| Author |
Message |
    
Rebecca Kate Smith
Weanling
Username: Iheartskeetles
Post Number: 32
Registered: 01-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, March 09, 2006 - 04:25 pm: | 
|
allright...i've been reading several books, magazines and pestering my vet and i've come up with some new questions.
My mare wasn't producing enough milk for Teleo so my vet put her on Dyna-Lode. 1 scoop twice daily. He said it would take 7-10 days for it to kick in. Is it ok for Teleo to not being getting as much milk as he wants? He just sucks her dry everytime he nurses and he tries to nurse every 5 minutes!
I read "Blessed Are The Foals" and it said that it is very bad for foals to have diarrhea except during foal heat. I wormed my mare right after foaling with zimectrin but yesterday Teleo had yellowish diarrhea. My mare is in heat. Should I call the vet?
Should Teleo have a water bucket? The barn owner put one in there where he can reach it and i've never seen him drink, he just runs into it and get water all over! 
When should I begin introducing grain? (I feed Nutrena Youth as well as Strategy)
How do you transition from the rope around the butt technique to actually leading? I'm having a heck of a time. As soon as I take the butt rope away, Teleo resists. |
Heather Kutyba
Yearling
Username: Heatherck11
Post Number: 98
Registered: 01-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, March 09, 2006 - 09:12 pm: |
|
Rebecca,
If your colt seems constantly nursing, or standing for prolonged periods of time this is a possible sign that he is not getting enough to eat.
I had the same problem with my mare this year....my colt ended up hospitalized. He developed constipation because he wasn't eating enough.
The medication that is typically used and accepted to increase milk production in mares is called Domperidone. While expensive, it does work, and made a world of difference for my mare and colt.
Try not to get frustrated about the leading. Teleo is young, and you may have to use to butt rope for a while longer. It is better to do that, then be pulling on his fragile neck. My colt is 7 wks now, and leading well. He still messes up, and I sometimes have to use the but rope.
A good rule of thumb about the milk. After Teleo nurses for a while and takes a rest....try expressing milk from your mare. If you can still get a decent stream, she is probably doing fine. But, if you have difficulty getting milk, this is a sign her production is reduced.
Make sure she has a constant supply of hay to eat 24/7. If she is truly having reduced lactation, you may want to re-consider riding her until the situation is resolved.
Teleo will learn to drink by watching his momma. He will also learn to eat this way too. Put the feeder low enough that he can get in there with her. Foals rarely over eat, but if he becomes a glutton, you can always raise her feeder when he gets older, and put up a creep feeder for him.
Diarrhea is common right around "foal heat". This is due to the natural change in the foals bacterial flora in the gut, and just happens to coincide with the timing of foal heat (7-14 days-ish). If you are concerned, it certainly wouldn't hurt to call your vet.
By the way! All of your concerns are valid concerns, you are not paranoid (they told me I was too....don't listen!), you just want to do best by your mare and foal. They are both wonderful, and I can't wait to see more pics. |
Lori aka " Raven"
Weanling
Username: Raven
Post Number: 34
Registered: 03-2006
| | Posted on Friday, March 10, 2006 - 09:54 pm: |
|
Okay when is it too early for a foal to eat? Chu kash has his head in Ladys feed and water tub already and he is only 1 week today. Actually eating the grain and drinking the water. Is that normal. He does now have his own bucket for grain, mainly Lady will eat from it but he does get his head in there to eat as well. He will usually eat when she is eating from her own. |
Jan H
Breeding Stock
Username: Jan_h
Post Number: 145
Registered: 01-2006
| | Posted on Friday, March 10, 2006 - 10:01 pm: |
|
They do like to try what momma is eating but I would not recommend that the buckets get lower for him to eat out of, some foals fill up on water then do not nurse as much as they should. anyway that is my opinion and I am sure others have their own as well. Give the little guy a squeeze for me ok? |
Lori aka " Raven"
Weanling
Username: Raven
Post Number: 37
Registered: 03-2006
| | Posted on Friday, March 10, 2006 - 10:30 pm: |
|
Jan the water bukets are up at her highth but he is growing so much he does reach them (right into them) and his grain bucket he only gets half handfull in there. Just to keep him occupied. He would rather eat from Lady's anyday. 
