CAN FOALS EAT FRESH FRUIT AND FOODS??
hey there,
Besides drinking milk, a milk based pellet diet and a complete mix of oats barley, chaff ect... (and undoubtedly fresh grass and roughphage like grass hay) can i feed my 2 and 1/2 month old filly? I hold adult horses that besides the mentioned above, fruits and veggies such as apples, pears, carrots, nectorines, bannanas, brocoli ect. I limit the ammounts and am aware that too much is not flawless, but i want to know if foals can eat these fruits and other fresh foods? She loves to take a bite out of an apple or pear or banana that im drinking. So can she eat fresh foods/fruits yet?
THANKS :)
ps: if here is a limmited number of fruits they are able to eat can u please let me no gratefulness...and u can include what u feed ur foals.
My colt once he was weaned (4 months) started eating apples, carrot, pears, bread, bagels, and an occasional orange. He loved them and has never had any problems. All of my horses gain this with their grain every day. We catch stuff from a grocery store when they cannot sell it.
I have never hear of a horse eating nectarines or bananas before, but if you enunciate so ..
I think that giving foals fruit and veg is okay if you introduce it slowly and one at a time and keep an eye on what effect they hold on them it is no bad thing. You obviously know something like introducing things slowly but fruit and veg, while not always natural to a horse's diet does not seem to spoil them and gives them added tastes and textures and as expected vitamins.
Answers: I don't think a foal should be fed fruits and vegetables. They could hold a digestive upset more easily than an adult horse. Even adult horses should not be feed much of these type foods. Colic is a common aiilment in horses and feeding untraditional foods like fruit and vegetables will just increase the chances to develop this serious disorder.Horses are forage animals by nature, so should have access to pasture and hay in substantial amounts and then supplemented with enough particle to provide the energy needed to perform anything work they are doing (pleasure, racing, jumping, etc)
Why do you feed horses something so unnatural to them?
What ever happened to the good ol apple and carrot and depart it good at that?
Look at what horses eat and thrive on in the crazy.. it isn't broccoli and pears and nectorines ...
Hopefully your horses's gut is rock hard because food changes close to this.. would be enough to possibly colic.
I don't believe any of the foods you mentioned are toxic to horses, but i would avoid feeding them to such a young foal. Not only can feed treats to a horse that young teach them bad manners (sometimes they catch nippy) but they have a more delicate digestive system than an adult horse.
I know you want to be your foal's friend, but play it safe and sound and don't give them to her. Better to be safe than sorry if something happen.
Good luck
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