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Discussion on 5-month old foal shuns oats/pelleted feed
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Member:
ellebell
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Posted on Wednesday, Dec 29, 2010 - 7:47 pm:
I have a 5 month old colt who is still nursing. He has what seems to be a normal, healthy appetite for hay, either prairie hay (mixed wild grasses, including bluestem, Indian grass, etc.) or brome hay (high quality; approx. 10% protein). He is growing normally it seems. I offer oats with vitamin/mineral supp. to all my horses, and he is the only foal or horse of any type I've had who has no interest in either oats and/or or pelleted feed. I've tried plain oats, plain foal feed, mixed oats and foal feed, sweet feed (corn, pelleted alfalfa, other pelleted feed, molasses, etc.) His reaction is always the same. He nibbles a few bites then just turns away. My other colt born at the same time loves oats and can't get enough; he's slightly bigger (wouldn't expect it; he is a first foal; the feed-avoider is a third foal). I'm a bit concerned because weaning time is here, and I don't want him to lose weight. Should I start giving him alfalfa to increase the protein in his diet to approach what he needs? All suggestions welcome!
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Thursday, Dec 30, 2010 - 10:18 pm:
Hello PRUs,
If he is of good condition it may well be he does not feel the need to eat concentrate perhaps his mom is a heavy milker? This is likely to change when weaned. He will have a little tougher time at weaning if he is slow to pick up the desire for higher energy feeds and if you think he may accept the alfalfa you could start introducing him to it.
One thing that it seems you have wrong ia the implication that the oats are a high protein food. While adequate it is not in the same league as the alfalfa and the alfalfa will have better calcium, vitamin, and fiber profiles too. In many ways alfalfa is all around a better feed for growing foals than oats. For more on feeding alfalfa to foals see the article associated with this discussion.
DrO
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