Grants Pass Auction Minis - Katya - colt born June 22

[Evelynk2000]

She passed the ultrasound in Dec. I saw ribs on the screen. Otherwise, I would be questioning her pregnancy myself. I'm thinking it's time to take her back for another, just to reassure myself (and you) that she's not just massively overweight. I watch her closely, and her shape changes from side to side, between her legs making her waddle, not to mention the beached whale look when she's down in the sun. The whole mess is complicated by the fact that we have absolutely no idea when she was covered. She was part of a large herd seized in September of last year, so, truth be told, she could have been bred at any time up to about Sept 15.

 

[Crystallos]

We MAY be getting a live streaming web cam on Katya's stall. Update soon, I hope.

 

[Eagle]

Katya's going live

 

[Evelynk2000]

We are looking for hay to stretch into haying season, and found someone local who has (drum roll) red clover/bluegrass mix. No, Toto, I don't think we're in Kentucky any more

:rofl My question: would that be something that would be good for my airfern? He usually tests his hay for nutrient content, but hasn't tested this bunch. Whadda ya think?

 

[AnnaC]

Sorry, cant help with the hay question Evelyn, but I think you have to be careful with some of your clovers over there in the US?? So glad you might be getting Katya up on cam, it will be great to see her 'in person' and to help you keep watch.

 

[cassie]

oh yes! please do get her on camera! we would love to help watch your precious pretty girl!

sorry not sure about the hay question either... I hope you are able to work it all out soon

 

[Evelynk2000]

I'm eager for the camera, too! I spend a tremendous amount of time and gas driving to see her and the rest of the ladies, and having NO idea of her due date, I've about stared my eyeballs out looking for encouraging changes in conformation and evidence of a need to set up a camp cot. Gotta say that my "wait"-er is 'bout worn out. I'm old enough that I've developed the ability to have kind of a calm about waiting, but my inner child is jumping up and down in anticipation.

I'm sorry no-one has an idea about the hay. I'm cautious about making a change to such an obviously different hay. Neither of us has a clue! We will be heading over to look at it this morning, so we'll keep an eye on the forum, in case one of you has a thought.

 

[Eagle]

Sorry I am no good at advise on hay as things are too different here in Italy. Post the question on the main forum as I am sure the American girls will help you.

 

[chandab]

I've never fed clover of any kind, its a legume like alfalfa, but to my knowledge alfalfa is the safest legume to feed horses. What little I know about clover of any kind is that its very important that its put up properly to avoid mold, the mold in clover hay is more toxic to horses than mold that occurs in alfalfa or grass hays. [i don't know if it was red clover or another type of clover, but a friend of mine in college ended up putting a horse down after it ate poorly put up clover hay and got sick. Its been over 20 years, so I don't recall the details, only the end result.]

I think I would go with timothy cubes or timothy/alfalfa cubes to stretch your existing hay supply over the hay in question. [Perhaps if you know for a fact its been fed to horses with no issue, it might be worth considering, but I don't think I would.]

I'm low on hay, and just barely getting the horses out on grass, so I've been stretching my hay supply with timothy pellets. They go out for grass for about 1.5 hours in the morning, come in to drylot, get a scoop of timothy pellets and then get their hay for supper. Perhaps not ideal, and I've just started this routine, but so far, its working fine. The yearlings go out longer on grass, as they aren't air ferns, yet. The two geldings are getting more time on grass, but they've had access to grass longer than the mares (just logistics of my set-up).

 

[Crystallos]

We ended up getting a few compressed bales of bent grass straw. It was harvested late so a lot of the seed heads are loose and not very green. The stems are fine, soft and short. Like haylage? We also got some 2013 grass hay that I call the "ditch hay". I think the seller mentioned it was the hay they got out of their newest alfalfa field. It had left over grass from the previous crop and was growing in the ditch, lol. We had a very short period of sunny weather last month and some were able to make hay. We plan on mixing the new hay with our current last bale of orchard/timothy. Also, separating Katya for longer periods during meal times so the others get what they need. I was watching her eat today. She eats EVERYTHING. All the hay, huge mouthfuls of short grass, tiny leavings of grain, oak leaves, anything that fits in her mouth at this point. So I don't think she'll have a problem with the new routine. Except thinking I forgot about her.

BTW, I'm not sure if it shows in the pictures, but she is starting to get thunder thighs.

