Norskgra Posted February 3, 2010 Share Posted February 3, 2010 (edited) Faith is 5 1/2 weeks and has a big appetite. I normally start my pups on smashed chicken necks at about 6 weeks but I am thinking of starting her a bit earlier. How old are your pups when you start them on bones? Edited February 3, 2010 by Norskgra Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellz Posted February 3, 2010 Share Posted February 3, 2010 My Stafford puppies started gumming on their first crushed necks at about 4.5 weeks of age. They'd actually stolen a whole one from Koda and showed their appreciation of that by sucking it to smithereens so I gave them some of their own. By 6 weeks they were eating them in the blink of an eye! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norskgra Posted February 3, 2010 Author Share Posted February 3, 2010 Thanks Ellz. That is what I thought. Faith is always trying to pinch Tyra's food. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stolzseinrotts Posted February 3, 2010 Share Posted February 3, 2010 We give them bones from about 4 weeks onwards, as soon as solids are introduced so are the bones. (most will only suck on them when younger) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozstar Posted February 3, 2010 Share Posted February 3, 2010 My pups start on chicken necks at 4 weeks, by 8 weeks they are eating chicken frames cut ib half. Leanne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bisart Dobes Posted February 3, 2010 Share Posted February 3, 2010 Babies get pulverised chicken necks at 3 weeks - I know they don't eat them but they have a great time, suck on the meat and get some of it off, they learn how to use their paws to hold it down, they tear, tug, pull, growl etc etc all the stuff babies need to develop those muscles and bones - they love it. I have our first litter on video and the look on mums face when she was bought back in was priceless - it was like "hey !! - I didn't sanction this !!!" but then she dropped down outside the play pen & box and watched them very much bemused only jumping in to clean up each and every neck when it was discarded and ofcourse then she had to clean the puppies from head to toe as well with dirty looks shot my way for the work I'd given her . Will have to go and find that dvd and watch it for a puppy fix Ours get real solid food from 4 weeks - mince, tiny bit of veg, necks and wing tips and then progress on from there - they generally are eating wings in total by 5 weeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norskgra Posted February 3, 2010 Author Share Posted February 3, 2010 Faith has been eating mince since she was 3 weeks old and she also gets some veg. I will get her some chicken necks and wing tips to try tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandgrubber Posted February 3, 2010 Share Posted February 3, 2010 I have started as early as 3 weeks. One of my bitches tends to nick off with her chicken frame and deposit it in the puppy pen. The pups can't really eat it, but they sure have a good time trying . . . growling, tugging, pulling . . . and they pick it over pretty well before mum comes back and eats it. I've had no trouble feeding pups frames pulverized with a meat cleaver. I avoid the back end of the chook . . . which contains the guts . . . out of a guess that it is more likely to have bacteria, etc that might be harmful to the pups. The only negative I've seen is that many of my puppy buyers will choose to move on to a high-end biscuit. Pups that have been raised on bones don't much like the transition to biscuits. But being Labradors, they're born gutsers, and they survive the transition. I worry about whole necks as they tend to go down the hatch whole, and I worry that they may be oversized for the tummy of a young pup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norskgra Posted February 4, 2010 Author Share Posted February 4, 2010 (edited) I bought Faith some chicken necks on the way home from work today. For babies, I normally cut them into smaller pieces and pulverize them with a meat mallet to start with and we hold onto the end of them so that they can't choke. Edited February 4, 2010 by Norskgra Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bokezu Posted February 4, 2010 Share Posted February 4, 2010 we start on smashed necks at 4 weeks then between 4/5 we also introduce smashed wings Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norskgra Posted February 5, 2010 Author Share Posted February 5, 2010 Faith had her first smashed chicken neck last night. I didn't cut it up into smaller pieces. Vicsta held on to it for Faith. Poor Vicsta nearly lost her fingers, Faith loved it so much. Normally Faith will watch Neighbours while she eats and you are not allowed to get in her way so she can't see it. This time she couldn't care about Neighbours until she had eaten the chicken neck. I will get her some wings or wing tips when I next go shopping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stolzseinrotts Posted February 6, 2010 Share Posted February 6, 2010 Great to hear that she took to it with gusto! I am sure she will enjoy the wings etc, maybe even try her on chicken frames, they love them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norskgra Posted February 6, 2010 Author Share Posted February 6, 2010 I normally wait until babies are a bit older to give them frames but I will buy some extra when I next get the older dogs their food. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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