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  Discussion on Orphan Foal & Foal Lac
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Posted on Friday, Sep 29, 2000 - 7:01 am:

Has anyone ever had any problems with Foal Lac Milk.

I had been told (only by one person) that they had foals (colts) develop ulcers that were fed Foal Lac NOT all of them but they had some and that is what they blamed it on.

Thanks
Gina

Posted on Friday, Sep 29, 2000 - 8:18 am:

No,we find Loal Lac works well. All orphan foals are under stress and I would expect to see a higher incidence of ulcers in them no matter what they are fed.
DrO

Posted on Friday, Sep 29, 2000 - 9:32 am:

Thank you DrO. I kind of thought that would be it. Scarlet, His mom died of a prolapsed uterus, ruptured artery and probably had an aneurysm. He never nursed his mom but we got colustrum from her to give him and I also gave him seramune. His IgG was at greater than 800 before the seramune.
Gina

Posted on Monday, May 21, 2001 - 5:09 pm:

I have raised orphan foals and found that after you have ensured that it received colustrum and gave it seramune, the most important thing is that it is fed many small feedings and when you finally can give a grain with milk pellets, give it free choice and it will eat, play and sleep and will not overeat unless you haven't been fulfilling it's needs and it is hungry and wants to binge.

The best way is if you have a chance to get a nanny goat and teach the goat to stand on a platform and let the foal nurse. Foals do real well on goat's milk. A nurse mare is great but harder to find that will accept the strange foal.

Elsie

Posted on Saturday, Dec 29, 2001 - 6:26 pm:

I would like to comment a little if I may. First the foal-lac.. In my travels I have heard many comments about Foal-lac being the cause of ulcers. even blindness further down the road.I have heard this from some vets also. I have seen myself that foals do better on other milk replacers such as Buck-eye, Land-o-Lakes and even Blue Seal dairy-maid,non medicated. I know there are others but can't come up with the names.If you watch the foals they seem to dislike the taste. We have been able to compare because we raise foals in groups. The best thing for a orphan foal is a Nursemare. There is no substitute for a horse raising a horse. There is a difference between a Nursemare and a Mare that has lost its foal and has milk.The difference being that a true Nursemare raises foals almost every year that are never her own.She will except and bond with these foals as if they were her own. To almost everyones knowledge the nursemare farms have taken a beating because of the bad pubicity from the rescues or just because of their own bad management. All nursemare farms don't have the proven nursemares. Some so called farms get their mares from auctions. Some breeders try to get mares that have lost their foals to take a strange foal, but most times it don't work out.Its not a natural thing for a mare to except anothers foal. [This subject could go on and on] So the mare that has lost its foal may not be a good mother for someone elses foal.[without a lot of forceing etc] Again I could go on and on about Nursemares and stories about how some try and make nursemares out of broodmares.The bottom line is get a Nursemare from a Nursemare Service you can trust. One that has a good reputation. [Above all] One that raises the Quality foals left at the farm.Raises them to be sold to qualified people that will finish the job of making quality riding horses for whatever disapline.

Posted on Sunday, Dec 30, 2001 - 11:24 am:

Hi Leonard

I read with interest your comment that: There is a difference between a Nursemare and a Mare that has lost its foal and has milk.
I was under the impression that Nursemares foal their own foal which is taken from them so they can nurse another mare's foal. So really, although professional Nursemare's, they HAVE lost a foal themselves.
I certainly understand that many mares would not be suitable to be used as Nursemares. But my point is haven't Nursemares themselves lost their foals too.

~Barbara

Posted on Sunday, Dec 30, 2001 - 3:03 pm:

Yes Barbara, the difference is the nursemare is seperated from her own foal almost every year. On purpose. These other mares that people try to use as nursemares loose their foals because of complacations etc.