Chu kash will enjoy his squeeze from you |
Kim k
Breeding Stock
Username: Kimk
Post Number: 462
Registered: 04-2005
| | Posted on Saturday, March 11, 2006 - 09:00 am: |
|
Lori, most of our babys are tall enough to reach moms feed tubs, could not put them any higher or moms would be eating out of them ! If the foals are not tall enough within a couple of weeks they are. They feed out of moms feed tubs and mom normally does a good job consuming the majority of it anyways. We will up the feed a bit after delivery anyways. We don't give baby their own bucket to start creep feeding unless we are having trouble with the mare. Most the time mom and baby eat out of the same bucket. It also helps that mom is teaching baby alot during this time too. Its not unitl the baby is a bit older that the baby actually seems to want to eat grain, up to this point it seems that they play with it more than anything.The foals have a constant supply of water in the field with the mares. We dont' run into any problems.As baby gets older we up the mares grain agian. Mom eats what she should and baby eats inbetween and they do ok, if we were to have a problem with a mare that is a "pig" and won't let baby eat or eats it all then we will add the creep feeder to the stall. We don't do this unless there is a problem because the baby still tends to want to eat with mom and then gets more than needed with the creeper and mom then too gets upset because once her feed tub is empty, they move to the creeper and beat it up! |
Lori aka " Raven"
Weanling
Username: Raven
Post Number: 39
Registered: 03-2006
| | Posted on Saturday, March 11, 2006 - 11:08 am: |
|
Kim K,Chu kash does not have a creep feeder in there it is just one of those tiny personal buckets that is hanging from the wall at his level. I put a half a handful in there for him he still eats with mom and mom eats his but he does like to play with it along with the bucket. He was grabbing the water buckets and I was having water all over the place. Now he plays with this one and occasionally eats the grain. Just wondered if it was too soon to do this since he has been in her grain? |
Kim k
Breeding Stock
Username: Kimk
Post Number: 465
Registered: 04-2005
| | Posted on Saturday, March 11, 2006 - 11:26 am: |
|
I don't think its too soon, as most is play anyways 
Just a word of caution, make sure the bucket is sucure so that he can't get it down and get a leg caught in the handle  would not be good
(Message edited by kimk on March 11, 2006) |
Lori aka " Raven"
Weanling
Username: Raven
Post Number: 40
Registered: 03-2006
| | Posted on Saturday, March 11, 2006 - 11:56 am: |
|
Kim K,
Thanks it is sucure and the word of advice. |
Terri Berwanger
Yearling
Username: Terrib
Post Number: 82
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Saturday, March 11, 2006 - 01:20 pm: |
|
I think all your questions are valid. I'm always paranoid with anything concerning new foals. Last night my foal was born and I gave her a bottle on the ground and I have never seen a foal drink like this one. She is a chow hound! She was up nursing quicker then any foal I have had too. My mare still has a steady stream of milk so I'm pretty sure she is getting enough, but will monitor the situation. This one has also been investigating the hay pile and grass too. I find foal feeders don't work with my mare as she puts her lips on top of the bars and licks the pot clean with her long tongue! I use foal aide for the first couple of weeks and then start hand feeding some foal pellets while mom is eating. Then I usually give them a little tire feeder on the ground when mom is eating and give the baby a brush so I can keep mom away. Never had problems with foals drinking water. Have seen other young ones do it (not mine) and generally they ended up being sick and were drinking water for some other reason.
Good luck Grand Ma! |
Rebecca Kate Smith
Weanling
Username: Iheartskeetles
Post Number: 35
Registered: 01-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, March 16, 2006 - 10:55 am: |
|
allright, MORE QUESTIONS!!
Teleo's navel stump is mostly dried up but is still a bit squishy towards the top. no discharge or heat, just squishy. is this normal? when does the stump usually come off?
Teleo also has some wicked dandruff on his mane and forlock. it's not little, white flakes but big yellow colored ones. he also seems VERY itchy. i put some Equus Rehydrant Spray on it (now he kinda looks like a punk rocker with his gelled mohawk ) normal?
I turned Skeetles and Teleo out two days ago outside for the first time. I've always turned them out into the indoor arena because it's been windy and cold, it finally was nice for a day and i put them into the outdoor. (i would put them in pasture or dry lot but Skeetles runs through the fence  ) the outdoor has sand as a base and Teleo seems to like to eat it. Should I be worried he'll colic? How do I stop him from eating the sand? |
Kim k
Breeding Stock
Username: Kimk
Post Number: 488
Registered: 04-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, March 16, 2006 - 12:14 pm: |
|
It may be like craddle cap. If you are in a warm climate and can give a good bath , that would be extreamly helpful. And then I would try applying some baby oil to the skin and working it loose that way(if in cold climate just try the baby oil) You may loose a bit of hair doing it as well. The oil softens it up and frees it so you can comb it off... You may need a human comb, something that is finner to get to the fines of the hair and skin.
Eating sand is not good. I don't really have any suggestions to get him to stop, maybe someone else would. Maybe he is missing something in his diet ? There is also a sand product/for removal of it that can be bought commerically but don't know about feeding it to a foal. Is he eating it or playing in it ?
Kim |
Rebecca Kate Smith
Weanling
Username: Iheartskeetles
Post Number: 37
Registered: 01-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, March 16, 2006 - 03:47 pm: |
|
i'll try the baby oil on his mane/forlock.
he's mostly "tasting" the sand. he's not just eating it like it's grain, just taking a nibble and kinda mouthing it. he is eating some of it but every time he did it, i would throw a handful of sand at him. i just want him to realize it's sand, and not for eating. DUH! Don't you wish we could jsut talk to them? |
Kris Moos
Breeding Stock
Username: Kris
Post Number: 344
Registered: 01-2006
| | Posted on Friday, March 17, 2006 - 06:37 am: |
|
yep! i have an 11 month old, that once the snow melted and dirt was discovered, she had to dig a hole, and eat some, chew it and make that forrible sand in your teeth sound! i think that it is a learning thing,if they are unsure about it they paw at it, bite it lick it, and sniff it, if still unsure....RUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
Rebecca Kate Smith
Weanling
Username: Iheartskeetles
Post Number: 38
Registered: 01-2006
| | Posted on Friday, March 24, 2006 - 10:26 pm: |
|
ok...more questions...
Teleo was born March 1st and he still has his umbilical stump. is this normal? it's dry but still attached.
what's the best way to creep feed?
first farrier visit?
worming? shots?
sorry, i'm a new grandma and i have no idea what i'm doing...and i've read every book and watched every video..help me with your guidance!! |
