shadowpaints
Well-Known Member
i think the filly is out of the woods!! she is doing awesome and is even starting to play a little
mare with mastitis
- Thread starter shadowpaints
- Start date
Help Support Miniature Horse Talk Forums:
debsminis
Member
Yay Becca, so good to hear...Best of luck to you!
Last edited by a moderator:
Reignmaker Miniatures
Well-Known Member
I've been following this thread and remembering bottle feeding my 2yr old filly who was orphaned at 6 days. In the beginning she refused the bottle too (its harder it seems when they've already learned to nurse from the real thing) and I too had to experiment with different styles of nipples until we found one she would accept. I never did get her drinking from a bucket but what I did was use a shallow pan and dip her muzzle in a the milk replacer. She did fight me initially but I was patient and determined and it only took a short time in the end for her to understand. It seemed like she didn't like to put her face down into the bucket but the pan was only as deep as her muzzle and she didn't mind it so much. Once she started drinking from the pan it got easier to keep milk available for her and I would leave the pan of warm milk with 1/2 again what she normally drank and if she finished that then I'd bump it up (her appetite did increase as she grew or when she went thro a growth spurt. Eventually (around 2 or 3 months) I could feed her at 9 pm and not again until around 6 the next morning and she would just self serve over the night. Its a long road but it can be done and my filly is proof that orphans can thrive. Good luck
BTW I was told early on that the biggest problem my girl would have is lack of social skills as a horse (makes them harder to train to) so I made a point to help her become part of the herd as soon as she could.
BTW I was told early on that the biggest problem my girl would have is lack of social skills as a horse (makes them harder to train to) so I made a point to help her become part of the herd as soon as she could.
shadowpaints
Well-Known Member
im VERY pleased to say that gigi took 5 ounces at her 7pm feeding!! YAY! if she does it again at her ten pm feeding ill be starting to make 6 ounces at a time ! YAY gigi!
Allure Ranch
Well-Known Member
Becca, I'm glad to hear that she's continuing to improve....
