[sunrisegurl146]

ok if this is the wrong forum please move me..i'm not to sure.
anyway....
so my friends own this mare whose seven her name is hotlips..lol shes cute though...she had a foal about a month ago and we just noticed that shes weaning him already...and that her milk bag is drying up..
shes had foals before and etc. she was always very, very protective of her babies but this time she super stand-offish with him..half the time the baby is with his "baby sitter" treasure a 6 year old throughbred X gelding.

the baby(spence)is already grazing and etc but i was wondering if maybe its still to early for his mom to be drying up.
what do you think?

[Rockytop]

For what it's worth, if she was my mare I'd be getting the vet to check her out.

Her early weaning of the foal may be a sign of a sore udder - possibly mastitis (yoiks!) - or another underlying problem.

I hope your friend finds an answer to this dilemma soon.


Take care.

[Debbie z.]

Originally Posted by sunrisegurl146

ok if this is the wrong forum please move me..I'm not to sure.
anyway....
so my friends own this mare whose seven her name is hot lips..lol shes cute though...she had a foal about a month ago and we just noticed that shes weaning him already...and that her milk bag is drying up..
shes had foals before and etc. she was always very, very protective of her babies but this time she super stand-offish with him..half the time the baby is with his "baby sitter" treasure a 6 year old thoroughbred X gelding.

the baby(Spence)is already grazing and etc but i was wondering if maybe its still to early for his mom to be drying up.
what do you think?

Def call vet. You don't want foal to de-hydrate give him accessible water and salt lick. Foals that are rejected by mom can start solid food at around a month of age. Milk re placer pellets. How's is the foals percentage in body weight ?

[sunrisegurl146]

over. hes already stronger than foals from other barns. hes almost always on grass...i think hes just nursing cause he wants to.
hes probably over a 100lbs already. lol hes a big boy
he was checked out by the vet and we were told hes fine.
i just wanted to know if month old babies (hes a month and 2 wks now) can survive on just grass, foal feed, salt lick and etc without mommas milk

[haunani]

Originally Posted by sunrisegurl146

i just wanted to know if month old babies (hes a month and 2 wks now) can survive on just grass, foal feed, salt lick and etc without mommas milk

What did the vet say when they were asked this?

[sunrisegurl146]

i'm quite sure..the foal isn't mine..all i know is that the owners said the vet said he was healthy and was going to be fine..we just have to keep an eye on the mare until hes weaned.
but i'll make sure tonight