drying up mare

[yellerroseintx]

I was wondering if anyone has used hay pellets to replace the grain so she has something to eat with everyone else...I HAVE TAKEN AWAY HER GRAIN TO HELP HER DRY UP..SHE GETS NICE COASTAL HAY BUT WAS WONDERING IF THE PELLETS WOULD WORK OR NOT? oops sorry caps was not yelling )

 

[drmatthewtaylor]

I don't encourage great changes in feeding during the drying up period. What stops milk production is a full udder. The udder has to get full and painful to tell it to stop producing.

Dr Taylor

 

[yellerroseintx]

Thank you! Your comments make so much sense......seems everything you read tells you to do it this way or that way....but I also didn't stop eating when I quit nursing either ) thanks again !!!!!!

 

[weerunner]

Good point, I had been told to withhold food for a week before also, but could not bring myself to do it. I continued to grain my mares and they bagged hard for one day and by day 3 they were looser and cooler. Never had any issues and so that is how I always do it now. I take info, and then use that to decide what is best for me and my horses. It's all you can really do, there is not always just one right answer.

 

[AnnaC]

All my girls are out on acres of grass with their babies when it comes to weaning time. I simply remove the foals and put the girls back out with their friends. Udders get full and then soften in a couple of days. Never had a problem, but I think some folk have difficulties because they a) wean too early when the foal is still taking quite an amount of milk from the mare, therefore the mare is 'geared' to produce more, and b) because they keep milking 'just a little' from the mare.

While, as has been said, I would cut out any 'extras' from your mares diet, but certainly wouldn't cut down on any of her basic rations.

Anna