Weaning

[kerry0378]

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Now I have had a lot of conflicting information about weaning ranging from 17 days to 5 weeks, and involving meat to baby milk (SME). Personally, only going on what ive been advised by a breeder ive known some years I was going to use readibrek and goats milk at 3 week old and go from there. What do others use

 

[Seraphina]

You really need to play by ear. If you have a large litter and the bitch is looking thin, and the pups are not fat, I would start weaning at 3 weeks. But first i would try to feed the bitch more. i feed my nursing bitches 4-5 times a day, when all is well. If she is struggling then I may feed even more often, and certainly spread from about 6am to as late at night as possible.

Every single bitch I ever bred, but one, told me when to start weaning. They just start to stay away from the pups usually at about 4 weeks. One made it perfectly clear when she took whole mouthfull of chicken necks and gave it to the pups when i was not looking. (w00t) I came in the puppy room to find them all munching on a neck each! After I got over the initial shock and realised they are not choking, I went to make up the puppy porridge.

I always feel the bitch knows best, but with my last litter I realised that sometimes we need to gently nudge her in the right direction. My Callista was in top nick when she had her litter last year, gallons of milk, and was very good mum, she was showing no signs of wanting the pups weaned and they looked great. It was before X-mas and I was pretty busy, so all of the sudden i realised they are 6 and half weeks and not weaned! I tried to start them on the porridge, but they were not interested, they preferred their mum. In the end I just sent her to my daughter's place, as people were promised to be able to have their pups in early January and they had to be fully weaned. In the end I had to stall some and keep the pups for another couple of weeks.

Poor Callista had very sore boobies, and also put lot of weight on, she is only now, 9months later coming back to her normal size :sweating:

So i would not start to weaned before 4 weeks unless the bitch is not managing, but I also would not leave it past 5 weeks. :luck: :luck: :luck:

 

[June Jonigk]

You have got it about right there Kerry, readibrek normally goes down well. I use Welpi bitch replacement milk instead of goats milk, just because it's more like what they're used to, so less likely to give them upset tummies. I varied the 'slop' I gave, and found that my pups loved liquidised chicken breast and rice for an evening meal. Years ago I scraped steak with a sharp knife, which made a meaty mush - lovely!

I don't have any bitches to breed from now, so I'm quite jealous. :luck: Good luck with them, and enjoy :thumbsup:

 

[dessie]

I never wean onto milky foods ........ don't see the point when they are still drinking from Mum. If you think about it logically, they would not get anything milky (like Readibrek) in the wild, except from the dam! Their digestive system is geared up to be ready for meat from about 4 weeks old. I also don't know why people want to rush into weaning puppies at 2/3 weeks old unless there is a problem.

I always start the pups on fine raw mince at about 4 weeks old but within a week they are having the same meat as the adults. they might then have one meal of scrambled egg or rice pudding and maybe another of a flaked complete feed soaked in goats milk instead of water. Like Lida says, the dam and the pups will usually give you an indication of when is the right time. Even when the pups are (or should be) fully weaned (I never remove the dam completely from them) they do not always have milky feeds. I had one litter that would not touch any food that was remotely milky so they had a completely BARF diet from early on!

 

[lalena]

things like tuna, minced beef...soft, easy to eat foods with appealing scents are best, something puppies will be eager to try out. be warned, once babies are eating away from mum, she'll be quick to quit cleaning up after them

great to see k9 going strong :huggles: