| Author |
Message |
    
Leslie Walker
Neonate
Username: Nala
Post Number: 8
Registered: 03-2006
| | Posted on Friday, August 04, 2006 - 01:47 pm: | 
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I just put my haflinger mare and foal in with a welsh pony mare and foal. The plan is to keep them together for awhile (not sure how long) my foal is 4 months, the welsh pony is three months. I would eventually like to put my mare and foal back together and would like some idea if this is possible. How many months should they be separated? Anyone else do this or do they alway have to live separately?
Thank you,
Leslie |
Emma
Breeding Stock
Username: Emma
Post Number: 176
Registered: 09-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, August 06, 2006 - 01:20 am: |
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Hi Leslie,
If you plan to wean the Haffy foal first with the welsh mare and foal make sure your baby doesn't start feeding of the welshy (been there had that happen) now to your question. I have not had much success with returning baby to mum untill baby is headding up to the 14 month mark. Before this i have found baby tends to go back on the mare and even if she is dry, the consant searching for a feed from the foal can make the mare start to bag again. Might be better to leave your baby with the welsh baby for some time. |
AG
Yearling
Username: Tilly
Post Number: 60
Registered: 05-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, August 06, 2006 - 10:19 am: |
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I weaned mine at 9 months (it wasnt necessary to wean him earlier as mother not in foal again etc) and he was back with his mother 12 weeks later. He has never been seen to go near his mother, except for the very occasional grooming. I guess it all depends on the individual... |
Jos
Board Administrator
Username: Admin
Post Number: 957
Registered: 10-1999
| | Posted on Sunday, August 06, 2006 - 06:21 pm: |
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Some mare and foal combinations will go back to nursing after months of separation. Others will not. You'll just have to try it and see. |
Kris Moos
Breeding Stock
Username: Kris
Post Number: 824
Registered: 01-2006
| | Posted on Monday, August 07, 2006 - 08:45 am: |
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In the past what i have done is wait about 6 weeks and analyze the mare, if she is dry i put them together if foal begins to search i let it happen, if mom rejects the foals attempts its good to go, if she nuzzles the foal and guides into position i wait another 4 to 6 weeks...
I am just trying to decide how old is the right age to wean...anyone have any tips or things to look for to decide when to wean??? |
Heather Kutyba
Breeding Stock
Username: Heatherck11
Post Number: 302
Registered: 01-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 08, 2006 - 12:12 am: |
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I keep an eye out for the foals to be independent of the mares, eating well, drinking well, etc.
I weaned Buddy at 4 months, but he was ultra independent and I had a weaning mare (my OLD mare) to keep him happy...
Also, due to my colts size, I weaned for safety. It became obvious that it was necessary when he would get to romping in the stall (12 x 24), throwing his legs over his momma. There just wasn't enough room for the two of them...
When she started running him off of the food, that was the sign I needed.
I seperated them, and he never looked back. Now, Grace is still whimpering for him...and that was over 2 months ago!
Had he not been so big, I probably would have left him longer...but it just wasn't practical or necessary for him. |
Ruth
Neonate
Username: Rooty
Post Number: 8
Registered: 07-2006
| | Posted on Monday, August 14, 2006 - 02:57 pm: |
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I have weaned them anywhere from 3 months to 6 months depending on the situation. I like to leave them until at least 4 months. Interestingly the last one I weaned at 3 months was the easiest foal ever to wean, I don't think he even bothered calling for mum until 2 hours had passed, and the next day when turned out about 15 feet apart from each other they only ran the fence line for 10 minutes calling.
As far as how long before you can put them back together like Jos said it varies. I had one combo where I had to move the mare off the property, those two I think I left apart for close to a year, as that mare never dries up totally - her last foal is 5 years old now and you can still express fluid from her udder easily!
I have generally waited at least 6 months, but that doesn't mean you can't put them back together sooner.
Once we had a yearling start to nurse from another mare who had a foal at foot, and that yearling had been weaned for 6 months! Wasn't her mother either. We wondered why that mare had been losing so much condition... |
Kim Winter
Breeding Stock
Username: Clafairy
Post Number: 528
Registered: 07-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 15, 2006 - 11:05 am: |
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Can you wean them while keeping them both at the same place then? I had been trying to make arrangements to move the foal off the property, could I, however, simply seperate them with fencing and keep them both at my own field?? |
Kim Winter
Breeding Stock
Username: Clafairy
Post Number: 529
Registered: 07-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 15, 2006 - 11:07 am: |
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Although, is the experience away from home and with other horses going to be benificial to her as well... |
Lori aka " Raven"
Breeding Stock
Username: Raven
Post Number: 426
Registered: 03-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 15, 2006 - 11:49 am: |
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Kim, Chu kash was weaned on the property with mom around. Just mom stayed out in the other field and Chu kash can into the barn. I left him in the barn for about a week and slowly put him back out into a field right beside her. After a week he no longer looks for her and could careless if she comes to see him or not. I have had no problems with them this way. Even if you do not have a barn to put Rio into just leaving them seperated with a fence should be sufficient. They will soon rely on their own and you for comfort. Good luck! |
Kim Winter
Breeding Stock
Username: Clafairy
Post Number: 530
Registered: 07-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 15, 2006 - 12:25 pm: |
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Thanks Raven. Rio already goes away of her own accord and puts herself in the stable without mum or grazes at the opposite end of 3acres - when I have her in the roundpen while mum grazes mum cares more than Rio does but not for long so Im hoping there wont be to much uproar! I know last time they shut tequila in her stable with the top door closed and loaded baby up and took him away and there didnt seem to be a problem then, so I have my fingers crossed |
Ruth
Nursing Foal
Username: Rooty
Post Number: 13
Registered: 07-2006
| | Posted on Saturday, August 19, 2006 - 12:58 pm: |
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We've had more than 10 foals and only ever had to take the one off the property. That was before we had the fencing redone, lol. I usually wean by putting the foal in with another foal, or my donkey if we only have one foal, in a stall the first night, with mum across the aisle. I turn them both out the next day, I have two fields that are about 15-20' apart and I don't move them any closer than that to each other for a month or so. |
