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Author Topic: Weaning time  (Read 764 times)

gallatingal

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Weaning time
« on: January 15, 2014, 03:20:02 pm »

I am working up to weaning Cuervo so I can get the mare ready to sell in the spring.  It's almost spring isn't it? I weaned and gelded Eldorado at 4 months, but he was really really needing the "brain surgery".
This guy is very mellow, and although he is playful, not nearly as much as El D, who even now at coming 4 thinks everything is a joke. El D very much has his Sires disposition and Cuervo is more of a "Southern Gentleman" like his sire. No hurry on the surgery with this one.
I am looking at 5 months which is Feb 11, so just about a month from now. I have always done a "cold turkey" weaning before taking either the mare or the colt "off property" but some are saying it is less stressful if you separate them first but keep them where they can see and hear each other. What does everyone else do?
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kckc

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Re: Weaning time
« Reply #1 on: January 15, 2014, 04:27:40 pm »

Could you try close by weaning and see how they act?  I've heard both ways recommended and it seems that the horses in question would determine how they react.  if mom & child can eventually wander off from each other it seems like a less stressful way to wean. 
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stablemind

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Re: Weaning time
« Reply #2 on: January 15, 2014, 05:42:47 pm »

I think cold turkey weaning is best. Nearby weaning could be a good thing, but I would do that cold turkey as well...no back and forth stuff. I think gradual or intermittent just prolongs the separation anxiety and creates the ideal situation for the mare to get mastitis. 
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Mona

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Re: Weaning time
« Reply #3 on: January 16, 2014, 11:45:21 am »

I prefer the cold turkey, but leave them within sight of each other.  I am going to leave GG on for another month yet, also until about mid February, unless the mood strikes me sooner.  She will be 6 months, and because we are so cold here and quite a harsh winter, I just wanted to leave her on as long as possible.  I am not even sure what I am going to do with her, as I have no other pens with shelters on them. I might have to just leave her in the round pen and put her in the barn/stall on inclement weather days.  Am even tossing around the idea of maybe letting her and Angel (mini mare) in together to see how that goes.
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loneelk

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Re: Weaning time
« Reply #4 on: February 03, 2014, 07:51:22 am »

My one and only experience w/ foal weaning (decades ago) was done very gradually by riding the mare away from foal starting when he was about 6 months old.  He was left in the company of his small herd, and while he and the mare would call to each other for a little while, he gradually became accustomed to having mama leave him, first for relatively short periods, then later for 3 or 4 hours at a time.  Once we actually separated them, it was pretty easy for both of them.  She was an experienced mama, and actually seemed happy to be away from him, even during the early separations.  Nobody got agitated, tried to climb fence, etc.
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gallatingal

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Re: Weaning time
« Reply #5 on: February 03, 2014, 08:28:59 am »

The deed is done as of yesterday, at just under 5 months. The mare was starting to look a little poor even though I have been feeding her constantly. I just took her over to the neighbors, put a blanket on her and tossed her out with her mares. Everything is pretty calm, not much calling back and forth. the colt seems a bit depressed this morning but he is eating. I put Jigsaw in with him for awhile yesterday and he was a bit bossy, so today I am going to put Trigger in with him for awhile. 
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Mona

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Re: Weaning time
« Reply #6 on: February 03, 2014, 08:55:36 am »

Good to hear you "got 'er done"!   

I have been putting it off with GG.  She is at about 5.5 months of age now, but I really don't have a good place to put her.  I have no idea what to do.  I've had Chris keep the perimeter of the round pen blown out so I can get her in there when the time comes.  I just really HATE the idea of weaning a foal at this time of year.  I wonder if I might be better off taking Dream out and leaving GG in with the other horses! 

Hope Cuervo continues to do well with his weaning.
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stablemind

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Re: Weaning time
« Reply #7 on: February 03, 2014, 09:49:51 am »

Mona, when you feel the time is right, definitely take the mare away and leave the baby with the herd. Is there somewhere you can send Dream for a few months.
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gallatingal

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Re: Weaning time
« Reply #8 on: February 03, 2014, 01:05:17 pm »

Yes I decided to take the mare away and leave the colt with the rest of his life familiar. He at least has his same shed and all the big geldings he knows over the fence. I put Trigger in with him awhile today and yesterday Jigsaw. I know what you mean about not wanting to wean in the nasty weather. When it was so cold, at least I know he was getting a bellyful of warm milk. He has been wearing a turn out rug
since he hurt himself a couple of months ago and I haven't wanted to take it off of him except for on nice days. Once you start they are used to it. I would take her away and leave GG with the herd she knows if you can work it out.
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Mona

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Re: Weaning time
« Reply #9 on: February 03, 2014, 11:30:55 pm »

