[Love4April]

How much should I be feeding my mare the last two months of pregnacy? I don't want the baby to be too big during birth. Plus, I went and picked up some mare plus suppliement - to give to her in morning and night along with her grain and corn that I give her. Is this correct? My friend gives her mares a feed that has this stuff in it and cuts out the grain. But I'm thinking I need to keep giving her grain since I give her a suppliment.

[Arabians4ME]

What's she currently eating? I figure it out for you if you tell me what she's eating in Hay and feed. Plus how much she currently weighs.

[Love4April]

OMG - I have no idea what she currently weighs. What do I need to do to determine that?
Anyway, I currently give her a scoop (corn can that I cleaned after we used it for our own supper) of grain in AM along w/one scoop of corn along with scoop (that was provided) of mare suppliment in AM and then 3 sheets of hay. So, basically I bought this red BIG scoop at TSC to feed her with and between the grain and corn it fills it up in the AM.
For the PM I give two scoops of grain along w/one scoop of corn and one scoop of suppliment - the suppliment suggested one scoop in AM and one in PM. And then 2 sheets of hay.

I hope I'm not too confusing!

[Love4April]

I want to make sure this sounds clear

the scoops of corn and grain are alot BIGGER than the suppliment - the scoop for the suppliment is a tiny cup that came with it.

[Arabians4ME]

Okay well for starters Corn is not a good thing to be feeding her. Lots of startch. 3 sheets is that like bats or flakes? If so how much? Protein requirements are what you need to be meeting. What's her condition like? Is she ribby?

Why not feed Alfalfa Pellets or Beet Pulp? The big scoop from TSC that your talking about would hold approximately 5lbs of corn. That's ALOT of corn. It sounds like your overfeeding more than anything if she's getting the big scoops of grain that often. What do you have access to to feed her? I will work up what I would feed her if I know what you have available.

Do you have any current pics of her?

[Love4April]

For the hay, it's like when I pull it off, I try to get 3 sections from the bale. So, I think, I give her half a bail a day - between morning and night.

I'm not sure about the Alfalfa Pellets or Beet Pulp. All I was told around here is that we have Sweet Feed.

As far as the pics, I will either take some tonight or tomorrow morning. It gets pretty dark soon and I won't get home until after 6. I'm at work - as we speak.

Thanks for all your help!!

[Acme Acres]

Get a scale. You need to weigh your feeds Sounds like 3 flakes to me, but flakes can vary a lot in weight based on compression and moisture content. Im with Arabians. Straight corn is the quickest way to an obese horse and possibly founder depending on the horse. I'd personally put her on Oats if you want something relatively inexpensive to feed her to keep weight up. Our mares that are due now and March have been on 8 pounds of Omolene 200 a day along with 15 pounds of Alfalfa pellets in the AM and close to 15 pounds of Alfalfa hay in the evening and will stay on that until the foal is ready to wean, at which time we'll slowly start cutting them back to reduce the milk on board.

[Dawn]

Is the 'corn' can that you're using a regular size can? Or is it like a family size can?

If it's the regular then she's not getting much food.

What does the scoop look like that you bought? Is it plastic or metal?

I'm thinking that if what you outlined fills it up, it must be the 'family' sized can of corn.

Anyway, I agree with what's been said. Corn is not the best feed for any horse. It's very high in starches, difficult to digest, etc...

5 flakes of hay is going to be right around 15-20 (probably not that much) lbs. Idealy, she would be getting much more than this if she does not have access to good, healthy, growing pasture. What type of hay is it? I would go with 7-9 flakes. Ideally she should have hay in front of her all of the time.

What is the 'feed' that you're giving her? Is it a locally milled feed? Or a large name feed? Is it a sweet feed, all grain, or pelleted?

It doesn't sound like she's getting enough. But it's hard to tell without more specifics. Probably lacking in the calories and protein, but I would say almost definately in the protein.

[Arabians4ME]

If she's getting half a bale a day that would be about 25 lbs of hte avg bale and that would mean she would be getting 6 'bats'.

However Acme is VERY correct you NEED a scale.

First off I would start with giving her about 35-40lbs of hay a day. Is this possible? If not you need to get your hands on some Alfalfa Cubes or Beet Pulp TSC should/ will carry it. Just ask. Most local feed stores will atleast carry the cubes.

Regardless the mares needs a mix of lets say 35lb of hay, cubes or beet pulp a day.

what you feed her is not going to affect the foals size. A mare will only 'grow' a foal big enough for her to have. A mare may have trouble delivering due to size but it wont' be because of nutrition. I think I said that right.

I would about bet at that amount she is meetin her calories but not Protein but once she did foal she would drop fast. Just from experience. You need to start now to get her nice a fat for lactation.

[Love4April]

Thanks guys, I will stop by TSC (the only store we have around here except for Orschlen's) tonight and p/u a weigh scale and see what i'm doing. I'll also take some pics of her. My sister is the one who told me to get her on corn and mix it with the grain.

As far as the grain, it comes from a local feed store and that's what he feeds his horses and sells the most of.