 6 months. I’m cautious. But safe and careful.

[back_in_the_saddle]

Do you have a companion for her? Prior to “the official separation/weaning”, we did do a soft weaning where Rubi would be in the barn during the day, Mags would be out w/ her donkey friend. We’d bring her and the donkey into the barn (24x12 stall) together to stay for a few hours when Rubi went out. And we’d put them all back together for a few hours.
When we officially weaned Mags and Rubi, they were side by side pasture wise but Mags always had her donkey friend with her. The fence was 4 strand electric horse guard fence. They were apart until Rubi dried up and then we put them all back together again. She never tried to nurse after that.
Due to the “soft” weaning first, it wasn’t like they suddenly had a fence between them their first day apart. They were used to going out alone or Mags w/her donkey.

The two are pasture mates now and can leave each other alone without problems. They aren’t dependent on each other. Rubi is still very much protective of her 2.5 year old “baby” if she feels like danger is near. Percherons across the street or coyotes for example, but other than that, you’d never suspect they were mother/daughter.

[Blume_Farm]

Yes, Brilly is with my paint mare. They have been together for months so know each other well. Brilly seems much quieter this morning. She is so bonded to me right now that when I was in their paddock this morning mucking she followed me and wouldn’t eat her grain. i had to go walk back over to her feed pan and stand there while she ate. So sad the weaning process:(

I am hoping that she will settle down in the next two weeks and i can shuffle her dam back into the paddock next to them. This coming week there is going to be very little riding done as it is going to be FREEZING weather…like 6F!!! So i won’t be taking my riding horse in/out through the foal’s paddock much which is really the hassle and why I want to play “shuffle the horses”.

[can_t_re]

I wean gradually, so I start with them sharing a fence line and then move further away. But that only works with certain types of fencing. It lessens the stress tremendously. I also give ulcergard the first week or so.

[VirginiaBred]

A recent article in The Horse (www.thehorse.com) supports what many breeders (me definitely) have known all along, that weaning is easiest when the mare and foal are out of sight and sound. Read here for more:
http://www.thehorse.com/articles/331…ions-for-foals

[back_in_the_saddle]

I also believe the ‘best’ and probably the fastest way is to haul the mare off property. For those of us that don’t have that option I found a gradual separation to work ok.

[Blume_Farm]

Well she seems to have finally accepted her new life without mom. She has called only a few times today and right now is happily grazing with her buddy. Of course, her mom is quite content without baby and getting to eat all her food herself in peace:)

They are separated essentially out of sight. I am sure her dam could hear the filly screaming but she never calls back so essentially out of sound as well. I also put them on ulcerguard when I wean.

Really my question is when do you all think I can play horsie shuffle and put the dam in the adjacent pasture without stirring the pot too much? I know there really isn’t a definite answer, just opinions welcome!!

[VirginiaBred]

I wouldn’t.

Time will be your friend.

[Home_Again_Farm]

I weaned side by side for all the years that I had my foals at home. I found it to be a fairly stress free method. The foals and mares could see each other and even touch noses, but the foals could not nurse. Within a day or two the mares would stop hanging by the fence and the foals didn’t care.

[NaniLio]

I weaned across the farm with the mares out of sight for several years. For me it was a disaster and the foals always ended up in the round pen. I’m sure the out of sight and sound method is preferred and ideal but on my farm even though they were out of eyesight they were always within earshot which turned into a game of lets jump any and all obstacles in the way of getting to mom (read 3-board fences with hotwire top). So, after recommendation by a breeder friend who I respect I tried the fence line weaning. I was hooked. The mares and foals hang by the adjoining fence line for a few days and then gradually spend more and more time away. Within a week mares and foals happily do their own thing and don’t pay the others any attention.

So…If I were in your position I think anytime now you’re fine to give it a shot since the foal isn’t calling and looking for mom still. You may have a few days of readjusting but keeping baby occupied should help settle things back down. Good luck!

[Manni01]

I have the same problem right now. I weaned my foal two weeks ago and in the beginning i did alternating turnouts . Now they are out at the same time, with a road between the pastures. It works well.

[VirginiaBred]

@NaniLio

I weaned across the farm with the mares out of sight for several years. For me it was a disaster and the foals always ended up in the round pen.

Two questions if you don’t mind: How old was your foal and what was the date when you weaned?

[can_t_re]

Thank you for sharing The Horse article on weaning. It appears to support that breeders have found more than one way to wean:

“There are a number of different ways to actually handle weaning, depending on how many foals you have and the physical layout of your facility.
Out of sight (and hearing), out of mind. Many believe mares and foals tend to quiet down faster if they cannot see and hear each other after weaning. There are some differences of opinion on this element of weaning management, however.”

My farm is not big enough to wean without the mares and foals hearing each other calling and I have 35 acres. But even if I did have a bigger farm, I would still wean gradually. It has worked best for me though I realize others may prefer to wean instantly.

[NaniLio]

[QUOTE=VirginiaBred;7356072]
Two questions if you don’t mind: How old was your foal and what was the date when you weaned?[/QUOTE]

The first year I weaned across the fence line was 2012, the foal was 8 months, and I weaned with the signs (don’t remember the exact dates). He was always very independent and would have happily walked into the ring without his mama when he showed on the line. She probably fretted more than he did (he was her first foal). At weaning time he was just thrilled to be in a new pasture with new buddies.

This year despite my best attempts I could not coordinate weaning with the signs and also have good weather. Had one of the mares not been having trouble keeping weight on I would have probably waited until Feb to wean so I could do it with the signs. These three foals were 6 months old and I weaned Dec 16th. I was worried about these three as they were more attached to their moms than the 2012 colt, I was not using the signs, and they were younger. I was pleasantly surprised that everything went smoothly. They lingered at the adjoining fence line longer than the previous years pair but after a few days they were off doing their own thing.

In my disaster years I was not aware of the signs, I weaned younger (4 months), and did it across the farm. Any and all of those things were contributing factors to the added stress of weaning.

This is a pic of weaning day and pretty much sums up what they did:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=664226139004&set=pb.67300310.-2207520000.1389016101.&type=3&theater

[Home_Again_Farm]

I agree with can’t re that there are many ways to Rome and one route may be better than others, depending on the situation on the specific farm. I am not trying to tell anyone that the opinion they have expressed is wrong. I am just giving my own experience. :yes:

The article linked above may have been printed in “The Horse,” but the source does not strike me as very scientific. It was reprinted with permission from The Feed Room, by Nutrena.

Here is an older, but much more thorough article on weaning from “The Horse.” It fully describes many methods of weaning with a discussion of pros and cons of each. I remember the study on the fenceline weaning that showed reduced levels of cortisol in foals. That reflects the results that I saw over the years. This is a very good description:

Foals weaned next to their dams had behavioral and physiological responses similar to foals not being weaned at all.

Here is the link to the whole article:

http://www.thehorse.com/articles/15155/weaning-foals

I have subscribed to “The Horse” for many, many years. It used to be much more in depth, with more detailed articles, especially those on breeding and reproduction. As many things are, it is not what it once was. :winkgrin:

[VirginiaBred]

Mary Lou, I agree. The articles used to be much more detailed.

[Manni01]

[IMG]http://i931.photobucket.com/albums/ad152/Gretaundlucky/photo2_zpsaa98aaaf.jpg)
A picture of my foal weaned 3 weeks ago with her new friend a naughty GRP… She adores the pony and I think after the first two days she really missed her mom not to bad. You can see the little road which divides my pastures… This is not a problem at all. I’m just wondering right now how long I have to wait until I put all of the horses back together…