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  Discussion on 22 day old colt - rejected by mother - raising myself
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New Member:
Arisaig

Posted on Tuesday, Jan 16, 2007 - 10:54 pm:

1. Feeding - we feed him 4 times per day - first at 8am 4 quarts milk replacer (Nutra-Gro) with 1/3 cup karo syrup - 12noon 2 quarts milk with 1/3 cup karo syrup - 4pm 2 quarts milk with 1/3 cup karo syrup - 8pm 4 quarts milk with 1/3 cup karo syrup - the colt is kept in stall from 8pm to 10:00am then put outside in sunshine till 4pm - he has access to water, grass (limited) and a little bit of hay to nibble on. He is walked outside down road through field at least once per day, halters, lets us put his blanket on at night and generally seems to be doing well. My first question is - am I giving him way too much karo syrup?
2. Question two is when do we start up our worming program on the colt?
Member:
Oscarvv

Posted on Wednesday, Jan 17, 2007 - 7:11 am:

Hi there -
I know it is a ton of work raising an orphan and exhausting. It sounds like you are doing a great job with him. We start worming our foals at 30 days if all is normal/well with Ivermectin, as recommended here. Does he have any contact with other horses?
Do you have any pics?
-Barbara
Member:
Ajudson1

Posted on Wednesday, Jan 17, 2007 - 7:56 am:

Meg,

Don't know about the karo syrup, we just used Foal Lac powder with our orphan. I've heard that a goat milk replacer if pretty close to the same and a lot cheaper. I think we fed every 2 hours for the first few weeks. The foal was born April 23 and I had given birth to our daughter the 16th, (12 yrs ago) so I know the foal got milk mixed up every time my baby woke up for a feeding, plus extra at night time...talk about exhausting! (thank God my husband could feed the foal most of the time)

I know the colt would suck down an ice cream bucket of the milk replacement really quick. We never did the bottles and nipples. We also had the milk replacement pellets available as soon as he was able to start on them. As well as good hay.

We were fortunate to have another foal born 2 weeks later so ours had a play mate. If I were to do it all again, I would hold the mare and have both foals nurse from her at least a few times a day. If you don't have other horses right now just be careful your baby doesn't become too spoiled!!

I am sure DrO will have the correct guidelines for you...good luck, have fun and enjoy your baby!
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Wednesday, Jan 17, 2007 - 8:27 am:

Hello Meg,
1) Why give Karo at all? The milk replacer is designed to accurately replicate mother's milk, for more on this subject see, Horse Care > Equine Nutrition, > Feeding and Caring for the Orphan Foal. I would reduce it slowly however perhaps by cutting it in half for 2 days, then 1/2 again then stopping it all together.

2) You will find a recommended foal deworming schedule at, Horse Care > Worms, Deworming & Parasite Control > Deworming Schedules.

Good Luck with the foal Meg.
DrO
Member:
Mrose

Posted on Wednesday, Jan 17, 2007 - 10:08 am:

Sounds like you are doing good. It's a lot of work raising a foal...really makes you appreciate the mares! I've never used Karo syrup at all, just Foal Lac or equivilant brand. I've been lucky in that I've had other foals about the same age as the rejected/orphaned foal, which makes it a lot easier for the foal to learn to "be a horse." Follow Dr. O's recommended worming schedule and make sure the little guy gets his/her shots, too.

Your biggest challenge will be to make sure the foal doesn't get too spoiled, as Angie suggests. The are just so cute!! And, they bond with you so firmly. Loving and cuddling with it is great; just be sure to discipline it too. Good luck! If you wind up keeping this foal, btw, you will find it has a very strong bond and, in my experience at least, will be extremely easy to train.
Member:
Dres

Posted on Wednesday, Jan 17, 2007 - 10:24 am:

https://members.aol.com/fairviewhorsectr/igloo.html

take a look at this, it might make your life a little easier.. I too had to pan feed a colt last year, only we fed every 2 hours or less 24/7 , its exhausting.. We used the foal lac and goats milk.. you can buy the goats milk dried which is cheaper.. we never had to add sweetner...

good luck..

On the first day god created horses, on the second day he painted them with spots..
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