22 October , 1962
Floyd Discusses Care-Feeding Of
( Note — Wc are indebted to our friend , Professor J . B . Floyd , formerly of Campbell , Texas , for this interesting discussion of care and feeding of Walking foals . Professor Floyd has moved his operations to Route 1 , Denison , Texas .)
BY J . B . FLOYD
Walking foals will average about 100 pounds at birth and should reach half their matured weight by the lime they are 12 months of age . If a colt is to mature into a 1,000-pound horse it should weigh 500 pounds at one year old and gain 265 or more pounds the second year . Then it should grow about 120 pounds a year for the next two years .
Since Walking colls are shown as 2-year-olds under saddle and at 3 are called Junior horse , they must be developed fast and in good form .
Foals will learn to eat at a few days of age and will be seen nibbling on the dam ' s feed at only a few days old . If allowed access to grain , they will be eating three or four pounds of grain a day by the time they are ready to wean .
Wean Coll Al 6 Months
If a mare is re-bred early , the coll should be weaned at six months of age to allow the mare to rebuild her body and provide proper nourishment for the fetus . When pasture is available , mares do much better than do mares kept up and fed while nursing their foal . However , a good grain supplement beginning a few days after the colt is foaled will do much to maintain the mare and give nutrients for the production of milk .
If the mare is on good pasture , I prefer not to feed her for several days — or until the foal has shown whether it can take all of her milk or whether it is getting too much milk . In case it shows to be getting too much milk , the mare should be removed to a more scant pasture or be put on hay until the colt is able to lake all of the milk .
Avoid long hauls with partitioned trailers that separate colts from mares as this will cause the colt to get too much milk at one time and to start digestive disturbances usually resulting in scours .
The ideal plan is to have a low trough in the mare ’ s stable , near the mare ’ s trough — where the colt can learn to eat while the mare is tied away from reach of the colt ’ s feed . However , where several mares with colts are to be ted this will mean much labor and a creep may be used to feed the colts .
Feeding a large number of mares together in a large trough usually results in injured colts as well as injured mares . The entrance to the creep may be any width anti just high enough to admit the colts but low enough to discourage the mares from trying to crawl under it . Colts may be brought in the creep the first time with the mares and fed — then an old mare who tolerates the colts may be tied in the creep at feeding lime to encourage them to come in . If they have already developed a taste for feed no trouble is encountered .
A very economical and satisfactory ration for the foal may be made with 4 parts of rolled or crimped oats , 3 parts wheat bran , and 1 part of linseed meal or cottonseed meal if linseed meal is not available . When colts reach 2 or 3 months of age , a little legume hay should be placed in the creep daily so the colts will develop a taste for hay and most important nutritive elements are found in the leafy parts of plants . Whole grain is not recommended for young colts , but they will soon be able to get some benefit even from whole grains .
If the mare is re-bred early , the foals should be weaned at about six months of age by separating them .
SEPARATE FOAL FROM DAM
Take the mare into the enclosure where the coll is expected to remain while being weaned . If the colt has not been haltered , this is a good time to do it while the colt is still around the mare .
Remove the mare as far away as possible from the foal — so they cannot see or hear each other . Be sure the colts and mares are in places where they will not injure themselves trying to get back together . If more than one colt is placed in the same enclosure it helps settle Lhe colt and he or she will not get so lonesome .
Where I have several colls together they seem to be more content and learn to eat better . After a few days , however , there usually is a rowdy colt that starts roughing up the other colts and the rowdy fellow will have to be separated . If only one colt is to be
Walking Foals weaned , it helps settle the colt to be placed near other horses — but not his dam .
To avoid having to milk the mare when weaning takes place , put her in a scant pasture and let her have plenty of exercise . If she is kept up , allow her grass hay and water for the first two days , and no milking is usually necessary . Do not allow the colt to be returned to the mare once they are separated — unless the colt develops digestive troubles at weaning . In that case , it may help to postpone the weaning a few days .
Colts may be turned back to pasture in about 10 days — or as soon as the danger of trying to get back to their dams has ended . A little change in their ration is now recommended . Make the grain 4 parts oats to 1 part of wheat bran and allow good legume or grass hay free choice . Keep a complete mineral and loose salt available separately at all times .
( continued on page 23 )
BAR-B-DON Stables
• PLEASURE HORSES
« BROOD MARES , direct daughters of Midnight Sun . With Colts by side .
• YEARLINGS
• SHOW PROSPECTS
• AT STUD GALLANT SUN M
Grandsires , Midnight Sun & Merry Boy
TRAINING SHOWING BOARDING D . L . CASSIDY D . V . M ., Owner BOB ONEY , Trainer MONTICELLO , IOWA Phone HO 5-3311