Spring has officially sprung! Remember that sudden forage changes in your horse’s diet may trigger digestive issues. Feed hay immediately before turn-out to help him or her from overeating on lush, green pasture.

Restricting grazing time will also help minimize risks. Here’s a rule of thumb: allow 30 minutes of grazing once or twice a day on the first day, then increase grazing time by 5-10 minutes per day until the horses are grazing 4-6 hours per day total.

Autumn is a good time to make sure everything in is in tiptop shape for the cold weather
that’s just around the corner. The preparations you make now can have a long-term impact on
the health and comfort of your goats, so here are a few fall tips:

• Even hardy animals like goats need a warm, dry place to get in out of the cold. Now is a
good time to make sure your shelter can protect your goats from cold winds, rain and snow
as the temperatures drop.

• Remember to replace wet, soiled bedding regularly. Goats need dry bedding in order to stay
warm.

• If you’re constructing a shelter, keep in mind that goats often prefer to sleep up on a
platform instead of at ground level.

• Fresh air is good for goats. At this time of year, you can probably allow your goats to come
and go as they please. But this winter, on days when the weather is especially frigid or wet,
you may want to keep your goats inside. If you do so, make sure your building has adequate
ventilation.

• Goats need access to fresh, clean water at all times. Autumn is the time to think about how
you will provide fresh water during freezing weather. A heater in the water tank will help
ensure water availability day and night.

• In cartoon shows, goats can exist on a diet of tin cans. But in the real world, nothing could
be further from the truth. Goats are actually very particular about what they eat. Goats are
primarily browsers, selectively eating a wide variety of shrubs, woody plants, weeds and
briars. But drought, land use and the time of year can result in inconsistencies in the quality
of forage. As a result, many goats are unable to get enough nutrients from browse alone to
meet their needs. To help your goats reach their full potential, it’s good to supplement with a
high quality feed like Purina® Goat Chow®.

• Even the best nutrition in the world can’t compensate for a parasite infestation (worms).
Parasites can keep your goats from maintaining a healthy weight or even impair your goats’
health. If you haven’t already done so, autumn is a good time for you and your veterinarian
to establish a regular de-worming program (most goat owners de-worm in spring and
autumn). A stool sample can help your veterinarian determine which parasites are causing
problems so that you can treat them more effectively.

• Goats become infected with parasites by grazing on pastures seeded with droppings from
infected goats. The first signs of infection are lethargy and rough hair coat. Animals that lose
weight, have a poor appetite and in many cases diarrhea, may already be in various stages of
anemia.

• Check your goat’s lips and tongue. If they are pale or white instead of a healthy pink, that
can be an indication of anemia caused by a parasite infestation. If a goat appears droopy,
lacks energy, loses its appetite or exhibits any outward sign of distress, consult your
veterinarian at once.

• Newly purchased goats should be treated for parasites and confined from the herd for at
least a week.

• Young kids and adults should be grazed on separate pastures.

• Rotate your de-worming agents to prevent drug resistance. Your veterinarian can advise.

• Another approach to parasite control is prevention. A pasture can become parasite-free if it
has been tilled or given prolonged rest at certain times of year or grazed by animals that are
unsatisfactory hosts for the parasites in question.

Fall is a great time of year to enjoy your goats. And by following the suggestions above,
you can head into the winter months with confidence.

Source: Purina Mills

Broodmares have specific nutritional requirements that differ from other classes of horses. There are differences both in the amount of feed mares need and the nutrient concentration needed in that feed. Throughout the year the broodmare goes through three different phases, each with a different nutritional demand. She is either in early gestation, late gestation or lactation. To keep this cycle going consistently requires that the mare receive the proper health care and nutrition.

