What Do People Start Their Babies On

[Tapua]

I was just curious, I have a litter of 8 baby Labs about 3 1/2 weeks old doing well on mum. I will probably start them on softened puppy Nutro with goats milk today or tomorrow. I was wondering what others start their pups on?

I tend to introduce food slowly and let mum wean naturally as they become less of a damand on her. When do you intoroduce meat? I usually introduce them on human grade minced chicken in a few days depending on how they are doing on the Nutro.

[ShesaLikeableBiBear]

We start ours on premium mince at the same age as yours are now. At about 4 1/2 weeks we introduce Nutro puppy food soaked with a little warm water to soften the biscuits, and our home made diet.

[ellz]

http://www.dolforums.com.au/index.php?showtopic=206083

[LizT]

I was just curious, I have a litter of 8 baby Labs about 3 1/2 weeks old doing well on mum. I will probably start them on softened puppy Nutro with goats milk today or tomorrow. I was wondering what others start their pups on?

I tend to introduce food slowly and let mum wean naturally as they become less of a damand on her. When do you intoroduce meat? I usually introduce them on human grade minced chicken in a few days depending on how they are doing on the Nutro.

Awww...lovely bubs. Are they all black?

[dancinbcs]

My reply copied from another post on here.

I start mine at three weeks with mince in little balls then mixed with a little warm water to make a slurry to teach them to lap. Then gradually start adding puppy kibble to the slurry and adding less water. I don't substitute any milk until about 5 weeks if mum still has plenty then I start giving meat/kibble meals followed by a drink of milk substitute (usually divetelact) and start dropping mums food down. By 6 weeks they are on a variety of meat/protein sources including chicken wings to chew, dry puppy kibble, hard dog biscuits and milk drinks totalling 4 meals a day. I let the bitch decide when she wants to stop feeding and it is usually around 7 weeks.

[oakway]

I start mine on any old mince. Usually hamburger and as grow they go onto minced chicken frames.

I do add some slightly softened dry food at about four weeks and by six they are are eating the dry just mixed in with the chicken mince.

[Tapua]

OK I might start then on some mince this afternoon and see how things go thak guys - everything is worth a try.

[Tapua]

I was just curious, I have a litter of 8 baby Labs about 3 1/2 weeks old doing well on mum. I will probably start them on softened puppy Nutro with goats milk today or tomorrow. I was wondering what others start their pups on?

I tend to introduce food slowly and let mum wean naturally as they become less of a damand on her. When do you intoroduce meat? I usually introduce them on human grade minced chicken in a few days depending on how they are doing on the Nutro.

Awww...lovely bubs. Are they all black?

No 3 black and 5 chocolate although the sire is a dominant choc I expected a yellow too and much to my surprise there was only 1 chocolate that I think is yuk in colour the others have chocolate pads, nose and a dark coat. All are going to lovely family homes and I am running on a black bitch.

[Mystiqview]

I generally start mine on Advance Re-hydratable kibble mushed into a thinish porridge with Milk Replacer. If pups are slow to lap, I will roll up small balls of budget human mince and shove in their mouths for them to chew. This will normally start them off. I will then mix some mince with the kibble in the porridge. The porridge then gets less "watery" and more just softened kibble by the time they are about 6 weeks. I will still put some milk replacer in the mix to soften.

To soften the kibble, I found pouring HOT water over the kibble and cover with alfoil or another dish. It takes about 10-15 minutes to soften down.

[Tapua]

My reply copied from another post on here.

I start mine at three weeks with mince in little balls then mixed with a little warm water to make a slurry to teach them to lap. Then gradually start adding puppy kibble to the slurry and adding less water. I don't substitute any milk until about 5 weeks if mum still has plenty then I start giving meat/kibble meals followed by a drink of milk substitute (usually divetelact) and start dropping mums food down. By 6 weeks they are on a variety of meat/protein sources including chicken wings to chew, dry puppy kibble, hard dog biscuits and milk drinks totalling 4 meals a day. I let the bitch decide when she wants to stop feeding and it is usually around 7 weeks.

Thanks for all that info - I ran with introducing chicken mince slurry and they wolfed it down. It makes sense that they are getting the calcium and are hydration from mum and the added protien compensates for the increased energy now they are on their feet and bip bopping about.

I had Kelpies before and they have cast iron guts and are crawling out of the whelping box at 3 weeks . Labs are much slower to mature and seem to have more delicate tummies. But they ate this well and hungrily and have happily fallen asleep - in the dish!

Thankyou everyone for you information.

Edited October 5, 2010 by Tapua

[Tapua]

We start ours on premium mince at the same age as yours are now. At about 4 1/2 weeks we introduce Nutro puppy food soaked with a little warm water to soften the biscuits, and our home made diet.

Can I ask what is in your home made diet - my guys end up on a maintainence mixture of Nutro and raw mince (beef or roo)+ raw vegies + brewers yeast. As well as the usual chicken necks. carcass, meaty bones etc.

[whippets]

I start with a slush of farax (original rice based with puppy milk) and lean mince at around 4 - 4 1/2 weeks. Each day thicken a little and then switch the farax for puppy kibble moosh. I also give them straight puppy milk at around 4 1/2 weeks. They are little kibble crunchers at around 6 weeks of age. I let them naturally wean off the mother and they are usually fully weaned by 7 weeks, when she doesn't let them nurse anymore.

Edited October 5, 2010 by whippets

[Wyn]

I was just curious, I have a litter of 8 baby Labs about 3 1/2 weeks old doing well on mum. I will probably start them on softened puppy Nutro with goats milk today or tomorrow. I was wondering what others start their pups on?

I tend to introduce food slowly and let mum wean naturally as they become less of a damand on her. When do you intoroduce meat? I usually introduce them on human grade minced chicken in a few days depending on how they are doing on the Nutro.

Awww...lovely bubs. Are they all black?

No 3 black and 5 chocolate although the sire is a dominant choc I expected a yellow too and much to my surprise there was only 1 chocolate that I think is yuk in colour the others have chocolate pads, nose and a dark coat. All are going to lovely family homes and I am running on a black bitch.

If the father is dominant chocolate then there is no way you would have got a yellow, in fact if you had there would have been a miss mating, some of my darkest chocolates have come from a yellow chocolate mating. As for feeding, I just tend to let the puppies tell me when they want food, they get unsettled and not happy if they are underfed, my week old babies ( 9 Labs) are doing so well on their mother it is unlikely I will supplement them anytime soon, unless of course their mother for some reason decides she has had enough, I just soften puppy food, we used to be able to get a puppy mash which was fantastic but they no longer make it such a shame !! Good luck with your babies.