From: Sebastian
Dear Jessica, we are expecting three foals in January. Of course I hope that none of them will be orphans, but I thought that it would be wise to consult with you just in case anything happens to one of the mares. Several years ago we had a mare die just after foaling, and we had no idea what to do. Our vet told us to look in some horse health products catalogs for milk replacer, but luckily for us one of our neighbors has goats and was able to lend us one to nurse the foal. She said that this was much healthier and better for the foal, because milk replacer and milk replacer pellets are artificial chemical mixtures that are not good for foals. Well, that foal just didn't grow up as big and strong as he should have been, and I have always wondered if it could have been because he had goat's milk instead of his mother's milk.
I have been reading up on this subject and I have three questions for you. First, about colostrum - if a mare dies, can I just milk the other mares and give the dead mare's foal colostrum that way? I know that colostrum is important and that the foal has to get it during its first couple of weeks, but would colostrum from another mare "work"? Second, about goat's milk. My neighbor has already offered to lend me a goat if I need one for milk, and she also told me that she has read that goat's milk is actually better for foals than their own mother's milk. This sounds strange to me, so now I am wondering (this is my third question) about those milk replacers and if they are as bad as she says they are. My vet is a general large animal vet, not just a horse vet, but he did recommend milk replacer that time before we got the goat for the foal, and he didn't say anything to us when he saw the foal again about six months later. The foal was still nursing from the goat at that time, she would stand on a stack of hay bales and he would nurse, so they had their routine all worked out.
Like I said, I hope that we don't need any of this information when the foals are born, but just in case! Thanks for everything, Sebastian
Colostrum IS essential, as foals are born without immunoglobins - the colostrum transfers the mare's immunities to her foal and keeps him safe for the first week or two until his own immune system . If the mare dies, or if she simply doesn't produce colostrum, or if she produces it and then leaks it all in the week before her foal is born (this happens more often than you might think), the foal will need colostrum from some other source, and he will need it BEFORE he is twelve hours old. The alternative is a plasma transfusion - talk to your vet about this, and about sources of colostrum. With a foal on the way, it's important to have some colostrum in YOUR feezer. When your vet checks your foal, between 12 and 24 hours after birth, you'll find out whether your foal has received the immunities that he needs.
And speaking of your vet, you should talk to him about colostrum banks. Most big breeding farms, many small breeding farms, and some equine veterinary practices maintain colostrum banks. So do other organizations such as the Kentucky Thoroughbred Farm Managers' Club, which will sell colostrum to anyone - you don't need to be in Kentucky, and you don't need to be a member. Here's some information on the KTFMC: www.ktfmc.org/aboutus/colostrum_brochure.cfm
You can also create your very own colostrum bank at home. If you're expecting a foal or foals every year, this is a very good thing to do, since frozen colostrum will last for a full year. You don't have to use expensive, high-tech equipment for this. Just buy some small, sturdy, freezer-type Ziploc bags, keep a marking pen handy, and when your mares foal, be ready. Within that 12-hour period after foaling, when the foal is up and drinking well, milk 4 ounces, seal it in the plastic bag, and write the mare's name, the amount cf colostrum, and the date on the bag. Then pop it into the freezer. If and when you need it, fill a bowl with warm (not hot!) water and place the bag in it to thaw (don't use the microwave).
Colostrum from another mare will work, so if the first one of your mares to foal would be a good source of colostrum that you could use for the other foals you're expecting (IF they need it, which I hope they don't!). If you milk out just one side of the mare's udder, you'll get all the colostrum the other foal needs, and you won't have to worry that you're depriving her own foal.
Milk replacer products: Your first priority should be to try to get a nurse mare. This is always the best thing to do for an orphaned foal, as he will then get company, comfort, and socialization along with the milk he needs - and he's going to need that milk around the clock, which means that someone will need to feed him at least once an hour (some people report success with feeding newborn foals every two hours) for the first few days of his life. Very young foals nurse extremely frequently - often eight or ten times an hour for the first month - so it's much more convenient if that "someone" is a nurse mare in the same stall, and not an exhausted, sleep-deprived human. After the first few days of constant feedings, you can teach the foal to drink from a bucket, and then you'll be able to get some more sleep.
Milk replacers are excellent, and you should make a point of having some mare's milk replacer on hand BEFORE your mares foal, just in case something does happen. Even if you're lucky enough to find a suitable nurse mare quickly, she is unlikely to arrive within an hour or two of your foal's birth. Those first days are critically important, and if you can defrost some frozen colostrum and then begin feeding him a good-quality mare's milk replacer, you can get the little orphan off to a good start and help him THRIVE, not just SURVIVE. Invest in a good milk replacer NOW. If all of your mares foal easily and produce plenty of milk for their foals, you'll have spend a little money for something you didn't need. But if even one mare has problems producing milk for any reason, you'll be so happy that you are well-prepared and can give the foal nourishment that actually meets its nutritional and energy needs.
Goat's milk is not better than mare's milk replacer - it's a poor second choice, and doesn't meet all of a foal's nutritional needs. It IS better than cow's milk if you have a hungry newborn foal, no mare, and no mnare's milk replacer, because foals will usually accept it, and it won't upset their digestive systems as much as cow's milk will, but that's not really an enthusiastic recommendation. Using goat's milk in preference to mare's milk replacer is just silly. You can make it more suitable by adding some fat and - it may save some money, but again, the point is to have the foal thrive.
I hope this helps - or, more accurately, I hope that all of your mares produce healthy foals and plenty of milk, and that you won't actually need any of this information. ;-)
Jessica
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