Farm Friday: Weaning Finn

Apologies for another dusted off post from my old blog. I'll eventually adjust to my new work schedule.
Won't I?

This was from about two years ago when I was putting Finnegan through the weaning process....


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I'm finally starting the weaning process for Finnegan. You know, our blue-eyed colt that you got way TMI on regarding his recent testicular incident?



Yeah, him.



He is a hopeless Mama's Boy. He is still nursing at one year. I know I should have weaned him about six months ago, but I don't really have the proper facilities to separate them in cold weather, as I only have one barn. Not even a small run-in shed.



I know some folks subscribe to the method of completely removing the foal from the dam. As in they ship one off to be boarded at someone ele's farm till the deed is done.



Not to be judgemental or nothin', but that's not an idea I could get behind.



First off, it places a terrible stress on both Mama and baby when they're removed from each other so suddenly. Neither one knows what's going on, Mama turns her Mother Bear switch on when her baby is taken from her and who can blame her? They pace, they cry, they scream, they gnash their teeth

you say grazing I say gnashing, tom-ay-to, tom-ah-to.



Second, as a fellow mammal who has formerly nursed, I can tell you right here and now that cold-turkey weaning could be considered a form of torture. If it could be applied to men, it would be banned by the Geneva Convention.



At least when it was time for my babies to say goodbye to the boobies, I could do it on my own terms. And if the pressure

pun intended

got too much for me, I could always jump in a nice hot shower to express my discomfort

pun intended again.



So I'd much rather keep them together, within sight, within ear shot, just maybe separated by a fence.



Even that can be difficult. Tuesday I put Genevieve in the side pen and gave her a nice big tub of fresh water (of course, I had my kids haul about 10 buckets of water to fill it for me) and a few forks of hay. Pippin and Finn were in the field. At first they were visibly distraught even by this small degree of separation, and Finn wouldn't stray far from the fence, but as the day wore on they seemd to settle into this new turn of events.



After a spell, Finn did as any young boy will do, and went off to explore muddier fields with his brother. Gen would cry and pace a bit but eventually settle. And Finn would check in with her from time to time. Throw the poor old hag a bone.

Is this what it will be like when my kids leave for college?



My plan is to increase periods of separation gradually so the demand on her milk supply will also decrease gradually. Purest example of supply and demand I can think of. More comfortable for Genevieve, my sister in lactation.



The weather has played nicely into things because the next day we had threats of severe wind and thunderstorms. So when I got home with the groceries, I quick ran out to the side pen, (hoping the ice cream wouldn't melt), talked to her and pet her for a few minutes, then let her reunite with her baby. They immediately ran to each other and snuggled, then he checked out what was on tap and drank his fill.



Storms over on Thursday morning, and back into the pen for Gen. I'll keep her in there for two or three days this time, then let them briefly reunite. After that, a week.



So if my plan works out as I've intended, Gen will be all done with the whole nursing scene for the first time in many years. She was kind of a rescued broodmare and I believe Finn was her 8th foal in about 10 years. Yikes.



I'm all for large families, but my hat's off to this girl.







Here's Finnegan on his birthday last year in early June. Cute, right?







This is Finn and his brother Pippin about three months before going under the knife.


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Post note:








And here he is last summer, bigger than his brother. How quickly they grow...





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Farm Friday - Weaning Time

About this time last year, I had to go through the process of getting my colt Finnegan weaned from his Mama.

Although many horsey-folk prefer to do this by shipping one or the other off to board somewhere for a month, I don't like doing things that way. Having nursed babies myself, I thought the whole thing just sounded too stressful for all parties involved (yes, myself included).

So what I did was just keep Genevieve separated in a pen where she and her baby could still see and hear each other, but he wouldn't have access to the 24/7 milk bar.

And it worked out quite well. Have a look....




So the weaning process is still ongoing. And Mama and son are both doing well. Some crying and pacing, to be sure, but they're dealing.

But doing things this way does mean more work.

I have to pitch hay out to Genevieve since she no longer has access to the barn.

I (meaning my kids) have to haul buckets of water out to refill her water tub, because the hose won't reach that far.

And I have to milk her every now and then.

**cricket cricket **

I said I have to milk her every now and then.

See, her udder is still producing milk, it just has nowhere to go. So after a day of no 800lb baby slurpin' down his breakfast, lunch and dinner, the milk just builds up till her bag is tight and uncomfortable.

So I milk her just a bit to take the pressure off. Just enough to make her more comfortable. Plus this will fool her body into thinking that's all the milk she needs to make, so it will start to produce less on the next go round.

But Daniel was helping me feed her a couple mornings ago when he saw me reach up under her belly and start yanking on her teats.

Uhhh, Mom....?

Yes dear?

What are you doing?

I'm milking Genevieve.

Why?(See above)

He just watched with a mixture of horror and fascination for a minute, then shook his head and walked back to the house.

I think I need to add this to the chore list!!! I can just see their faces now when they discover that their weekly chores might include emptying the dishwasher, mowing the lawn, and milking the horse.

Oh, this is brilliant. I gotta go. I need to find my dry erase markers and start making some changes on the chore board.





Click the brown button if you think "milking the horse" should be a chore for my kids.

Click the brown button if you think I should consider the long-range therepeutic needs of my children instead.

Or just click the brown button to vote for me.






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I'm linking today's post up with the Farmgirl Friday blog hop over at Deborah Jean's Dandelion House. Be sure to hop on over to check it out!