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Re: [RC] Big Bellied Colt - Chris PausOh my, why is he on straight alfalfa with no grass??? That is such a skewed calcium phosphorus ratio in his diet! Foals fed heavily on alfalfa without a good balance of phosphorus can get big head syndrome among other things... I've been raising colts and fillies for years on good pasture grass, good brome (grass) hay, with just a little feed for being good kids and coming to mom! My babies get pretty much free choice pasture and hay. They've all been healthy, have matured nicely, with good bone, and have nice shiny coats, bright eyes, and no pot bellies. Very often the pot belly actually is not from worms but from undigested feed.(layman's terms here.. Heidi, you can probably explain it more technically) Their little digestive systems don't handle some of the forages as well as adult horses. I'd reduce the alfalfa. It's not bad to give them SOME, but it shouldn't comprise the bulk of their diet! It would be like raising a child on a diet of strictly steaks with no fruit or veggies to balance it out. I'd also start him on a probiotic. Probably paste for a jump start, and then a little fastrack in his feed daily for awhile. That will help his gut build up the enzymes he needs to break down that feed and. Hope this helps. chris --- Healthyhorse@xxxxxxx wrote: Ok I have a 4 month old stud colt ( is weaned). He has a huge belly, how do I get rid of it? He has been wormed regularly with both strongid, fenzb (sp?) and ivermectin. He is on straight alfalfa at the moment and a high quality grain and vitamins. He does not get fresh grass. Plus he is lazy and doesn't do too much running around. Any ideas? Oh also the belly isn't because he is fat because his ribs are showing a little, and he is getting plenty to eat. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ===== "A good horse makes short miles," George Eliot Chris and Star BayRab Acres http://pages.prodigy.net/paus =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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