Weaning - what grain

[Hayburner]

Geting ready to wean my almost 5 month old. She has been snatching a bit of grain which is Strategy and some Sweet from her mom's feed bucket.

She is in great shape and may even be a bit chubby. She will be moving to a run in with another youngster. With winter coming, I'd like her to maintain her weight, but not get more chubby. Something with good nutrition that will support her growing needs. She will get good quality and quantity of hay. No blanketing.

Thanks

[dasher]

I raised all my babies on Buckeye's Grow-N-Win. They did not need anything else grain wise. They got about a pound a day.

[Hayburner]

Thanks dasher, I will check to see if my local feed store carries it

[Perilous]

I've been feeding Legends Growth to my weanling. She is at a good weight. Its sold by Southern States, never heard of it before this summer. I switched from Triple Crown to them and all the horses look great.

[Hayburner]

Perilous, why did you switch from triple crown? better nutrition for a growing youngster? price? Higher protein?

I was going to get the triple crown growth, only because my aged gelding has been on TC lite for many years and does well on it.

My local Agway has both Ledgends and TC, so either will be easy for me to get.

Thanks!

[exvet]

I have used Purina's Ultium Growth for my weanlings and keep them on it until they're two. I have been very pleased with the results. My foals/weanlings are all well balanced and I haven't had a single one go through wild growth rates. It may be all due to their genetics; but, even so the nutrition is certainly not interfering with it.

[Hayburner]

Thanks Exvet, I was thinking Purina Growth too, since her mom does very well on the Purina Strategy

[Hoof'n it]

I tend to continue on with the feed the broodmare is on during weaning, then if you need to switch it out to a more specific weanling feed - do so a few months after weaning.

I feed Hygain Tru-breed. With is a great all round feed for the broodmare and youngsters. So all my breeding horses and weanlings, yearlings, two year olds and even older all stay on the same feed.

As for condition, I would say that majority of the babies do lose some weight from the stress of it all. So if she is chubby then she could probably do with losing some weight anyway.

Switching feed at weaning time is honestly just a recipe for disaster. Get them used to a feed when they are still on their mum, and carry that through until a few months after weaning, if you need to swap it out.

[exvet]

Good point Hoof'n it. I feed my lactating mares Ultium Growth (Purina) as well so my weanlings are already use to it by the time they're going throw that process. I have never had a a foal lose weight during weaning; but, then I tend to wean a little later, 8 months, and the mares and foals are more than ready by then.

[Perilous]

Hayburner-I switched out because i'm buddies with the guy that runs our local southern states-I have always had some horses on TC senior-he convinced me to switch over-he said the mill is better, etc and the price is better. My horses seem to have done really well on it and even picky eaters tend to like it. The mare was on Legends Growth-so the feed stayed the same for the weanling once she was weaned.