Feed recommendations for brood mares & foals?

[Bluewater Minis]

Hi there,

We've been feeding Safe & Sound (by Acco Feeds) or Safe Choice (by Nutrena) and generally are pleased with coat and body condition, but this year with our lesser quality hay supply I have two broodmares who are not doing as well with this feed. They are current on dewormings & dental, so I don't think that's an issue. I'll probably wean their foals a little earlier than I would prefer, to help the mares bounce back more quickly. The foals' weights are perfect and they chow down on their dam's grain too, are eating grass/hay and have plenty of milk from their dams. I prefer my minis to be on the ever-so-slightly plump side (especially going into fall/winter), and seeing these two mares a little skinny is not good. Some of my "kids" are picky eaters and: a) don't like corn oil b) don't like weight builder supplements c) don't like beet pulp -- which can make it more challenging.

So, since I'm thinking of making a change, what feeds do you prefer for your broodmares with foals at their side, and what feed do you prefer for your weanlings/yearlings? I want these gals to pick up their weights safely and keep it on AND want the foals to have the nutrition they need for proper development. What are your suggestions? Thanks!

 

[JMS Miniatures]

We feed ours Omelane 300, had great results with that. Then the following year the yearlings drop down to the 200 and usually stay on that until they turn 3. I like the younger horses to get plenty of protien.

 

[Jill]

I've got my mares/foals on a complete senior pellet that is 14% protein / 5% fat / 18% fiber. Actually, all of our horses get it along with orchard grass hay, but in different quantities / ratios compared to the hay (basically depending on the horse, and what they are doing).

The nursing broodmares are sassy shinny and in good weight (one too good). Over the years, I have had a couple mares come here with young foals at their sides with the mares a little too thin and this program of complete senior pellets has put them in better weight and pretty quickly to boot.

We really like the complete senior feeds because they are formulated to be easily digested, and like the extra protein and fat. The heigh percentage of fiber makes them a great substitute for a portion (can be a large portion) of the horses' hay ration. The horses seem to get "everything" out of those pellets.

Also, for what it's worth, my vet follows my reasoning for using this on all of our minis and approves of it.

Good luck!

 

[Viki]

I really like the Progressive products.

Viki

 

[Leeana]

Broodmares as well as the show horses get Omlene 200 (14%). I do have a mare here that has Protein Losing Enteropathy so she is on Tiz Wiz 12% pellets. Weanlings/Yearlings/2 year olds are on growth suppliments that is a 16% as well.

 

[Kim~Crayonboxminiatures]

I like the Triple Crown pellets, because they are fixed ingredients, not just guarunteed analysis. They list the ingredients on their website.

I currently feed Triple Crown Lite & Triple Crown 30% Supplement and I've been happy with them. I've not fed a lot of other brands though, found this one and really like it.

 

[Magic]

Right now my lactating mares are on pasture and are plenty fat without any extra feed, but in their last trimester and first few months of nursing they are fed Omolene 300, which I start switching over to Purina Equine Junior so that the foals will be used to eating that for weaning. My weanlings and yearlings are Junior, then "graduate" to Strategy.

 

[Miniv]

I've got my mares/foals on a complete senior pellet that is 14% protein / 5% fat / 18% fiber. Actually, all of our horses get it along with orchard grass hay, but in different quantities / ratios compared to the hay (basically depending on the horse, and what they are doing).
The nursing broodmares are sassy shinny and in good weight (one too good). Over the years, I have had a couple mares come here with young foals at their sides with the mares a little too thin and this program of complete senior pellets has put them in better weight and pretty quickly to boot.

We really like the complete senior feeds because they are formulated to be easily digested, and like the extra protein and fat. The heigh percentage of fiber makes them a great substitute for a portion (can be a large portion) of the horses' hay ration. The horses seem to get "everything" out of those pellets.

Also, for what it's worth, my vet follows my reasoning for using this on all of our minis and approves of it.

Good luck!

We feed the same as Jill, and also feed a grass hay mix with the senior. They also get some pasture nibbling.... Right now most of our mares are either in very good weight or are perhaps a little too plump.

 

[KrazyHorses]

Nutrena Safe Choice

Coastal Hay

pasture 12 on/12 off (stalled)

Mini mare (4/01) w/ filly (5/5/08)

mini colt (9/06)

TWH (3/89)

Safe Choice works great for all my horses, big or small, old or young.

 

[Matt73]

Buckeye Gro 'n Win. Once the foal arrives, you just double the amount/day. That plus free choice hay is all it takes. Last year Emily was very healthy looking upon weaning. That's why I love the Gro 'n Win; if it's a good fit for the horse, it's so simple, which, in my mind, a feed program should be: as simple as possible.

