Posted 2014-03-10 5:48 PM Subject: Feeding an under weight pregnant mare?
Expert
Posts: 1261
I have a Mare that is due the 25th and under weight. She has always been a very hard keeper especially over winter but being off and pregnant she has been keeping weight better than ever and 5 weeks ago she looked awesome. I ended up having a baby and all sorts of complications was on bed rest for a week then in the hospital for a week and between being a new mom and trying to recover i had not been able to go out and see her till yesterday. She has a think winter blanket on and when i took it off i was horrified to see she is terrible thin! She is boarded and turned out with a herd during the day and stalled at night. She was on grass hay, Alfalfa, 1.5 large coffeecans of a complete feed and and some whole oats. She wasn't even eating all the grass. I added some rice bran forco and Dac oil and wormed her today but I am very worried about her and the foal. I am so shocked this has happened. Her top line looks ok but she is pretty ribby and her big nice round butt is now flat and her hip bone is pretty visible I want to cry!
Posted 2014-03-10 6:26 PM Subject: RE: Feeding an under weight pregnant mare?
Veteran
Posts: 222 Location: Texas
IMO omalene 300 is the best broodmare feed out there. I had a Broodie colic bad bad bad. IVs and a tube in for a week. She had lost a ton of weight but not the baby :) put her on that, per my vet and when she had the foal she was slick and show fat. Vet couldn't believe how great she looked. It's the only grain I will feed to my broodmares now. Along with good alfalfa and free choice coastal
Posted 2014-03-10 6:39 PM Subject: RE: Feeding an under weight pregnant mare?
Elite Veteran
Posts: 600 Location: Oklahoma & Texas
Purina Ultium growth will put weight on one quick...if I have a hard keeping broodie thats what I feed along with all the grass hay they can eat and 2 to 3 flakes alfalfa morning and night....foals gain 1lb per day on average in the last trimester so its important to feed them considerably more anyway but since shes losing weight she may need even more...also if shes close to foaling some of what looks like weight loss could be that baby dropping low and so shes not as full looking in her flanks...
Posted 2014-03-11 7:13 AM Subject: RE: Feeding an under weight pregnant mare?
Midget Lover
Location: Kentucky
I agree that as a mare gets closer to her due date, they tend to start looking bad. I have a picture of my gorgeous LHDI it mare about 4 days out from foaling and she looks like I starve her.
However, if she went downhill quickly, I would get the vet out and just do a look over on her. Maybe do a CBC to make sure everything is in line.
Posted 2014-03-11 9:11 AM Subject: RE: Feeding an under weight pregnant mare?
Reaching for the stars....
Posts: 12708
Some of what you're seeing is the baby dropping. I've had fat mares show their ribs in the last weeks before foaling. And their butts simply don't look right at the end when the muscles start relaxing.
I would increase your alfalfa amount and find a timothy mix instead of straight grass hay. Beet pulp shreds will do her the most good, so I might add them, along with the fats and oils, rather than change feeds at this point. I actually start decreasing grains when I think they are about 1 week out and start throwing the hay to them pretty much free choice. I've put as much as 4 flakes of alfalfa (8 pounds each) and almost a whole kicker bale (45-50 pounds) of timothy/orchard hay per day in that last week. I don't want any belly bombs in those last days to possibly cause colic. Don't be shy with the oil either - I get soy oil cheap at Costco and will put 1C per feeding and make a sloppy ole mess. If you soak beet pulp shreds even better since the more fluid in the gut the better it will keep moving. Not only will these changes help with colic issues, they will richen her milk and put on whatever she can weight-wise right now. It's almost impossible to gain body condition at this late stage or during the first weeks of lactation.
Feeding an under weight pregnant mare?
