How much on verage should a foal be drinking from a bottle?

[flicka_sugar]

I have a foal that will be 2 days old today. My first mini foal. Mamma was maiden mare and birthed early but no copmlications (with no warning either). She wants nothing to do with the foal. We have been restraining her and milking her both to make sure foal got colostrum and hoping she would realize baby is good and fullness of udder is lessened when she nurses. Still no go. Due to temps last night we had to bring her in and bottle through the night. Going back out to barn to still try with mom as much as can through day. I want to be able to keep eye to make sure she is consuming enough. So far I have just been picking her up and feel like he hasn't been losing weight and does feel little heavier after feeding. I want to do our best for her. Friendly girl and active. Thanks for any help. And by way yes talked with vet about her as well, but want to get opinion from mini people.

 

[Mona]

So how much has she been eating at each feed? What were you feeding her all night if you left the mare at the barn and the foal in the house? How often were you feeding her? How much actual mare's milk has she consumed in total since she was born? These are all very important questions that should be addressed.

 

[flicka_sugar]

Upon advice I fed every 2 hours. For the first 24 hours it was colostrum from the mare that she drank from mare when restrained, or we milked from her. After that we have slowly switched to powdered milk replacer for foals. Still when can try to get direct from mare but it is stressing her out so we have been doing les today of restraining her for it and bit more of the milk replacer. She has been drinking 1-2oz/feeding. We have also upped the feeding more since going more to bottle. So now she gets fed every hour.

 

[drmatthewtaylor]

25% of their body weight every 24 hours split into feedings every 2 hours.

Example:

28# foal would get fed 7# of milk or 7 pints (7*16=112) or 112 ounces or 9.3oz every 2 hours.

This is a goal and no one (outside of a hospital) could keep up this schedule for long, so if this seems like a lot, well you won't get it done anyway. Just a goal.

Weigh the foal every day. They should gain weight. Weight loss is a problem.

Dr. Taylor

 

[Mona]

Under these circumstances, I would strongly suggest you have a vet to come and run an IGG to ensure she got enough antibodies/colostrum. Also, I would strongly suggest you do not give up on allowing her to nurse from her dam, and kept the mare stripped out so relive the pressure, thus reducing the pain, and do this as often as possible, at least every two hours. Is best if you can keep the foal with the mare, rather than having an orphan as they learn so much from their mama. Do you have anyone near by that is experienced with foals/foaling that might come to help you to get the mare to accept the foal's nursing?? You never said what exactly the mare is doing even, other than not accepting the foal?? In what way?

 

[flicka_sugar]

I keep mare and foal together as much as weather permits. But dropped real cold last night with chance of snow she was shivering and the foal blanket for mini's I got was huge on her, so used a dog blanket but wasn't doing enough. That's why she was brought in. Mom ignores foal and kicks if she gets near udder. Even tries to kick us. She has to be restrained. I have another mare who I might let raise if mom doesn't get better. She won't have milk but she will teach her to be a horse. Vet said she was good with amount of colostrum we got into her, especially since it was mares vs bagged stuff. I borrow a scale periodically for her. But pick her up every so often and she feels like not losing weight and heavier at times.

 

[JAX]

If you have people to help you out here is something that worked with a mare of mine that was unsure about her own foal. We brought another mini in... Here is what happened. Our mare still wasn't wanting to be the perfect mama but for some reason something clicked in her to be protective of the foal when the other horse was getting close to the foal. Of course you would have to have other people to help because above all else you do not want to get the foal in the middle of a kicking match between the bigger ones. It took about a week or so but the mare finally realized that it was hers to protect and therefore to feed as well. I am not a vet or even a professional breeder but it worked in this one mares case so just thought I'd mention it before you give up on the mare and foal bonding. I hope something works for your mare and foal, and the quicker the better. Good Luck!!

 

[flicka_sugar]

That had been suggested. SO we used the mare that really wants the foal. Mom didn't care and just wanted to walk off and leave foal with the other mare. I have even thought of trying to figure out how to rig a milk bag under that mare so she could feed the foal.

 

[Allure Ranch]

I've been bottle feeding an orphaned foal since February 26 who's dam died. I feed her every 30 minutes to every hour the first week because I wasn't certain if she was getting enough milk. She typically drank any where from 3 oz or more. She's now up to (2) full 9 oz infant bottles and gets feed every 2-3 hours. She's eating grain, alfalfa and hay free choice also and I give her 4 tablespoons of organic yogurt daily in her bottles along with Pepto Bismol.

I found it easier for me to monitor/feed her in the house until she was a month old and it made the feedings easier since I didn't have to go down to the barn in the middle of the night. I'd set my clock and when she heard it go off she'd whinny for me. Of course she has other health issues and kept developing a spiked fever every so often.

 

[flicka_sugar]

Thanks for the help. Her meals are increasing. She is a week old tomorrow and already eating full baby bottle or close to each feeding. She is in house at night as cold out, during day, weather permitting she uses large dog pen that has shelter and protected on two sides. This way she too is close. Calling out as well. So far eating well and starting to nibble hay so started putting that put for her. She is getting curious about drinking so going to put bucket out and let her check it out. Once she starts eating I want to give her milk pellets to help as well.