How to Get Weanling Foals to Eat Grain

Weaning can be a stressful time for both horse and owner. The foal is going through the difficulty of separation from its dam, and is also having to learn to get its nutrition from solids without the supplementation of milk. Knowing how to transition a foal on to grains can make this process easier for everyone.

Things You'll Need

  • Sweet Feed
  • Buckets
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Instructions

    • 1

      Feeding grain should begin before the foal is weaned. A foal should be nibbling its mother's food long before weaning, and it should have its own bucket and be accustomed to solids before weaning.

    • 2

      Provide a highly palatable sweet feed to the foal at all times. Foal specific feeds can be bought at any feed store, and most have been researched and designed to appeal to foals and give them all the nutrition they need.

    • 3

      Make sure the feed that is available is fresh and slightly moist. Dusty, dry feed is not appealing to foals. It may even be necessary to slightly moisten it with warm water to make it more appealing to a youngster.

    • 4

      Change the feed twice a day, and offer small amounts that increase until the foal is able to self-feed at will. If you offer all you can eat right away, you are likely to throw a lot of feed away as the foal will still be adjusting to his all-solids diet.

    • 5

      Mixing the feed with a "foal-lac" pellet can make it more appealing to younger foals who are still depending more on their mother's milk for nutrition. Foal-lac pellets are milk based, and have a smell and taste that will draw the younger, less experienced foal to eat the solids given to it. They can also be moistened to make them more appealing.