Everything goes in their mouth at this age!

Jessey

Jessey

Well-Known Member
Dec 20, 2004
28,375
18,030
113
43
Suffolk, UK
Niko is 2 rising 3, and he really is the typical gelding that everything has to go in his mouth, it's just a baby entertaining himself
but he's had a good old chew on the side of the Hankhut, I tried putting up a flappy thing to shoo him off but he just chewed on that and pulled it down the first night!
C3181BF5-2C85-4F0D-9A08-D166CFA2E349.jpeg
And has now started on the bottom of wooden posts 🤦‍♀️ Do I ignore it and hope he'll grow out of it before I have to replace all the fence posts?, or spray/paint something on them to deter him? or cover them somehow to prevent it?
 
Jessey said:
Niko is 2 rising 3, and he really is the typical gelding that everything has to go in his mouth, it's just a baby entertaining himself
but he's had a good old chew on the side of the Hankhut, I tried putting up a flappy thing to shoo him off but he just chewed on that and pulled it down the first night!
View attachment 105546
And has now started on the bottom of wooden posts 🤦‍♀️ Do I ignore it and hope he'll grow out of it before I have to replace all the fence posts?, or spray/paint something on them to deter him? or cover them somehow to prevent it?
Click to expand...
no consideration, bit of hot chilli paste might deter him or he may enjoy it....
 
  • Like
Reactions: Huggy
Cribbox? I had the paste for Zi as he systematically chewed all the post and rail. He made a right monkey of it too! It’s a bit messy though as I had the paste. Don’t need it now as he’s stopped. With hindsight poor lad was just settling in. Not the case with your Niko of course. Clearly flappy stuff isn’t a worry for him!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Huggy
Trewsers said:
Cribbox? I had the paste for Zi as he systematically chewed all the post and rail. He made a right monkey of it too! It’s a bit messy though as I had the paste. Don’t need it now as he’s stopped. With hindsight poor lad was just settling in. Not the case with your Niko of course. Clearly flappy stuff isn’t a worry for him!
Click to expand...
Yeah I used it years ago, but as you say it's pretty messy.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Huggy
Sometimes it can indicate a lack of something in the diet. Chunky used to occasionally chew on wood. I cured him. Brought horselyx.
I know people dont like feeding them as there full of sugar but they do also contain minerals. A horselyx worked for chunky. Im sure he was deficient.
I used to leave it in the field when it was just him. The more deficient the quicker he ate it. But sometimes it would last a good month.
I brought one when i first had Billy which i put in the field. He polished it off in a number of days. Which was not the plan.

I still use them but supervised, so when they come in. One can lick whilst i take the other out for there exercise. Some days they dont touch them.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Trewsers
chunky monkey said:
Sometimes it can indicate a lack of something in the diet. Chunky used to occasionally chew on wood. I cured him. Brought horselyx.
I know people dont like feeding them as there full of sugar but they do also contain minerals. A horselyx worked for chunky. Im sure he was deficient.
I used to leave it in the field when it was just him. The more deficient the quicker he ate it. But sometimes it would last a good month.
I brought one when i first had Billy which i put in the field. He polished it off in a number of days. Which was not the plan.

I still use them but supervised, so when they come in. One can lick whilst i take the other out for there exercise. Some days they dont touch them.
Click to expand...
He gets a complete balancer, plus youngstock cubes so I doubt he is deficient in anything and I've had to be a bit careful of him with any kind of lick, he did 4kg of salt in a few days because he's a baby and likes to keep his mouth busy! He's also only seeking stuff out to chew when the others are all stood snoozing and he's bored, so I really doubt it's a deficiency.
 
  • Haha
Reactions: Trewsers
chunky monkey said:
Sometimes it can indicate a lack of something in the diet. Chunky used to occasionally chew on wood. I cured him. Brought horselyx.
I know people dont like feeding them as there full of sugar but they do also contain minerals. A horselyx worked for chunky. Im sure he was deficient.
I used to leave it in the field when it was just him. The more deficient the quicker he ate it. But sometimes it would last a good month.
I brought one when i first had Billy which i put in the field. He polished it off in a number of days. Which was not the plan.

I still use them but supervised, so when they come in. One can lick whilst i take the other out for there exercise. Some days they dont touch them.
Click to expand...
That's a good point - I should consider this with Zi, because he does still crib from time to time. Even just standing up on the yard, it's not like he's trapped in and it's boredom. I have bought various licks in the past and there was only one I've ever known them go mad for but I cannot remember the brand. Maybe it was horselyx.
 
Trewsers said:
That's a good point - I should consider this with Zi, because he does still crib from time to time. Even just standing up on the yard, it's not like he's trapped in and it's boredom. I have bought various licks in the past and there was only one I've ever known them go mad for but I cannot remember the brand. Maybe it was horselyx.
Click to expand...
Cribbing is a totally different problem to wood chewing......
 
  • Like
Reactions: carthorse
My sheep go mad for salt at times. Even though they are on grass, hay and feed. They also get given mineral blocks. If there deficient they will take what they need, but leave when they dont.

We had issues with the cows at one point. They went round debarking lots of trees on the conservation site. We introduced mineral buckets and the debarking stopped. They will regulate themselves as well.
 
Babies are not so good at regulating or even avoiding toxic things though, especially when they’re teething, I know a lot of breeders that won’t put salt out with the youngsters for just that reason. I do also put salt in their feeds, the block was just for them to top up with but he entertained himself with it. He’s also chewing anything else in reach, it’s not just wood, tonight he was dragging brambles around everywhere and chewing on rugs hung up, and a tow rope.
C8C79815-D6FD-4071-B948-D9499EF01394.jpeg
I’m not concerned he’s deficient in anything, I’ve had a nutritionist review his diet and he’s on grass, hay and haylage.
 
Trewsers said:
I always thought cribbing meant eating the wood! I know it can be a combination of wind sucking?
Click to expand...
Cribbers grab on the top of something with their teeth, pull back and suck in air making a grunting noise. Wind sucking is similar but they don’t grab on to anything. Wood chewing is just that, Niko very daintily picks at bits and peels them off, spits it out and goes for the next sticky outy bit.
 
  • Like
Reactions: carthorse
Would he enjoy a horse ball? I have one which Charlie spurned - happy to send it to you if you think the boy would like it. Or maybe a giant knotted-string rope such as dogs have?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jessey
Jane&Ziggy said:
Would he enjoy a horse ball? I have one which Charlie spurned - happy to send it to you if you think the boy would like it. Or maybe a giant knotted-string rope such as dogs have?
Click to expand...
You know I have never know a horse that liked those, but I'm happy to give it a try, let me know how much you want for it :) I am worried about a rope as I think he'd chew it up and swallow bits - we had a slight issue with the plastic around the compost bins and I was finding that in his poo for days!
 
Jessey said:
You know I have never know a horse that liked those, but I'm happy to give it a try, let me know how much you want for it :) I am worried about a rope as I think he'd chew it up and swallow bits - we had a slight issue with the plastic around the compost bins and I was finding that in his poo for days!
Click to expand...
Oh you can have it for postage, it's just sitting in the field! It might cost several quid to send as it is big - but you're handy - should I deflate it to send it to you?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jessey
newrider.com
Top Bottom
Back