 

[chandab]

If you are up for a little work, get some beet pulp. I know many people say they use it to put on weight, which it will do too; but it also works to give fatties a meal when everyone else gets goodies. Take a small amount of beet pulp, like one cup dry or less (I'd probably go with less for her), and soak it (for Katya, I'd rinse after soaking to remove any residual sugars, she doesn't need them); it'll about triple in quantity when soaked and she'll think she's getting a big meal, and in reality it won't be very much. [You could do the same with grass hay pellets, but they don't puff up as much soaked as beet pulp will.] If you don't usually feed beet pulp, it is an acquired taste, so some horses don't readily take to it. Perhaps you know someone who does feed and can get a small amount from them to try it out, before buying a big bag of it (or perhaps your feed store has a broken bag or something). [Oh, and beet pulp pellets seem to puff up more after soaking than the shreds do.]

 

[Eagle]

Good idea Chanda, I love beet pulp

 

[chandab]

Good idea Chanda, I love beet pulp

I've fed it, but I wouldn't say I love it. And, I absolutely hate the brand the feed store is carrying right now; its dirty and loaded with molasses, so makes for lots of extra work for me since I have to really rinse it. [so, right now I'm not feeding it, and don't have plans to in the near future.

 

I'm with you Chanda. I've fed it before, but after almost losing a stallion to it soaked -- it apparently spoiled/fermented in the hot Florida sun and he ate most of it I guess during the day (there was some still in his feeder by night and it STANK!) and got horribly sick -- I only feed it dry. No more soaking for me -- but the last kind I bought was totally ground up to the size of small grain FLAKES, so it was quite easy to feed and the horses didn't mind it.

I had many, many problems getting them to eat the soaked mess. I guess some love it, and some don't.

 

[Eagle]

My husbands family make machines for cheese making and I pinched one of their plastic containers that has a sieve inside it, I put it under the tap when it is ready and lift the seive and wash the beet, then drain it a few seconds and vuola! Beet is rinced and ready. I like to feed it in the winter as it gives them extra water. I think it is an old fashioned feed like bran.

 

[ratzo155]

Here is what I know about clover.

Red clover and Alsike clover are toxic to horses in large amounts. It is the fungus that the clover produces that is the problem, so if there is a little in your pasture you are ok. It is when their diet is over 50% of the clover that you have problems. Also I wouldn't get any hay with the clover in it since the mold and fungus is the problem there is a better chance of molding as hay then fresh, if you have a lot of rain I would be careful if it is in your pasture maybe just limit their time out on it.

White clover is ok and doesn't cause any problems. I know we have white clover in our pasture and in our hay fields and haven't had any issues. It is Molly's favorite thing to eat!!

 

[Evelynk2000]

There's white clover in abundance around the property, and earlier in the season, we'd take the minis out to graze on it. I don't do that now, because Katya doesn't need it. Good to know about the red clover, though. Thanks!

 

[Evelynk2000]

Time for the weekly update! I've decided this is going to go on indefinitely, no end in sight. The waiting is becoming same-ole-same-ole. At the beginning of each month, we look at Katya and say, "I'm guessing it'll happen next month". We're feeding her separately now, with a local grain mix that includes beet pulp, and supplementing with what the hay provider said was "ditch hay". Pretty much just something to chew on. Oh, and a handful of the bluegrass. She's lost some of the fat on her neck and her back is slowly loosing the pudgy dip.

What?! Eating, here!

Getting leftover scraps from the haybag

Nibbling on ditch hay.

You can see in the last picture that she's getting a bit of edema at the back of her belly. No significant change in milkbar. Because I don't see her every day, I can see a slight change in her conformation from losing some of the fat: her muscles seem to have better definition, her neck doesn't feel like it's going to seize up, her butt looks less like a coffee table.

It seems that my airfern needs constant monitoring to make sure she's getting enough nutrients without adding unnecessary fat. Isn't this fun????

 

[Evelynk2000]

WOO-HOO!!!!

We have milkbar changes!!!

Look at that!

We're growing.

I am NOT a fuzzy coffee table!

Excuuuse me!!!

Fooooood!

As you can see, Katya is, indeed, expecting. I've had my doubts over the months. Really, I have. She started developing the milkbar in the last couple of days. I'd stopped sticking my hand under her because nothing changed. Now I can see progress, I'm so stoked!

Is it time to start chanting "spots, spots, spots . . ."?

 

[Eagle]

Spots spots spots yippeee how exciting.