Posted on Sunday, Dec 30, 2001 - 8:01 pm:

Leonard
Thanks for the reply. The Nursemares must miss their foal when it is taken? What happens to that foal?
Thanks
Barbara

Posted on Sunday, Dec 30, 2001 - 11:55 pm:

Now I can only answer this as to what I know first hand. When a nursemare is called for, say from a Arab breeding farm or a back yard warmblood breeder.They may have lost a mare for whatever reason. The Nursemare is loaded in a trailer with her foal and taken to that farm. The Nursemare is then taken to the orphan foal.The way it is done the nursemare doesn't know what happened and thinks she still has her own foal with her. The nursemares foal is then brought back to the farm where it is raised with other foals in a group of maybe 2,3,4 all the same ages or close. Sometimes the foal might be of a higher quality and it may be put on another Nursemare. It may go in a group with a babysitter mare. At any rate a foal will only miss its mom a short time before it finds out that it can get its milk from another source.Food conquers all. The foal at the farm that lost its mom doesn't care who brings the milk or what breed she is as long as it gets its milk.We people think that animals think as we do, yes they have feelings[ I do believe] but not like us humans.We over enphensize what we think they feel.I watch foals from the first day without a mom and they get along with their buddies just fine. They grow, run around and play like any other foal. Now here's another observation I have had. I have seen Nursemares come back to the farm after being away for 6 mos. I know that they know their own foals.Especialy the mares and fillies. They will be turned in the same pasture say maybe late spring of next year. Don't you know that the mare will be the first to greet that fillie, her own.Some people think things that they don't know about and get their fellings in the way how worlds work. We have our world and Horses have theirs.Most people can only see what happens to one orphan foal. It will be very unhappy without any other horse around. I get to see many and they are happy foals. We have two born in Dec. One is a hanaverian out of a TB mare. A Bay with a star.The other is a hanaverian out of an App.A Chestnut with 4 white stockings.Very big boned. They are with their mothers and don't expect the moms to leave untill Feb.

Posted on Monday, Dec 31, 2001 - 5:39 pm:

Thanks for the information. Sounds like you make some nice foals. How old are they when you sell them? And one more question, if you don't mind....I heard that Nursemares should be returned bred....is that true.....it would make sense.
Happy New Year!!! :O

Posted on Sunday, Jan 6, 2002 - 8:00 pm:

Well just got back and happy new year to you. The foals are sold anytime. Some are sold before the Nursemare goes out to raise an orphan. It could be 1,2,or even 3 mos.after the foal is born. Some mares have a special time before they will except another foal.Some mares will except a new born before they will except a month old and the other way around. The wife knows her mares and what they will do.Some Nursemare foals are sold before they are born.In these cases the people that buy the foal know the stallion and have a good idea what will be produced or they already have a horse releated to it. Most foals are sold anytime after the mare goes out. When someone leases a Nursemare they have oblagations to the contract. The mare must be bred back if she is not already bred.Some mares are to be bred artificialy to certain stallions as to contract and semen is sent.She don't want her mares just bred to anything down the street.After all these foals have to have a life too, as something special to someone somewhere.The Nursemare has to have her shots kept up,her feet trimed and kept as if she were there own.After 6 mos. [the contract reads] she is returned. Some don't keep them the full 6 mos. Oh yes there is a no breed fee if the mare is returned open.That means that the people did not try to breed her back. If someone tries to breed the mare and she does not take then the no breed fee is waved. Hope I helped.

Posted on Friday, Jul 5, 2002 - 10:04 am:

I could sure use some help. I have a 30 day old colt who just lost his mom to a heart attack. A friend of ours loaned us one of their mares who was still nursing a yearling. The colt is feeding off her, but we still are tying the mare up to feed the colt every three hours. I am supplementing with milk pellets, grain, and alfalfa at free will. The mare is actually pretty accepting of the colt as each day goes on, however, she will occasionally kick or try to bite him. Has anyone had any experience with this, and will I ever be able to let them pasture together? If so, what indicators do I look for to let them together. Please help.
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