One of the most challenging aspects of the feeding program on a breeding farm involves weanlings. The weanling faces the stress of removal from its dam, mixing with a group of young horses and sorting out a pecking order all at a time of year when weather conditions are tending to deteriorate and cold nights or wet days are more likely to occur. Yet commercial demands mean that weanlings must continue to grow at a rapid rate so that they can reach growth targets for weanling or yearling sales. The weanling has similar nutrient requirements to the yearling but eats a lot less feed, so that the required nutrients must be packaged in a more concentrated form. Weanlings have a significant risk of getting Developmental Orthopedic Disease (DOD) such as epiphysitis of the fetlocks, contracted tendons, wobbler syndrome or OCD.

The first factor to consider is age of weaning. The mare’s milk production peaks at two months, and then there is an increasing gap between the foal’s needs and what the milk can supply. This gap can be supplied by pasture or the mare’s hard feed. A foal can be weaned from 4 months of age and a recent study showed that weaning was less stressful for four month old foals than it was for six month old foals, when stress was judged by the growth setback at weaning. Some foals that are doing too well, or not well enough or have signs of DOD may need to be weaned earlier than the rest of the group.

One factor that has a big influence on the growth of weanlings is familiarity with the post weaning feeding program prior to weaning. A foal that is used to the hard feed will adapt to conditions much better after weaning. This means that if your mares are not being fed or are being fed differently to the weanlings feed, then you will need to creep feed your weanlings. Creep feeding does not imply force-feeding. Creep fed foals should be given no more than 1.5- 2kg of grain or concentrates per day starting at three months of age.

As the weanling has a restricted appetite it is important that the feed you give them is palatable. Sweet feeds have been shown to have greater palatability than pellets or extruded feeds and the use of a sweet feed such as HYGAIN STUDTORQUE or GROTORQUE will ensure that all weanlings eat enough hard feed to supply their nutrient needs.

To achieve optimum growth rates, the weanling needs to consume significant amounts of energy, amino acids, protein, and minerals yet its restricted appetite means that it needs a concentrated nutrient package. Commercial weanling feeds such as EASIFEED PHASE 1 are more concentrated sources of nutrients than mare feeds such as PHASE 2. They have higher energy and protein content along with elevated mineral levels, so the requirements of the weanling can be met in a 2.5 –3kg feed per day. Processing of barley and corn is desirable and the steam flaking or extruding used in KER formulated feeds increases the digestibility of energy in these grains. The average 6 month old 250 kg weanling growing at 0.9 kg per day will require about 2.5-3.0kg of a weanling feed per day for satisfactory growth. This equates to 1% body weight and will need to be fed twice a day. Remember you need to allow for variation in intake so if you have eight weanlings in a paddock provide them with nine feeds. Allow two weanling feeds for any granny or minder that you have in the group. If you have large numbers of weanlings the older and bigger weanlings will need more feed than the younger group, so provided you match up your mobs right, you can vary the intake appropriately.

The quality and quantity of pasture available will determine what sort of hay you need to feed and how much hay and chaff weanling needs. Green pastures will usually contain close to or over 20 % protein, so this means protein and amino acid supply will be met from the combination of pasture and an appropriate grain mix. In the case of plentiful pasture resulting from irrigation or autumn rain you can mix a little bit of chaff in with the grain, but you don’t really need to supply hay, apart from days of rain and cold weather. On the other hand, if your weanlings are in paddocks with little grass or dry pasture they will need supplementary lucerne or clover hay/chaff to meet their protein and amino acid needs. If you are providing supplementary forage for your weanlings, always use top quality chaff or hay. Lucerne and clover being legumes have higher energy, protein, amino acid, and calcium content than grass hay or oaten chaff. This means they are the preferred supplementary forage source if you are aiming for optimum growth.

The aim of weanling feeding is to allow for optimum growth with minimal DOD. If you choose the right weanling feed and feed the appropriate amount there is no need for added supplements, and in fact the use of extra supplements can create nutritional imbalances. Key nutrients such as amino acids, calcium, phosphorus, copper, zinc, manganese and Vitamin E should be provided by the hard feed you use. However if you have your own oats in a silo and need a supplement to mix with them then the EQUIVIT ALL PHASE BALANCER PELLET offers you great flexibility and an easy way to feed a balanced diet. Weanlings that are too heavy or have early signs of DOD can benefit from a period with no grain, but having their amino acid and mineral needs supplied by the ALL PHASE PELLET.