# At what age do you wean your foals?



## Enfys (11 September 2007)

Generally that is, circumstances being normal.


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## MissIndependance (11 September 2007)

Depends - the ones that were born March/April and that are sold will be weaned in the next month - aged 6 months...

I tend to aim for 6 months and then seperate them, although if they're late foals like a couple will be next year then I have left them with mum until the spring as 6 months took them to January which I think is a horrible month to wean!


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## magic104 (11 September 2007)

6mths, though this year I am going to try something different &amp; only separate at night.  If in the spring he is still suckling during the day &amp; she is producing milk then I will part them for a few mths.


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## Irishcobs (11 September 2007)

Ours are going next month at 5months because the mares have had enough of them and being infoal again they are giving to much to the foals rather than themselves.


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## Fahrenheit (11 September 2007)

5 months but I judge it on the individual mare and foal and how they are doing and how they are growing.


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## southsidestud (11 September 2007)

5 months ~6 months


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## mat (11 September 2007)

5 to 6 months again, but as HGLLT2!! said, it would have to depend on how well the mare and/or foal are doing and how big the foal is.

I suppose weather would be a factor too as I am a big softy and would feel bad doing it if there was torrential rain and 100mph winds!


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## ESH_Jess (11 September 2007)

approx 6 months/once they've been branded.


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## S_N (11 September 2007)

Very much depends on the individual scenario!  I wanted to get H off B at 6 months - as it was, circumstances dictated that I had to wait till he was 9 months old.

Sometimes it is necessary to wean early - though I always hate doing this.


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## volatis (11 September 2007)

5 to 6 months, depends on how the foal is doing, and the weather etc. We tend to wean the mares away form the main herd so the foal can stay in the field they know with the rest of the 'gang' eventually just leaving one nanny mare with them


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## springfallstud (11 September 2007)

[ QUOTE ]
5 to 6 months, depends on how the foal is doing, and the weather etc. We tend to wean the mares away form the main herd so the foal can stay in the field they know with the rest of the 'gang' eventually just leaving one nanny mare with them 

[/ QUOTE ]

Same here!!! But D likes to wean by bringing the foal in and as we will be weaning hers with one of mine i feel some big disscussions coming on


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## Faithkat (11 September 2007)

Mine's coming away from the mare at the end of this month, she'll be just over 5 months.  She's been happily eating hard feed for just over a month now (which she loves), loves haylage and grazes all the time.  Obviously I'm not there all the time but she hardly ever suckles now.  The mare's getting a bit fed up with her too - I don't think foaly teeth and teats mix too well!


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## Damien (11 September 2007)

We wait six months or five if they are very big strong foals, this year we are retaining a filly and she will remain with her dam throughout the winter providing mom maintains her weight. I find that foals generally thrive through the winter much better on their dams. I have two clients that did not wean their foals at all their dams until spring/summer and they are the best conditioned yearlings I have ever seen!

Bamba at 15 months, dunno about everyone else but when I saw her she looked like a two rising three year old!


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## Tia (11 September 2007)

Normally I don't make forced weanings; I let the mare wean herself although if it suits then I will help the situation along by stabling them separately overnights.  Mine have all been completely weaned (generally by the mother) by 8 or 9 months old.

Cloud has more or less weaned Legacy already and Legacy is almost 5 months old.  Legacy could easily have been weaned a month or so ago if it had been necessary though.

Having a 2 month old foal here as a livery has shown though that with good food and good company it can be done very early with no lasting ill effects.

You'll find that a lot of people wean very early over here Enfys, compared to the UK - I have mixed views about this, but wouldn't necessarily say it is a bad thing.


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## springfallstud (11 September 2007)

Wow she does look good, i like natural weaning and would happily leave mine on longer but i worry about the mares coping with being in foal again, they all look well (almost a little too well lol) and get fed balancer??!!


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## Damien (11 September 2007)

some mares do cope well so I guess if they are in peak condition and your feeding sufficient vits/minerals stud mix feed balancers what ever both mare and foal should thrive.


