Orphan Foal-Help please!!!!

[Minichick]

I have just lost my miniature mare 27 days after foaling, liver and heart failure. I can't even see for tears but now I have a baby that will not take milk from either a bottle or a bucket. Has anyone any experience of how long before he will accept a new mummy and a new way of feeding. I have tried sweetening the teat and tried two defferent types of teat (baby and lamb) The mare has been dead for 5 hours and Spencer just isn't interested. Am I worrying too soon.

Thanks in anticipation Mandy

 

[Slinkky]

Sorry to hear about your mare. It's good that your little one got to be with the momma mare for almost a month. That's the up side.

I just rescued a mule foal. He was only on his mom for one week. He then went to another lady who tried giving him milk replacer. He would not accept the bottle at all. She finally got him to drink out of a bucket by putting karo syrup on her fingers and lowering them into the bucket. He never really like the milk replacer (she never tried goats milk, which I've been told is good to use). After two weeks of trying to get him to take the milk replacer, she gave up and offered him sweet feed. He liked it. When I brought him home (at 2 mths old) I changed him from sweet feed to Equine Jr. mixed with calf manna (3 parts Equine jr, to 1 part calf manna.) He's doing really good. He was also wormed at one month and then at 2 months at a low dosage.

Little Hoot is grazing now and munching on hay. I leave the feed out 24/7. He doesn't have any pasture mates yet (working on that), so leaving the feed out has not been a problem for me. I've had him now for 2 weeks. He's really put on weight and growing taller/stronger all the time. He's feeling good too (as proven by his obnoxious behaviors!) Hoot didn't have his mom long enough to learn the rules of the herd, so I've got disipline problems to deal with.

Good luck. Again, I'm sorry for the lose of your mare, but you need to concentrate on the little one left behind. I'm sure you can do it!

Slinkky

 

[Frankie]

I am so sorry to hear about your mare.

What we did with Prints,,,,,,,,,,,,,,use a small wooden bowl, there is something about the texture they like. Coat it in Kayro Syrup, and add only a small amount of replacement milk. As in 1/4 cup. As he learns to lap up the syrup, add more milk. It took Prints 3 trys to get the hand of it.

Good luck

 

[as if by magic 2]

Guys what does the syrup compare to, we don't have it here.

 

[littlearab]

Kayro is a brand of white corn syrup.

Foallax pellets are also good. Afreind had a 3 week old arab who did fine on it.

 

[Ms THE]

Where are you located?

 

[shane]

mandy im so sorry for this sad loss, i know how much you and lil cared for her, its such a sad loss of a great mare, i hope you find help soon....

: PLEASE GUYS KEEP THIS BUMPED UP!!!!!

 

[Frankie]

Ok,,,,,,,do you have a wooden bowl? If not, any type of bowl.

Get the bowl lightly damp with water,,,,,,,,add sugar, lightly coat the bowl with sugar.

Let the colt lick,,,,,,,,as he does,,,,,,,,,,,add milk, in small amounts until he gets the hang of it.

He will be lapping up in no time!!!!!!

 

[jdomep]

Our litttle guy was rejected at birth and by day 2 he was a "bucket baby" he didn't know any better so it was quite easy to get him to drink from a bowl. We just had him suck on our finger then lower it into the bowl and that was all he needed

: Good luck!

 

[shane]

BUMP

 

[Minichick]

Thanks everyone for your regards and advice. I have now got Spencer drinking from the bottle, although only 100-150 mls at a time. I am going to try and leave him for a few hours to get him really hungry. According to the feeding instructions he should be taking 5 -6.5 ltrs per day divided into 6 feeds. He is no where near this but will try to build up.

Thanks again, from Spencer and Mandy

 

[CharmedMinis]

I can't help with the how to get him to drink from a bowl problem...........

But I can help with this..............

I just got done doing a month of supplementing a foal whose Mom had milk but not much, so she was still nursing just not getting enough.

The first couple days with the bowl she just played in it, but I know she got some down because she had her entire nose in it.

Use refrigerated Goat's Milk and Plain Kefir. The Kefir is a liquid probiotic yogurt type drink, they love it. This is what my vet told me to do. Mix 3 parts goat's milk to 1 part of the kefir. The kefir is sold by the yogurt in most groceries.

Until he learns to suck from the bowl, just use a syringe, 35 CC's at a time. To get him interested in the bowl of milk, just dunk his nose in it and let him play, he should get it pretty quick.

Wanted to add: A bowl is usually better than a bottle, especially at his age, because you can leave it for him to drink at will. Depending on how hot it is where you are, put about 2 or 3 cups of the milk mixture in the bowl, attach a bucket to the fence at his level, put an ice pack in the bottom of the bucket and then the bowl of room temperature milk on top, the ice pack will keep it just the right temperature to keep it fresh until he drinks it.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

Mandy are you sure that amount is right for a Mini??

It seems about right for a big horse to me.

100- 150 ml per feed is about right- any more will distend the stomach. Feed every two hours- now, I am hopeless at Math BUT there are still only 24 hours in a day!!

Feeding every two hours will give you 12 feeds maximum at 100-150ml per feed- maybe slightly more.

That gives you less than 2 litres per day- which I would think is around right for the size of this foal.

 

[RJRMINIS]

I would also offer foal-lac pellets. My 2 month old orphan had foal-lac pellets mixed with equien JR. and did wonderful, at 4 months, I switched her to Calf-manna mixed with sweet feed, or continue with the equine JR. and she is on free-choice hay.

She is doing wonderful.

Good luck with your little one!

 

[Minichick]

yes Jane this is the guidelines from the manufacturer and my vet. I was quite surprised at the quantiities as well and even in my grief and not quite taking in all the vet was saying it did not seem right to me. I waited till the vet was away and called the help line on the milk replacer and they confirmed what he said. I will read for you their leaflet.

150KG MATURE BODY WEIGHT EG MINIATURES

AGE - 21 -28 days

Bodyweight - 25-27kgs

Minimum Feeds/day- 6 (every 3 hours with a 6 hour break overnight)

Typical Equilac Intake (ltrs) - 5.75 -6.5

Seems a lot to me so I am just trying to get into him as much as he will take

Thanks, Mandy

 

[shane]

AW mandy im so relieved to here that spencer is hanging in there as are you, the next few days will be so tough for you all, but we are all rooting for you both, stay strong!! and take care

 

[hairicane]

Sorry for your loss. Best of luck with the foal, U are going to be his momma now.

 

[Miniv]

I agree with Rabbitsfizz (Jane)...... So many times a vet is trying to adjust for a mini when they are used to treating a full-sized horse.

We have only bottle-fed ONE true orphan (we've had to bottle feed newborns just for a week or two, but that doesn't count.) Our one orphan was last year and he lost his mom when he was 2 weeks old.

He was taking an average of 4 ounces from a bottle every 2 hours. We were feeding Foal Lac. I say an AVERAGE, because it would vary a little bit either way with each feeding. And eventually he increased it up to 6+ ounces as he grew......

By the time he was about 6 weeks old he was taking both some from the bottle plus eating Foal Lac pellets mixed with grain, and nibbling hay as well.......

Even taking into account the stress and grief he must be going through, I would offer him the liquid with both a bottle and in a dish, plus foal lac pellets, some grain, AND some hay.........At age 4 weeks, he would be sampling a variation, I would think. In time, he'll tell you what he's most ready for.......

MA

 

[ChrystalPaths]

I am so sorry for your loss, I pray Spencer catches on to the aternatives of feeding soon.

 

[shane]

ANY MORE NEWS?????????????

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