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  Discussion on 3 week old orphan foal
Author Message
Member:
mydanes

Posted on Saturday, Jan 30, 2010 - 7:37 pm:

Dr. O we rescued a 3 week old orphan foal who's mare passed away. She is eating pellets (she has eaten a 2 lb scoop in the past 24 hours which is milk replacer pellets and strategy. She is not taking a lot of milk in from a pail. I have carefully given her some with a syringe and she is drinking water. Do you have any secrets to getting her to suck out of a pail/nipple better? I don't want to get into a situation where she is down. She is 3 weeks today.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Sunday, Jan 31, 2010 - 5:32 am:

Hello Susan,
Since the foal is eating solid foods (Foal-Lac Pellets?) and the foal not too young to wean I think you are making a mistake to try and insist she drink milk. It is much easier to take care of these orphans on solid food. But you are right to be concerned is she consuming adequately. What does the foal weigh and exactly what does the scoop of feed weigh? How much of the that is Foal-Lac and how much is Strategy? What is the protein content of the Strategy?
DrO
Member:
mydanes

Posted on Sunday, Jan 31, 2010 - 10:11 am:

Dr. O,

Thank you so much for your reply - the scoop is precisely a 38 ounces (I just weighed it with my food scale - I tared out the empty scoop and added the ingredients) scoop

she is getting 15 ounces milk replacer pellets (Mare's match)
the remaining 23 ounces is strategy

Strategy® Professional Formula GX Horse Feed
Guaranteed Analysis
Crude Protein, % not less than 14%
Crude Fat, % not less than 6.0%
Fiber, % not more than 12.5%
Calcium, minimum % not less than 1.0%
Calcium, maximum % not more than 1.3%
Phosphorus, minimum % not less than .60%
Copper not less than 80 PPM
Zinc not less than 280 PPM
Vit. A, IU/lb not less than 3000
Selenium not less than .6 PPM

She has thus far eaten 1 1/2 of my scoops of this in the 1 day and 7 hours of her arrival

She is drinking approximately 1/2 gallon of water in approximately a 12 hour period of time and per your advice I will stop trying to force the milk issue. I await your input on her feeding regiment

Susan
https://gallery.me.com/mydanes/100137/IMG_9881/web.jpg
Member:
mydanes

Posted on Sunday, Jan 31, 2010 - 10:14 am:

Oh I did not answer her 'weight question' I am not sure how to get you a weight for her. I can lift her and carry her - she is not easy to do this but not insurmountable I would put her at approximately 90-100 lb's
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Monday, Feb 1, 2010 - 9:28 am:

Hmmm I think the diet has too much horse concentrate in it which brings down both energy and protein density. Under the supervision of your veterinarian I think you should consider gradually returning the diet to all milk replacer pellets. Once the foal is up to voluntarily eating 2.5 lbs of pellets daily you can then start to add in a pellet designed for weaning foals. You should also be offering the foal small amounts of a alfalfa or alfalfa mixed hay, keep it fresh and she may start to experiment daily. As to how much you should be feeding in short, just about all she will eat as long as she remains on the thin side of moderate condition. But if you have been restricting the diet you should slowly increase the amount fed to prevent digestive upsets. Remember all changes should be made slowly.
DrO
Member:
juliem

Posted on Sunday, Apr 11, 2010 - 12:12 am:

Susan, did this foal survive? If so, how about an update? Hope to hear good news, Julie
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