Nutrition for the Broodmare

By Dr. Randel Raub, Purina Mills, LLC

If you’re thinking about breeding your mare, proper nutrition is essential in order for her to be in good condition prior to breeding. It doesn’t even hurt if she carries a little fat, although she shouldn’t exceed a body condition score of more than a 7-8. Research indicates that the rate of conception is substantially higher for those mares in good condition over mares that are either too thin or too obese. Mares that are in good body condition tend to begin their reproductive cycle earlier in the year, conceive more readily, and are more likely to maintain their pregnancy to full term (see Body Condition Scoring Chart)

If your mare looks as if she needs to gain some weight prior to breeding her, make sure that your grain concentrate is increased slowly and that you don’t exceed manufacturer’s recommendations. Feeding a fat based commercial feed, or adding a fat supplement, is an effective way to increase your mare’s weight.

Once your mare has conceived, she will require approximately the same daily caloric requirements for the first 8 months as she did prior to becoming pregnant. However, her needs during her last trimester will increase due to the rapid growth of the fetus during this time. Increase your mare’s diet with an additional 10 - 20% of calories (digestible energy) per day for the last three months of her pregnancy in order to meet her growing needs, and the needs of her baby who is gaining about a pound per day during this period!

During the last trimester of gestation the fetus is beginning to take up more space, thereby putting some constraints on the mare’s digestive tract. You may find that she begins to consume less forage, so it becomes even more challenging to provide her with all of the necessary energy, vitamins and minerals. A fortified commercial feed of 14 to 16 percent protein that is also higher in fat content makes a good source of energy to complement your good quality hay and/or pasture.

When the foal finally arrives, the energy requirements of the lactating mare almost double over that of when she was not pregnant and had been able to sustain herself quite nicely on a daily maintenance diet! This means that she will now require a daily intake of up to 3% of her body weight in total hay and grain concentrate. The grain concentrate portion of her diet is very important in that it will keep her from losing weight and will provide all necessary nutrients to meet increased demands.

Maintaining proper weight of the lactating broodmare is extremely important! If she is too thin she will not be able to provide adequate milk production for the foal and, as a result, the foal’s own growth rate and immunity are likely to decrease as well. The too-thin lactating mare may also be difficult to get back into foal. If, on the other hand, the mare is a bit too heavy at foaling, her diet may be adjusted so that she can utilize her fat reserves during lactation and may soon come back to a more desirable weight.

Remember, adjusting your mare’s diet to meet her changing lifestyle needs is important in providing her, and her foal, a balanced ration that meets nutritional demands and that will keep them both in good, healthy condition!

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