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## Enfys (11 September 2007)

Tia, the reason I am asking is that Isabella is taking every ounce of flesh off Lola's back and I really need to get some covering on her before winter sets in. Like you I would rather they did it themselves but I've never had a mare look this poor before. (De-wormed etc, etc, and vet happy with her) In the UK I would probably have the RSPCA camping on the doorstep.

The foal would cope fine I think, she's eating well, but Lola is totally hysterical about being separated at all. I haven't got anywhere to send one of them and all my fields overlook each other so just separating them might be problematical. Would stabling them separately at night move things along a bit perhaps? No babies to turn foal away with either, just her regular herd companions. Ah, problems, problems.


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## Tia (11 September 2007)

Stabling separately, but in adjoining stables, has worked well for me in the past.  Lola's milk will start to dry up as Isabella won't be suckling so much.

I wouldn't be overly concerned with Isabella not having any playmates to be honest.  Legacy isn't the only foal in her field however she has nothing to do with Breeze at all - to be perfectly honest if you were to watch Legacy you would never think she was a foal.  She is such a sensible girl.

Have you looked into feeding some Buckeye?  This is what I have used for the mares and foals and they are looking good on it.  If Lola is looking as poor as you say then yes I would implement a forced weaning for her.  Was she re-covered?  Was she a stressy mare before Isabella came along?


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## Enfys (11 September 2007)

Thank you Tia, Yes, Lola is bad. No muscle tone, hips, back bone, ribs all prominent, huge belly, (huge udder) shiny coat and happy enough in herself though. Hmm, stressy before she foaled? No, I wouldn't say so, she was very quiet and so much the under dog that I had to separate her with just one other so she could eat in peace. 

Yes she was recovered in July, I think she may be a mare that shows very early on, as she proved to be only 5 months pregnant when I bought her and looked further gone than that, although that could have just been the ghastly condition she was in when I got her from the feedlot. (December 2006)






I think I will try the overnight stabling, ha! Now then, mare in big 20'x11' stable and foal in 10' x 11'  across the aisle or vice versa? Good job hubby is working nights, there will be some noise! Would I put them out together as normal during the day? More risk of mastitis? 

I haven't come across Buckeye , will go and look that up right now.


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## Tia (11 September 2007)

If you had adjoining stables that would always be my preference.  One where they can still touch noses.  I think you may have to keep a close eye on them if you are going to have an aisle between them; or put up a stall guard on the top door area.

I've always turned out together during the day - not had any mastitis and the milk sacs have started to shrink quickly using this method.  The other thing that I've noticed when I have done this, is that the foal sort of stops going for the milk so frequently.  Are you creep feeding Isabella?


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## Enfys (11 September 2007)

I went and had a good look at my stables, the foaling box doesn't have a neighbouring box that is suitable and the others all have quite high (5') walls. 

I have decided that the best thing will be to keep Isabella in the stable and Lola can have the run of the aisle, all 15' x 60' of it, the floor is rubber matted and with the barn doors shut she can come to no harm, they will be able to touch each other quite happily then.
No, not creep feeding the foal, but for about a month now she has been eating her feed in the aisle whilst Lola is in the stable, so she's used to having her own rations.

Thankyou Tia.


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## amandaco2 (11 September 2007)

i started at 6months with leaving foal in the stable and riding mum.l
as i was at livery so had to keep them in same stable until she was 9months.moved to new place,into own stables.out together in field in the day.i put cribbox on mums teats and this stopped baby feeding and dried mum up nicely.both went out together for a few more weeks and then bey went in with a nice gelding.


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## Tia (11 September 2007)

Yes that's more sensible.  Best of luck - hope it all goes smoothly.


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## Anastasia (12 September 2007)

We wean 5 - 6 months, 6 months preferably, but if the foal is very strong and looks like its draining on the mother then I would wean at 5 months, but it depends on circumstances, whether they have been sold, when the new buyer wants them etc etc.

We have a foal born in February.....our lovely Sugababe.......but she is still on her dam and will continue with her until some of our other foals are weaned, so that they can then be grouped together.


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