Thanks Cyd and Nelda for the advice.  I cannot send Dream away anywhere, but I can take her out and leave GG in with Cheyenne and Whitey. The only reason I am double thinking that idea, is because I feel that with being weaned, GG will need even more food, so I would like to have her where I can have hay in front of her 24/7. (hay net, but free choice, and not limited like I do for the other horses)  She is getting grained twice a day now as well as they get their hay bags twice a day.  I also thought about putting her in with my mini mare, but thing she may be too rough, wanting to play.  I just want to get her weaned now though, and keep her separated from her dam for a couple of months at least, before it gets too warm and a big sloppy mess in the round pen.  At least by then, I can put her back out with the others...or Dream can go back out, whichever way I decide to do it.  I might end up keeping GG separate so I can have more one on one time with her too.  I just don't know, or maybe I can do it a little of each way, moving her and Dream back and forth.
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Morson, Ontario.  Canada

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stablemind

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Re: Weaning time
« Reply #10 on: February 04, 2014, 06:00:21 am »

At this point,  your filly is already getting most of her nutrition from her hay and feed, so you can feel okay about weaning her whenever the weather and other circumstances seem right. With the last several foals we've had,  I'd been feeding the mare and foal Strategy because the mare needed the calories. At weaning,  I switched the mare to a Purina ration balancer and continued feeding strategy  to the foal until the bag was gone, then I switched the foal to the ration balancer too. (Purina Enrich Plus is labeled for foals at 4 months.) The foal always had free choice grazing or hay.

 It always makes me a little sad that the foal's personality changes at weaning.  Even when they're comfortable with their pasture mates, gone are the days of being a carefree baby who flops down for a nap whenever she feels like it, and most of the silly playfulness. But it's all okay.

Your idea of rotating them in the  round pen is a good one.
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Mona

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Re: Weaning time
« Reply #11 on: February 04, 2014, 10:42:50 am »

Well, this thread gave me the push I needed to make me commit. I am going to wean GG starting today.  Just waiting for hubby to get out there and blow a little wider area of snow out of there.

As for feed, I am also feeding both her and her dam "feed" twice a day.  In the morning (10:00am), Dream gets Mare and Yearling, and GG gets Mare and Yearling plus Omolene 300. Then they all get to eat from hay nets, but that is a limited ration.   In the afternoon (4:00pm), Dream gets her Nutrena Empower (Balance), and some timothy pellets and Horseshine.  GG gets Empower Boost along with some timothy pellets, Omolene 300 and Horseshine.  (No hay at this feeding)  Then at 10:00pm, they get their night time ration of hay.

I plan to keep this up fairly close to the same, only I will be stopping Dream's morning feed away from her, and feeding her just the afternoon feed. I think GG's feed can stay the same right now to see how she is doing, and can increase if needed.  All hay for Dream will be the same, but GG will have 24/7 access her her hay out of a larger mesh hay net.
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Morson, Ontario.  Canada

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gallatingal

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Re: Weaning time
« Reply #12 on: February 04, 2014, 12:56:10 pm »

I hope it goes as easily for Dream and GG (and you) as it has been with Reina and Cuervo. The rain started and he is standing in a stall with his brother Dorado.
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Mona

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Re: Weaning time
« Reply #13 on: February 04, 2014, 06:50:32 pm »

Well, it started off not too bad, but as the day wore on, and she wanted to nurse, and I am thinking Dream wanting to release some pressure, GG started hollering and jumping up against the round pen wall.  I had to break the packed snow right down from in front and then Chris took the snow blower and blew it away.  She was getting a little extra height there, and I was afraid she might try going over as she had her feet right up there. 

Then I worried about Dream trying to come over from her side, and that was even more worrisome because the packed snow on that side cannot be moved away, and I didn't want her trying to get over it and getting hung up or something.  I took the problem away for the night, since I can "see" out there in the dark, and watch to make sure everyone is safe.

I put GG in the box stall just at dark, and she screamed bloody murder!  (We have a camera over the stall so we can watch her from the house.)  She tried jumping up over the stall gate, got her one leg over, then managed to get it unhooked, and fell to the floor of the stall.  It must have taught her a lesson as she never tried it again.  She did calm down a lot, and even took a nap.  It is going to be stressful to her for sure, for awhile, but it's all par for the course. Never a shortage of drama where weaning is concerned.  ::)

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Morson, Ontario.  Canada

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2gaits

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Re: Weaning time
« Reply #14 on: February 09, 2014, 08:20:56 pm »

How is GG? Are things calming down a bit? She sure is a cute foal. What breeding is she on the sire's side? I know there are several possibilities from your previous posts but wondered if you had narrowed down the breed at least.
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