# Cow milk?



## haviris (Sep 16, 2009)

Can foals have raw cow's milk?


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## tealamutt (Aug 21, 2009)

this is not a good idea. Ideally a foster mare, if that is not available then a balanced foal milk replacer, and as a last resort goats milk. However most importantly, did this foal receive any milk from mom at all? If not, and the foal is over 24 hours old, there will be a no passive transfer of antibodies from the dam and this is a gravely serious situation for the foal. Do you know if this foal got colostrum? How old is it?


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## eventerdrew (Mar 13, 2009)

I've heard that goat's milk is a better replacement for mare's milk than cow's milk is.


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## haviris (Sep 16, 2009)

This was all hypathetical, I don't have an orphan foal. I was recently on Craigslist and saw someone looking for a nurse mare, just got me wondering, a nurse cow would be easier to find (obviously a horse is better, but in a pinch). 

I know goat's milk is ok for a foal, and cow's milk is ok for goat kids, I raised a calf on goat's milk last year. Just got to wondering and thought someone here might know!


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## Vidaloco (Sep 14, 2007)

We have a mare that constantly lactates. She could be a nurse mare, but I think foalac would be more nutritious. Its easily available, probably more so than fresh unpasteurized cows milk.


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## haviris (Sep 16, 2009)

I wasn't really thinking feeding cow's milk from a bottle, I was actually thinking putting a foal on a cow. Odd idea I guess, but there are cows that can raise up to 4 calves. If you have a nurse cow or milk cow, raw milk would be very avaliable! I'm actually in the market for a good nurse cow. Currently goat's milk is what I have avaliable, so I'd be set, although I'm not really planning on having an orphan foal, just something I wondered about. 

I do have a cow that would feed a baby for me if I needed her to (she helped raise my bottle calf last year). But she's a beef cow and I don't trust that she'd have enough milk for a second baby along w/ her current one.


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## draftrider (Mar 31, 2010)

Cows milk is NOT ok for goat kids. I raise dairy goats and I would never ever ever give my kids cows milk. It does not have the right mineral, fat or protein levels.


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## haviris (Sep 16, 2009)

I also raise dairy goats, and have raised several kids on cow's milk, it's my second choice when I don't have goat's milk avaliable. I have 3 right now on cow's milk (my freezer got unplugged and ruined all my goat's milk).


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## draftrider (Mar 31, 2010)

Good luck with that. Cows milk is a very inferior product compared to goats milk. If your goats are milking why are you feeding them cows milk?


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## haviris (Sep 16, 2009)

I started them on it (because my goat's milk was ruined), and just kept them on it because I didn't want to upset them by switching. I could have put the newer ones on goat's milk, but it's easier to have everyone eatting the same. 

My bottle raised kids (raised on goats milk or cows milk) do as well or better then my dam raised kids, so I must be doing something right!


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## Vidaloco (Sep 14, 2007)

I have a friend who had a premature foal that was having difficulty standing to nurse. She just milked the mare then bottle fed the milk to the foal. If you have a mare with another foal it would be best to just milk the mare. Its tough to get them to stand for it but it can be done.


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## draftrider (Mar 31, 2010)

Trying to envision convincing one of my mares to hop on my goat milking stand.


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