Babies are on Buckeye Foal Starter from as young as a few days old (as soon as they want it). It's a milk based product that's meant to compliment the dam's milk. Once they are weaned they're introduced to Gro 'n Win.

 

[ThreeCFarm]

I second Viki on the Progressive products. However, Buckeye and Triple Crown make similar products as well, I just haven't tried them.

 

[Lisa Strass]

We feed Nutrena Safe Choice to most of our horses here also. That seems to work for almost all of the horses with the exception of a handful of nursing broodmares. I have found the Nutrena Senior to work very well on those that just need a little extra.

 

[Gena]

Buckeye Gro 'n Win. Once the foal arrives, you just double the amount/day. That plus free choice hay is all it takes. Last year Emily was very healthy looking upon weaning. That's why I love the Gro 'n Win; if it's a good fit for the horse, it's so simple, which, in my mind, a feed program should be: as simple as possible.
Babies are on Buckeye Foal Starter from as young as a few days old (as soon as they want it). It's a milk based product that's meant to compliment the dam's milk. Once they are weaned they're introduced to Gro 'n Win.

This is exactly what we have always followed and thrilled with the results. We also like the Buckeye free choice minerals and free choice salt (with added selenium, we lack selenium in our area)

 

[windwalker]

Hi ...I feed Born to Win but now its called Enriched 32,, plus Omelene 300..This works great for me and my mares stay at a nice weight..They get some pasture and grass/alfalfa hay..They get a cup of Enriched 32 and one cup of Omelene mixed together once a day..

Irene

Windwalker Miniatures

www.freewebs.com/kolorspots

 

[MountainViewMiniatures]

The hay really has been a poor quality this year- Jill, I do love the idea of the senior feed - currently I make a mixture of soaked beet pulp & alfalfa cube, corn oil, hay stretcher and a pellet grain-everyone gets this but in different amounts. The complete senior feed because it has more fiber would save me the time of all the measuring, soaking, scooping this, scooping that! Thanks for the suggestion - any particular senior feed?

If you do want to feed beet pulp or alfalfa cubes (although I'd go with the alfalfa cubes soaked , of course because of the higher protein needed by broodmares and youngsters) the key is to start with a very little bit and increase very slowly mixed in the grain they currently eat

edited to say I still feed mine some hay and pasture but I basically make sure the nutrition comes from other sources

 

[Jill]

The hay really has been a poor quality this year- Jill, I do love the idea of the senior feed - currently I make a mixture of soaked beet pulp & alfalfa cube, corn oil, hay stretcher and a pellet grain-everyone gets this but in different amounts. The complete senior feed because it has more fiber would save me the time of all the measuring, soaking, scooping this, scooping that! Thanks for the suggestion - any particular senior feed?

Sharon --

You're welcome. It works well for us and and winter, we use it to stretch our hay for all our horses.

I think that Purina Equine Senior is a good product and readily available in most places. It is similar to what I use, only it has 16% fiber vs. 18%. What I'm using is from our local co-op, however, it's forumlated by Kentucky Equine Research so similar is probably available at other local co-ops. Ours uses the brand / product name "Pace Maker Old Timers"

The minis like it very well and it is "softer" of a pellet, and I don't worry about choke. Some pelleted feeds are kind of hard and those worry me but not the Old Timers or Purina Equine Senior.

Jill

 

[MountainViewMiniatures]

Thanks Jill - I'm off to the feed store now since I need to pick up shavings for stall cleaning tonight anyways(and this awful storm is over and my shih tzus are no longer scrambling for lap space!) I like that about the softer pellets because I would soak my pellet grain right in with the beet pulp and alfalfa cubes and it will certainly be easier after I switch them (I know slowly!) because I can then use my large metal feed bin and not have to have assorted metal cans to hold everthing. I also feed Show Glo a vitamin and mineral product from the makers of calf manna - do add any v & m?

 

[Jill]

No, I don't add any vitamin or minerals to it but the horses all have red mineral blocks. For the show horses, I give them some ground flax seed from around March-September, but that's "it"

 

[Miniv]

Again..........ditto to Jill.

With the senior grain, because it's a "complete feed", no vitamin supplement is necessary. We also put out a mineral/salt block in each paddock or pasture. Because we live in a low selenium region, our blocks also contain selenium in them.

 

[CrescentMinis]

May I ask Jill or MaryAnn, if I have an "idle" 33" broodmare that is not bred for '09, who is an extremely easy keeper, what ratio (approximately) would you feed her of senior complete to grass hay? What I'm giving her now isn't working because she is way too fat (right now she gets 1 c. Strategy am & pm, 2 hours am on sparse dried up pasture, and a small [maybe an 1/8th of a flake] handful of hay at bedtime).