What age does everyone wean their colts? Whats the best way and least stressful way to wean? I don't have the room to separate them from seeing and hearing each other and he's the only foal. What age can they be turned out with older horses?
Posted 2010-07-06 7:09 PM (#5030177 - in reply to #5030172) Subject: RE: Weaning colts
The Painted Power Slapper
Posts: 12664 Location: Praying that the Lord keeps my babies safe
as long as mommaa looks good leave him up to 6 months. I like to wean across the fence where they can still see, touch, and all that but baby just can't nurse. I also use the almanac. It has worked great for me for more than 10 years.
Posted 2010-07-06 7:11 PM (#5030182 - in reply to #5030172) Subject: RE: Weaning colts
Oh Quit Whining!
i like 6 months, but if the mare is getting run down then 4 months. If he's not eating the recommended amount of grain/feed you can add dry foal milk replacer on top just for added nutrients. Do you have a buddy that he gets along with that you can put with him? then tends to help a lot. Good luck.
Posted 2010-07-06 7:16 PM (#5030190 - in reply to #5030172) Subject: RE: Weaning colts
The Color Specialist
Posts: 6634 Location: Washington. (The DRY side.)
I wean between 4 and 5 months. If the foal is very "needy" and not very independant I leave it on the mare a little longer.
I too wean across the fence. (In a way.) they are across the driveway from each other. In 10 years I have only had 1 foa that this didn't work for. I only have electric fences where I wean and he refused to stay in so HE got put in the corral in front of the barn. He is the only one that was a problem. THe others haven't so much as tried to get out even once.
As far as the other horse. Everyone does things different. IMO it really depends on the other horses. An adult can seriously injure or kill a weanling with little or no effort. So IMO you need to judge the personalities of the other horses to see if he would be safe.
Posted 2010-07-06 7:18 PM (#5030191 - in reply to #5030172) Subject: RE: Weaning colts
Blond Bombshell..
Posts: 6253 Location: TEXAS!!
I plan on using the almanac too. I wasn't sure if most people weaned at 4 or 6 months. I have pipe stalls that will separate them and also give him a buddy besides mom. He is buddies w the two geldings and the other mare so I'll pick the one who won't attack him! The mare looks good and they are both eating great. Thanks for the info!
Posted 2010-07-06 7:28 PM (#5030205 - in reply to #5030172) Subject: RE: Weaning colts
I Sell Dreams
Posts: 1523 Location: Freestone TX
I wean mine at 3 months. The quality of the dam's milk starts to decline at 3 months. Last year I had one I did at 2 1/2 months. Mama gets moved and foal stays in the location where it was born with other weaners.
Posted 2010-07-06 7:43 PM (#5030239 - in reply to #5030172) Subject: RE: Weaning colts
Veteran
Posts: 254
I wean between 5 and 6 months, depends on independence of the foal. One had to stay on mom until around 6 months, but another was so independent at 4 months that I weaned her at 5 months. I quit them cold turkey, I pull mom out and put her out in pasture so she can walk a lot with her bag until it goes down to normal, and baby stays in a paneled stall. I will put young ones together about a month or so after weaning, but that is it. I have found that works best, and everyone is happier that way!
Posted 2010-07-07 1:55 AM (#5030719 - in reply to #5030172) Subject: RE: Weaning colts
Wean at 6 months old rather than at 4 months... this 2 months difference really teaches a baby to socialize and become a horse and much less stress.
Mare declining in weight or using the reason that mares milk is lower in protein is no reason to shorten colts time with his dam... just feed mare more to maintain her weight and realize there is something else unknown in mares milk that keeps that bloom on a baby!!!
I have never seen a foal weaned at 4 months that would even compare with mine weaned at 6 months in size, weight or mental maturity. This includes foals of mine that I have been forced to wean at 4 months for one reason or another...
Posted 2010-07-07 2:10 AM (#5030723 - in reply to #5030172) Subject: RE: Weaning colts
I'll Eat Anything
Posts: 7353 Location: Texas
Always pulled them between 3 and 4 months...
Then again we futuritied our babies, so they needed allot of handleing to be ready for the world of halter..
We normally just pulled momma and took her off the property to a field he had a few miles away with the other broodies, but we've also just put them next to each other seperated by a good fence...
Posted 2010-07-07 7:27 AM (#5030791 - in reply to #5030172) Subject: RE: Weaning colts
The Announcer Stalker
Posts: 2591
I weaned my last one at four months. We have a small farm so I wasn't able to fully seperate them so I took the mare to a friends house down the road for two weeks. I had an old mare in paddock next to her for company for a week or so and they soon got turned out together until filly was old enough to socialize with my others. I wanted to make sure she was a good size before introducing her to the herd. Worked out very well for us.
