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Post by Deleted on May 15, 2015 21:09:02 GMT
The little Shetland cross mare foaled in the early morning hours and I have a situation I've never had in 25 years of breeding ... a mare that wants nothing to do with her foal. Fortunately, she's not aggressive with the foal in the stall, just moves away from her but I've seen her kick at the filly a little if she is in a corner and the filly tries to nurse. If I halter and tie her and stand at her hip, she will stand quietly and let the foal nurse, but otherwise wants nothing to do with her. Maiden mare, but an easy foaling and I've foaled a lot of maiden mares and not had this problem. Several breeders who have had this issue have told me that Oxytocin before the foal nurses may help the issue, so she's on that and I'm going out every two hours to let the foal nurse. She hates the shots and isn't crazy about the filly nursing so she's now getting hard to catch, of course. This could get interesting. Cute little filly, chocolate silver dapple but I really do hope this resolves, I don't see me doing this all summer!  |
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Post by mollymckee on May 16, 2015 4:22:22 GMT
We had the same problem years ago, we used a mild tranquilizer for several days. It helped, when we discontinued it everything was okay. We did watch the mare very carefully to be sure she didn't get too much and stumble or have balance problems.
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Post by Deleted on May 16, 2015 11:14:14 GMT
I think I see a bit of improvement this morning, although I may be just sleep deprived and that is wishful thinking. The filly is staying closer to the mare, both in the same 1/3 of the stall and they started out one at each end of a 10 x 20 area. The mare sniffed at her a couple of times this morning while she was nursing without making an attempt at nipping, something she hasn't done before. At this point, cautiously optimistic.
And I really hope the other three mares, who were due the 1st, 5th and 10th respectively, hold off just a few days longer and don't all decide to foal at one time.
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Post by aoconnor on May 16, 2015 11:59:14 GMT
I had a little donkey do the same thing as long as they were stalled. She kicked and shoved the little jack and refused him. Outside in a paddock she was an awesome mom. May be that your little mare is having some of those same issues and a little more space would help? I would stop the shots, if she is getting hard to catch then it isn't worth it. She should accept the filly after a few days, let her get used to it and try to stay hands off if possible, just until this resolves. If it doesn't resolve, do you have a nurse mare you could use?
I feel for you! I took an orphan filly in a couple of years ago that was starving for a momma, thankfully I had a big mare I put her with that would willingly let her "nurse" and would take care of her. It was necessary to do milk buckets every two hours for a few weeks, but the filly did fine and is now a 2 year old.
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Post by motdaugrnds on May 16, 2015 12:12:31 GMT
 Yep, there is always something exciting going on when homesteading....yours now with your horses; mine with an unexpected birth of a Nubian doe out of a first-freshener. |
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Post by aoconnor on May 17, 2015 3:07:25 GMT
SFM, how are mare and filly doing now?
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Post by Deleted on May 17, 2015 11:51:50 GMT
SFM, how are mare and filly doing now? Some progress, but slow. I can now tie her up and she will let the filly nurse even if I am not standing there, so I can continue on with chores, so that is a plus. On the minus side, I'm still not seeing much, if any, indication of mothering. |
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Post by aoconnor on May 17, 2015 12:19:44 GMT
SFM, how are mare and filly doing now? Some progress, but slow. I can now tie her up and she will let the filly nurse even if I am not standing there, so I can continue on with chores, so that is a plus. On the minus side, I'm still not seeing much, if any, indication of mothering. Maybe another week or so will help. I hope so, it is hard enough to be a foal, she needs her momma! If all else fails, do you have a nurse mare? |
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Post by motdaugrnds on May 17, 2015 12:23:55 GMT
I'm curious...Did that mare have a good momma? I'm thinking maybe she doesn't know how to mother her foal.