Body Condition Affects Reproductive Performance

Body condition may be the single largest factor affecting the reproductive performance of mares. Mares maintained in moderate to fleshy condition cycle earlier in the year, require fewer cycles per conception, have a higher pregnancy rate and are more likely to maintain pregnancies than are thin mares. Because of the subjective nature of terminology such as “fleshy”, “good condition”, etc., researchers developed a numeric scoring system to objectively identify the body condition of a mare. Using this system, research has determined that a condition score of less than 5 in lactating mares indicates that they may not have enough stored body fat to support efficient reproductive performance. Those mares are more likely to skip a breeding season than are mares with a condition score of 6 or more. This is especially prevalent in mares that are 15 years of age or greater.
Reproductive performance often can be improved in thin mares when they are fed to gain weight. However, putting weight on a thin mare, particularly during lactation can be costly and dangerous due to the high levels of feed intake required to achieve gain. While no foaling difficulties have been shown in mares in obese condition, there are no reproductive advantages to keeping mares in condition scores of 8 or 9. Therefore, scores of 5.5 to 7.5 represent the optimum. Management of body condition should be supported by careful selection of feedstuffs and accurate ration formulation, because this is an important step in promoting normal foal growth (see Body Condition Scoring Chart).

Total Feed Intake
Total daily feed intake by mares (hay + concentrate) normally ranges from 1.5 percent to 3.0 percent of body weight, with 2 percent serving as an average. Actual daily feed intake depends on the type and quality of hay or grazing and on the crude fiber level and energy density of the concentrate. As the fiber level increases and energy density decreases, the amount of feed required to meet energy demands will go up. However, as forage quality decreases, voluntary intake often decreases as well. This can present a problem in providing enough energy to maintain the desired body condition. Furthermore, daily feed intake can vary between individuals. Feed intake may have to be increased for hard keepers or heavy milkers, and decreased for other mares who are easier keepers.

Early and Mid-gestation
A non-lactating, pregnant mare in the first 8 months of gestation has nutrient requirements very similar to those of any mature, idle horse. The developing foal gains only 0.2 pounds/day during this time and does not present a significant nutritional demand on the mare. It is usually considered sufficient simply to meet the mare’s nutrient requirements for maintenance.
This may be accomplished with free choice grazing of quality pasture. In this situation, mares may consume as much as 3 percent of their body weight, which can meet their needs for protein and energy during this stage. However, mineral requirements may not be met, particularly in mineral deficient pastures. Therefore, supplemental minerals will be necessary. This may be accomplished with a free-choice loose mineral or a mineral block for horses. A trace mineralized salt block will not provide sufficient mineral to meet requirements, therefore it is recommended that a free-choice mineral and a salt block be provided at this time. High quality hays can also be excellent for maintaining dry, pregnant mares in the early stages of pregnancy. As an average, mares will require around 2 percent of their body weight in high quality hay if no supplemental grain is used. Grazing and/or hay will usually maintain a mare that is already in acceptable body condition, but often will not put sufficient weight on mares that are in marginal condition.
When pasture or hay quality declines, or is not available in adequate amounts, mares will need supplemental concentrate to maintain body weight and condition. A quality concentrate fed at .5 to .75 percent of body weight will help keep mares in good shape.

Late Pregnancy
As a mare enters the last 3-4 months of pregnancy, nutrient requirements increase because the unborn foal is growing more rapidly, averaging 1 pound/day. During this time the intake of protein, energy, vitamins and minerals needs to be increased. Even in situations where forage is sufficiently maintaining mares in acceptable condition, it is important that they receive quality concentrate supplementation. While forage may be able to provide sufficient calories to maintain the body condition of the mare, other nutrients, particularly protein and minerals, will be inadequate. Research has shown that foal birth weight can be adversely affected when mares do not receive adequate protein during late gestation, even when the mares maintain a condition score of 5.5 to 7.5. Therefore, simply having mares stay in good condition during late gestation does not guarantee proper foal development.
It is during the tenth month that the greatest amount of mineral retention occurs in the unborn foal. In addition to this, mares’ milk is practically devoid of trace minerals, such as copper, that are essential for proper bone development. Therefore, adequate mineral nutrition of the mare is critical for normal fetal development and to provide sufficient minerals for the foal to be born with stores of these nutrients to draw upon after birth. A supplemental feeding program that provides a good protein, vitamin and mineral balance is necessary to properly support the growth and development of the foal.  Diets containing added fats or oils can be used to help mares in unsatisfactory condition gain the desired weight.