{"id":11740,"date":"2025-05-06T10:00:48","date_gmt":"2025-05-06T14:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uniag.coop\/?p=11740"},"modified":"2025-05-06T14:17:25","modified_gmt":"2025-05-06T18:17:25","slug":"feeding-the-broodmare","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uniag.coop\/en\/articles-en\/feeding-the-broodmare\/","title":{"rendered":"Properly feeding a broodmare"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":11737,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[47],"class_list":["post-11740","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles-en"],"acf":[],"cp_meta_data":{"_wds_readability":["a:4:{s:5:\"score\";i:70;s:9:\"raw_score\";i:70;s:11:\"is_readable\";b:1;s:5:\"error\";b:0;}"],"_wpml_word_count":["{\"total\":10,\"to_translate\":{\"en\":10}}"],"_wds_primary_term_category":["false"],"featured_post":["0"],"_featured_post":["field_5f9b2156861ac"],"short_description":["At each stage of gestation, a broodmare has specific nutritional requirements. Providing a balanced diet and appropriate management is therefore essential to its well-being and the foal\u2019s health."],"_short_description":["field_5f9b2156861f8"],"author":[""],"_author":["field_5f9b21568623f"],"cta_footer_title":[""],"_cta_footer_title":["field_5f9b21569952c"],"cta_footer_description":[""],"_cta_footer_description":["field_5f9b215699587"],"cta_footer_image":[""],"_cta_footer_image":["field_5f9b2156995dc"],"cta_footer_button":[""],"_cta_footer_button":["field_5f9b215699624"],"cta_footer":[""],"_cta_footer":["field_5f9b215686285"],"flexible_article_0_description":["

The broodmare\u2019s gestation period is 11 months, and the lactation period ranges from 6 months to 1 year, depending on management at the farm.<\/p>\r\n

The nutritional requirements of broodmares can be divided into several distinct steps.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Prior to insemination<\/h3>\r\n

Prior to insemination, the broodmare must have a\u00a0<\/span>body condition scoring<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>(BCS) of around 5 or 6 on a scale of 1 to 9. At insemination, broodmares whose BCS is less than 5 have lower fertility due to lower secretion of a hormone called leptin.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

The first months of gestation<\/h3>\r\n

Nutritional requirements vary significantly from early to late gestation. To begin with, the requirements in the first five months are very similar to those of mares at maintenance. They gradually increase until the ninth month, and then rapidly until foaling. This variation can be explained by the fact that the fetus does not grow consistently during the 11 months of gestation. At birth, the newborn should weigh between 9% and 12% of the mare\u2019s body weight.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

After foaling<\/h3>\r\n

After foaling, the broodmare\u2019s nutritional needs increase considerably to meet the physiological requirements of lactation.<\/p>\r\n

For the first three months, the mare produces the equivalent of about 3% of its body weight in milk each day. Milk production reaches its peak in the first month, and then gradually decreases until weaning.<\/p>\r\n

The composition of the milk varies significantly during the lactation period. The fat and protein content decreases, while the percentage of lactose increases.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Feeding strategies for late pregnancy and lactation<\/h2>\r\n

Throughout gestation and lactation, the mare should maintain a BCS of around 6 out of 9. If weight loss occurs, the ration should be adjusted to meet energy requirements.<\/p>\r\n

Table of daily requirements for a broodmare that weighs 600 kg, with appropriate body condition scoring.<\/p>\r\n\"\"\r\n

During this period, the mare\u2019s diet must include a greater protein intake to avoid depleting reserves and ensure good milk composition.<\/p>\r\n

Research has shown that mares that do not receive adequate protein need more time to start ovulating again after the anovulatory period than those that receive a more protein-rich diet.<\/p>\r\n

To meet the specific needs of broodmares and prevent deficiencies, it is recommended that legume hay (clover, alfalfa) and protein-rich feed such as\u00a0<\/span>Materna<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>be given. A protein supplement such as\u00a0<\/span>Topp40<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>can also be useful when forages have a low protein content.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Minerals and vitamins<\/h2>\r\n

Each of the\u00a0<\/span>minerals<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>and vitamins must be provided in sufficient quantities according to the broodmare\u2019s specific requirements at the various stages of gestation and lactation.<\/p>\r\n

Some studies have shown that mares draw on the nutrients from their own reserves when external mineral sources are insufficient. For example, a loss of bone density can occur when there is a calcium deficiency, or when the calcium\/phosphorus balance in the ration is not adequate.<\/p>\r\n

It is therefore indispensable to develop a feed program to prevent deficiencies and meet the requirements in micronutrients essential to reproduction. For example:<\/p>\r\n\r\n