Thisbe keeps an eye out for mom, Aria
At four months old, Thisbe was a strapping 71 lbs. I had resolved to wean her as early as possible after watching her dam, Aria, drop fifteen pounds underweight despite my best efforts. However, with a busy show season coming up, I decided to let Thisbe go a bit longer until I was permanently at home for winter. This decision was made easier when Aria regained ten pounds after Thisbe started to demand less of her in month four. Thisbe had always been a precocious eater, stealing pellets from dams’ bowls at just a few weeks old and attacking the hay feeder as vigorously as any adult in her second month of age.
Weaning is one of those processes that vary widely from breeder to breeder. And a process it is. I have my own guidelines that work for me but even these I don’t adhere to religiously. Each cria is different and I adjust depending on how advanced they are physically and mentally. My general guidelines are:
1. Allow two weeks for the weaning process before dam and cria are separated permanently
2. Allow the cria to reach 6 months of age or 70 lbs, whichever comes first as long as the cria is at least four months of age. Wean a cria at a minimum weight of 60 lbs.
3. Ensure the cria is eating hay and pellets on their own before weaning
4. Consider the body condition of the dam in timing the start of weaning
5. Consider the mental readiness of the cria in timing the start of weaning
6. Weigh the cria often during weaning
Finishing the show season with the ABR Fall Fest last week, I turned to weaning Thisbe, now 80 lbs at almost five and a half months old. Her body condition was solid, neither thin nor fat. I felt confident that she’d be relatively easy to wean.
I started by separating her from her mom for half a day, gradually increasing the time until she was spending the entire day away from Aria by the end of the first week. Nights they spent together. This schedule I held for a few days. Now that we are midway through the second week, I will be putting them back in together in the afternoon for a few hours before separating them again overnight.
As hoped, Thisbe’s taking it pretty well. The best sign of this is that Thisbe doesn’t rush to nurse off Aria as soon as they are together again, content to merely eat from the same spot in the feeder for a while. She’s maintained her weight. Aria, as is typical, seems relieved to have a bit of private time away from her demanding cria.
This weekend, weaning will complete and Thisbe will become a full time resident of the weanling pen. I expect to have Aria back up to normal weight within a month. My next cria to wean won’t be until end of January or early February and I only hope it will go as smoothly as Thisbe’s.
