2003, Issue #3

  from your Pioneer Sales Representative:  Kingston Feed & Farm

Feeding the Lactating Mare

Kasia Miedzinska, PhD

Certified Equine Nutritionist

Throughout that last period before foaling a mare’s energy requirements will rise dramatically, up to 28 Mcal/day. The feed she will be eating after foaling to support milk production should have been introduced before she foaled in order to avoid any intestinal disturbance. Upon foaling her feed will need to be raised by about 75%, but not until the foal is at least 7 days old in order to prevent an over-abundance of milk.

It is in about the tenth month that the mare will begin to make milk. By foaling time a mare will produce about 3% of her body weight in milk on a daily basis, and will continue to do so for the first three months. Then production drops to about 2% of her body weight, and the quality of the milk decreases.

It is in this early lactation period that mares require the most intense diet of their lives. They are required to support a growing foal with high quality milk and maintain their own body condition in order to be able to be rebred successfully. At this point their feed is usually fairly equally balanced between hay and grain at 45 to 55% each. They need a diet high in energy, vitamins, minerals and protein.

The foal in the meantime has been developing nicely in the mare courtesy of her great feeding plan. The first nutrients it should receive after birth would be from a healthy mom’s colostrum. This first milk should contain high levels of antibodies such as immunoglobulin, which prevents disease and kick-starts the immune system. This first exposure is crucial as the mare’s antibodies have been unable to cross the placental barrier to the foal. It needs to ingest one to two litres of colostrum within 24 hours of birth. During the first three months of its life, the foal will begin to develop its own immune system. Until then it is dependent upon that first loading of colostrum, which has five times the protein and twice the energy of a mare’s regular milk, as well as an abundance of vitamin A.

The foal has moved from the uterus with its continuous food supply, to the harsh world of infrequent meals and dry food such as grass and hay. This adaptation period is a bit of a shock. During the first few weeks the foal may appear to have a hay belly, a rough coat and a very slow growth rate. It doesn’t take long to recover and move on to the serious business of growing. By six months old the foal should have reached 50% of its mature weight and 85% of its mature height. That takes a lot of energy, protein, vitamins and minerals. The quality of the mare’s milk will determine when the foal begins to search for supplementation. On average, at about 4 to 6 weeks it is suitable to supplement the milk/fibre diet with grain. Foals can be fed in discrete amounts, or can be left to eat free choice.

There are two important points to remember about feeding foals. First is that it should not be allowed to eat more than 2kg of grain in any 24 hour period. Secondly, foals do not digest starch well before they are 7 months old. Therefore it is advisable to feed them a pelleted or extruded foal feed as opposed to a “sweet” feed of raw grains.