Formulation Objectives
Why This Formulation?
- Mare’s milk is highly digestible and correlated with a positive energy balance for neonatal foals (Ousey et al, 1997).
- Foal-Gro has been formulated to mimic mare’s milk as closely as possible for neonatal foals.
- The formulation and feeding recommendations provide the correct energy density, protein, fat and lactose with additional fortifications of trace minerals and vitamins.
Why Specific Protein: Fat: Lactose Ration?
- Foal-Gro provides the correct protein, fat and lactose levels required for neonatal foals that is important to promote health and growth.
- Special attention has been made to match mare’s milk from 1-8 weeks of lactation.
- The high digestibility and level of lactose required by newborn foals is provided. This requirement for energy is balanced for fat and protein.
Why Higher Feeding Rate?
Milk production in mares is generally about 3% of bodyweight per day as liquid milk.
To better mimic the intakes obtained by a foal nursing her dam,
Foal-Gro is fed at a higher concentration (125g/L) than conventional foal milk replacers to meet growth demands on a practical, healthy feeding program. (Naylor & Bell, 1985)
- Feeding rate determines energy intake, which sets limits on the growth potential.
- The typical average daily gain for 2 month weaned foals is 0.95-0.98 kg/d (Knight et al, J.Anim.Sci, 1985).
- Naturally, foals can nurse 4-7 times (up to 17) per hour during the first week of life.
- This decreases to 3 times per hour in the next few weeks of life.
- The Grober feeding schedule aims to provide milk as naturally as possible.
It is a guide but each foal is an individual and so health and growth must be monitored and feed changed accordingly.
Foals should be fed approximately 8-10% of foal bodyweight (day 1) and gradually increased to 20%-25% by day 10.
Milk Replacer Comparison
| Conventional feeding | Grober Foal-Gro |
Mare’s milk 1-4wks (5-8wk) | |
| Concentration of MR % | 10.9-14 | 12.5 | 10.7(10.5) |
| Average intake MR wk 1-5 (grams /day) | 600-950 | 750-1500 | 750(1500) |
| No. feeds per day (day 1-10) | 6-8 | 16-18 | 120 |
| Typical CP % of MR (or milk) | 20 | 22 | 25(21) |
| Typical fat % of MR (or milk) | 14 | 15 | 16.8(16) |
| Typical lactose % of MR (or milk) | 51.5 | 52 | 57.9(61) |
| Typical DE kcal/ litre MR (or milk) | 460 | 541 | 580(530) |
| Av. milk fed/produced at 4 weeks (kg/d) | 8 | 14 | 10.3/13.9/15.4* |
* Shetland pony/ light horse/ draft horse
Potential Advantages
- Increase chances of survival and development into a healthy foal.
- Provide the neonatal foal with the correct balance of nutrients and energy for high maintenance demands and growth requirements.