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Post by Deleted on May 17, 2015 13:44:05 GMT
I'm curious...Did that mare have a good momma? I'm thinking maybe she doesn't know how to mother her foal. The mare herself had a very good mother, in fact the seller told me she was almost overly protective. And apparently I spoke too soon about seeing progress. Yesterday evening and last night, I could tie the mare and leave to finish chores. This morning at the 8 AM nursing I saw the mare nipping at the foal as I went out, but thought the foal maybe tried to nurse. Tied the mare, foal started nursing, I started to walk away and the mare kicked at the foal. Got the filly back nursing and the mare got her nose around and bit her, also tried to kick her again. Stood there right beside her while the filly nursed, turned the mare loose and when I got outside the stall, the mare started chasing the filly, biting at her. The mare is now tied. Have no clue what triggered this behavior as she's not been aggressive before but I now don't trust the mare loose in the stall with the filly.. |
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Post by aoconnor on May 18, 2015 12:30:02 GMT
I am not sure what to tell you. It may be that you put the filly with another mare, even a dry mare, and pan or bottle feed her either her dams milk or replacer. If the dam will allow her to nurse while you are holding her, at least she could get a few times a day of good milk, then maybe pan her to supplement.
I'm sorry you are having that problem. I have never had that happen, but I have had an orphan filly and handled it much the way you might have to with your filly. I put the little orphan with a herd leader mare, that way she was protected, and then pan fed her milk and creeped her onto milk pellets as quickly as I could.
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Post by Maura on May 19, 2015 1:02:12 GMT
It may help if there is danger nearby. A large strange dog, for instance, This trick has been used with sheep, it might work for your mare.
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Post by aoconnor on Jun 2, 2015 12:39:24 GMT
How is the little filly getting along? I've been thinking about you, hope all is going well with her!!
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Post by Deleted on Jun 2, 2015 20:14:34 GMT
She is doing better, eating the foal pellets quite well and drinking some water, but still won't touch the milk replacer. I'm still supervising the nursing about every two hours during the day, but started skipping the 2 AM feeding ... just couldn't keep it up any longer. And now a new twist ... the mare is drying up, almost no milk. I've started her back on Domperidone and have a call in to the vet about Sulpiride, which is what they've been using to bring open mares in to milk that they need to use for a nurse mare and may try that.
Cannot even express how disgusted I am with this mare.
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Post by aoconnor on Jun 2, 2015 21:37:54 GMT
She is doing better, eating the foal pellets quite well and drinking some water, but still won't touch the milk replacer. I'm still supervising the nursing about every two hours during the day, but started skipping the 2 AM feeding ... just couldn't keep it up any longer. And now a new twist ... the mare is drying up, almost no milk. I've started her back on Domperidone and have a call in to the vet about Sulpiride, which is what they've been using to bring open mares in to milk that they need to use for a nurse mare and may try that. Cannot even express how disgusted I am with this mare. I hear you about being disgusted with the mare. How completely aggravating for you. Hopefully the the vet will be able to provide help to keep her in milk. I did try that a couple of years ago on a dry mare when I brought in the little orphan Morgan filly. My mare loved that baby, but we just couldn't get any milk going, so the little one just drank milk replacer out of a bucket, and we got her on milk pellets as fast as possible. If you really can't get mothers milk, at least the baby is eating the pellets and drinking a little water. The night time feeding won't be too missed, and actually, if you maybe could try a small pail of really warm Foal-Lac powdered milk replacer, she may be willing to take it before her bedtime. I never had any luck with other replacer brands, but my filly drank the Foal-Lac right down. Best of luck to you! |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 3, 2015 1:10:02 GMT
I remember my dad telling me about a farmer who had a cow with that issue and they gave the cow beer to get her to let the calf nurse, and it worked. I wonder if that would work with horses?
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Post by aoconnor on Jun 3, 2015 12:30:09 GMT
I remember my dad telling me about a farmer who had a cow with that issue and they gave the cow beer to get her to let the calf nurse, and it worked. I wonder if that would work with horses? That's funny:-) |
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Post by aoconnor on Jun 3, 2015 22:37:53 GMT
Im going to keep that in mind should the need ever arise!
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Post by mollymckee on Jun 6, 2015 14:24:21 GMT
I was never one to drink beer --- but ---- some kindly old gramma told me ---- a half bottle of beer always helped with milk production.
I tried it -------
It worked! We would give our OB patients a little beer if they were nursing and liked it. Nothing like beer in the hospital fridge! Of course we were in Milwaukee! |
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Yep, there is always something exciting going on when homesteading....yours now with your horses; mine with an unexpected birth of a Nubian doe out of a first-freshener. 