Posted 2010-07-07 8:19 AM (#5030863 - in reply to #5030172) Subject: RE: Weaning colts
Canine Carryout Queen
Location: Perks Firewater Flit's Ranch
I weaned my Dash For Perks/Peppy San Badger filly when she was over 5 months - she was HUGE. Super glad I waited....
all my parents show babies usually get weaned around 4 months - but they have the feed poured to them so they dont lack anything....
My colt this year is 3.5 months and is BIG ... mama was already "pulled down" when I got her 5 weeks ago - so I just keep almost full feed in front of them... I want to keep him on her until at least 5 months...
Posted 2010-07-07 9:04 AM (#5030927 - in reply to #5030719) Subject: RE: Weaning colts
Does it really matter?
Posts: 8981 Location: texas
Fullthrottledash - 2010-07-07 1:55 AM
Wean at 6 months old rather than at 4 months... this 2 months difference really teaches a baby to socialize and become a horse and much less stress.
Mare declining in weight or using the reason that mares milk is lower in protein is no reason to shorten colts time with his dam... just feed mare more to maintain her weight and realize there is something else unknown in mares milk that keeps that bloom on a baby!!!
I have never seen a foal weaned at 4 months that would even compare with mine weaned at 6 months in size, weight or mental maturity. This includes foals of mine that I have been forced to wean at 4 months for one reason or another...
I have to agree w/ FT on this...4 mos is the absolute youngest I will wean a foal (usually issues w/ mare...if she is getting thin I increase grain intake unless she is already foundered)....I alway wean between 5-6 mos of age..never any younger....I'm not sure why people wean babies sooo young...it does not make sense to me...there is soo much socialization going on out there in the pasture...discipline by other mares...nuturing from the mares...it seems to me that the foals grow sooo much bigger & stronger when they are allowed to stay w/their dams till 5-6 mos... 2-3mos of age is too young imho.
We put our weanlings in stalls ( cold turkey) the mares are out in the pasture. The veteran mares don't fret @ weaning time...5-6 mos...they are good w/ it....the babies of course are already eating grain & hay...and they don't fret too much either as long as their pasture mates are beside them.
Posted 2010-07-07 2:16 PM (#5031692 - in reply to #5030172) Subject: RE: Weaning colts
Coyote Country Queen
Posts: 4651
The earliest we wean is at 4 months, and I've never let one go longer than 6 months. We have a roundpen with solid walls, so we put the babies in their and let the mamas be outside. They can see eachother and touch noses, but can't nurse. And since the roundpen is solid they can't hurt themselves. Pretty soon the mares will wander off to graze. After a day or two, we turn them back out to pasture. The babies have eachother for company, and they stay at home for a month or two to get solid on all of their basics.
Posted 2010-07-07 2:21 PM (#5031714 - in reply to #5030172) Subject: RE: Weaning colts
It's better than nothing
Location: Kentucky
I like to wean at 5 to 6 months. However, this year,, I have an old broodie who is a really hard keeper,, she is looking really bad right now,, and baby is only a month old. This is my first year with this mare and her previous owner suggested weaning her foal at 3 months... I'm hoping to at least keep her with foal at 4 months, but we will see.
The previous owner said she weaned this mare's foals at 3 months with no problems... so go figure.
Posted 2010-07-07 2:50 PM (#5031805 - in reply to #5030172) Subject: RE: Weaning colts
Member
Posts: 10 Location: Texas Panhandle
Ren was 6 months old when I weaned him from his momma. He's my first baby and I was lucky to have him and his mom at a friend's place who's bred horses for years and he was 1 of 5 babies that year.
We moved the mares to another pasture and left the foals in their pen along with one of the older brood mares (who was actually Ren's grandmother) to watch over the youngin's and teach them some manners.
I thought it was going to be a traumatic day. It was ------> for me. Mom and baby were just fine. I was the one about to be in tears because we were separating them and my baby was getting older.
Posted 2010-07-07 2:54 PM (#5031819 - in reply to #5030719) Subject: RE: Weaning colts
Champ
Posts: 17120 Location: Peg-Leg Julia Grimm
Fullthrottledash - 2010-07-06 11:55 PM
Wean at 6 months old rather than at 4 months... this 2 months difference really teaches a baby to socialize and become a horse and much less stress.
Mare declining in weight or using the reason that mares milk is lower in protein is no reason to shorten colts time with his dam... just feed mare more to maintain her weight and realize there is something else unknown in mares milk that keeps that bloom on a baby!!!
I have never seen a foal weaned at 4 months that would even compare with mine weaned at 6 months in size, weight or mental maturity. This includes foals of mine that I have been forced to wean at 4 months for one reason or another...
I agree. I even leave them on longer than 6 months sometimes. There's nothing like mothers milk for a baby and no excuse for not feeding the mare enough to maintain weight. JMO
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