Nutritional Management of Mares and Foals
By May31, 2005
Welcome to Kent University study on nutritional management of mares and foals. In this section we will explain important concepts on feeding mares during gestation and lactation, and also creep feeding the foals.
Before we get started on the feeding management of the gestation mare, we will review the general concepts in horse reproduction in order for you to have an overview of the mare reproduction. Most mares are 3 years old before they are bred intentionally. However, mares will start to cycle long before they are 3 years of age. Normally, they will cycle soon after they reach puberty which is typically after their first birthday. Mares are long day breeders, which means they are not reproductively active during the season of short days. Once the days lengthen in the spring, the mare will start cycling. Gestation (length of pregnancy) for a horse is approximately 340 days which is a little more than 11 months.
Some horse owners prefer to breed mares to have a foal in January through March. To accomplish this, mares must be bred in the months of February to April. During these months in the northern part of the US, the day length is not sufficient to stimulate cycling so horses are exposed to artificial light 16 hours per day starting 60 days prior to time of breeding. Some start this process around Thanksgiving time. Once reproductively active, horses cycle every 21 days. Once the mare is bred, it is important to provide adequate nutrition to the brood mare. It is important to feed a quality long-stem roughage. The amount per day should be at least 1% of the body weight of the mare. During the early part of pregnancy the amount of concentrate fed will depend on the body condition of the mare and the amount of work the mare is performing. If the mare is fed only a small amount of a grain product, she should then have free-choice access to a mineral product including salt.
During the later 3 to 4 months of gestation, the nutrient requirements of the brood mare increase as the unborn foal is growing significantly. If the mare is being fed only a small amount of grain product, a mineral product and salt should be fed free-choice. For those mares not being fed a grain product, it should be introduced the last 3 to 4 months starting at 1 lb and gradually increasing up to .5% to 1% of the body weight daily.
After the mare foals, she starts to produce a significant amount of milk. Milk production will increase rapidly following foaling, peaking at approximately 2 months into lactation. After peaking at 2 months, milk production gradually declines. The amount of milk produced by mares varies greatly. Estimates of milk production are 3% of body weight during early lactation and 2% in late lactation. Traditionally foals are weaned at 4 to 6 months of age.
During lactation, the nutritional needs of the mare increase significantly. Mares require more protein, energy, calcium, and phosphorus. Underfeeding of mares during early lactation can lower milk production and cause weight loss of the mare.
During lactation mares require 2-3% of their body in total feed including hay and grain. We recommend lactating mares be fed a 14-16% crude protein grain product. Heavy milking mares may require 1.75-2.0% of their body weight in concentrate feed daily. For an 1100-lb mare, this is 19.25 to 22 lb of the grain concentrate per day. Mares on lush green spring pastures, can maintain on 1.0 to 1.25% of their body weight daily in concentrate feed or 11 to 13.75 lb/day.
The feeding management of the brood mare following foaling must be carefully managed to prevent any gastric upsets and feed intake problems. Post foaling, gradually increase the daily grain concentrate feeding rate over 7 to 10 days. Feed the grain concentrate in 2-3 feedings per day. It is recommended to free-choice a mineral product to ensure sufficient calcium and phosphorus intake. With an alfalfa forage, use a mineral product with a 1:1 Ca to P ratio. With other forages, use a mineral product with a 2:1 Ca to P ratio. With the energy demand of lactation, it is a great time to feed a grain product with added fat.
Another recommendation for managing mares during lactation include individually feeding rather than feeding as a group. Individually feeding allows the owner to observe the body condition of the mare daily. Should she begin to get thin, the feeding rate of the grain concentrate should be increased. Or, if the mare starts to become over conditioned, the amount of grain concentrate can be reduced. Milk production increases the need for water. Insure the mare has an unlimited supply of clean, fresh water as water intake can approach 20 gallons daily.
The horse owner should closely monitor the birth of the foal for any abnormalities during the birthing process. Should any abnormality occur, a veterinarian should be called immediately. Once a healthy foal is on the ground, it should stand within approximately two hours after delivery. If the foal is breathing normally, the foal does not need assistance in standing. The owner should watch closely to see if the foal nurses. Typically, a foal will nurse within 3 hours of birth. It is important that the foal nurse the mare for the colostrum. Colostrum provides temporary immunity to diseases. It is best if the mare foals in a warm, dry environment to reduce the risk of health problems occurring.
Brood mares have the capability of producing large quantities of milk to meet the nutrient demands of the foal. Over time the nutritional density of the milk declines and may not be able to meet the nutrient demands of the 3 month old foal. At approximately 3 months post birthing, the mare provides only about 50% of the protein and energy needs of the foal. You will find that the foal will show interest in the mare’s feed soon after birth. Creep feed for the foal can be offered when the foal is 2 to 4 weeks of age. Creep feed should be introduced slowly. Typical creep feeds for foals have 16% crude protein.
Typical creep feeding rate is 1 pound per month of age, per day. With this feeding scheme, a 2-month old foal would be fed 2 lb/day. Once the foal is eating the creep feed, the amount fed should be gradually increased until the feed is available free-choice to the foal. Foals should also have access to high quality, mixed hay or pasture. Because foals are picky eaters and tend to sort sweet feeds, a pelleted feed is recommended. A pelleted feed ensures the foal receives a balanced diet in every bite. With the right feeding program, foals may gain 2.3 to 3 lb daily prior to weaning.
Traditionally, foals are weaned at 4 to 6 months of age. To facilitate the weaning process, the foals are physically separated from their mothers. Because the foal is going to be agitated, the facility housing the foal should be safe and where foals cannot jump the fence. During the early weaning process, the foals are usually allowed to see, smell, and hear their mother, but not nurse.
Horse owners are encouraged to develop a plan for minimizing the stress of a foal at weaning. A health program should be in place prior to weaning. Typically, foals are dewormed at 4 to 6 weeks of age. The initial vaccinations are given at 2 to 3 months of age. Foals that are creep fed and provided quality hay typically adapt to weaned status fairly quickly. Seven to ten days prior to weaning, gradually reduce the amount of grain the lactating mare is receiving. This will reduce the milk production. Plan a facility for the weaned foal, one that will not allow the foal to jump the fence to get to its mother. And then physically separate the foal from its mother.
Following are important concepts to remember from this section on mares and foals nutritional management. First, a couple of concepts related to reproduction. Mares are typically 3 years of age before they are intentionally bred. Mares are reproductively active during the long days of the year. At foaling, several nutrient requirements of the mare need to increase to meet the demands of lactation. Feed a lactating mare a 14-16% crude protein grain product plus roughage. A heavy milking mare may require 1.75-2.0% of her body weight in grain concentrate daily.
With the demands of lactation, the mare requires plenty of clean, fresh water. At 2 to 4 weeks of age, you can begin to creep feed the foal using a 16% crude protein product. Traditionally, foals are weaned at 4 to 6 months of age.
This concludes the section on nutritional management of mares and foals. Hopefully, we have been able to teach you a few basic concepts on reproductive management of brood mares and nutritional management of mares and foals.