Weaning kits when mom doesn't have milk...

greychins · Aug 13, 2010

So, we currently have a set of female triplets whose mom did not get any milk in. We've been feeding them every two hours, and have moved onto every 3-4 hours now that they are almost 6 weeks old. This is the first time we've had kits born here where mom doesn't get in the milk, so unlike the normal case, where eventually mom will dry up.... that's not quite going to happen here.

The babies are around 6 weeks and 150 grams. I realize that's small, but we've been feeding them consistently. For the first several weeks, these kits would eat and eat and eat... the one went from 144 to 172 in one day (I assume because of the weight of the milk), but then, even after the next day's feedings, only up to 169. That was on 8/10. Since then, they don't seem to be so interested in the milk.

We have a syringe that I believe is around 3-4 CC. The one chinchilla could easily drink 6 of those syringes or more around the time she blossomed from 144 to 172. Now, we're hard pressed to get any of the kits to eat 1 full syringe, every 3-4 hours.

We do notice the babies nibbling on some pellets and they especially like the hay... but now at feedings, they really are not wanting to drink much of the milk. I realize they have to wean sooner or later... Is this normal? In my head I realize that they could weaning themselves off of the milk, but it almost seems like they all decided to stop the milk cold turkey, whereas I suppose I thought it would taper off a bit more.

Thoughts?

ETA: they do appear to be healthy and doing well....

tunes · Aug 13, 2010

Did you give them the powdered formula? They still get milk, just in a different form.

150 gm is survivable certainly, and with the powdered formula it should help. I personally would still attempt to offer them the liquid formula a couple times a day. Even if they take some, it's better than nothing.

greychins · Aug 13, 2010

I haven't been giving them the powdered formula - no specific reason why not, I suppose, I guess I was just caught up in feeding them every few hours I didn't think of it. It's been 2 years since the last time kits were birthed here, so while we were quite aware of the possibility, I admit that we weren't as ready as we could have been.

The last time we used the dry formula, we got some from a friend who used the goat milk replacer for his, well, goats. I've never before had to actually buy it myself (I moved about 70 miles from where I used to live). Does this look like the stuff?

http://www.tractorsupply.com/livest...-kid-reg-goat-kid-milk-replacer-8-lb--2211217

Oh definetly 150 is survivable. And I do have to say, they're not dropping weight like stones, they're about holding steady, maybe gaining a gram or two, so I think they must be eating enough between the milk and the pellets... but if that's the right stuff (above - or if someone can point me to the right stuff), I'll go out and get it today to make the powdered formula.

I don't intend to stop the actual milk feeding... I figured even if they eat some, it's more than they'd eat if I wasn't feeding them. I just wasn't sure how normal it was... we were using canned goat's milk and then found fresh goat's milk, which they seemed to like better, but other than that, nothing has changed since we started hand feeding them.

CTChin · Aug 13, 2010

I have an orphan 6 week old kit here that is still under 200 grams but she spunky and healthy and doing good. Your babies sound just like mine. She was put with two other weaned kits and she started weaning herself off the milk. I still offer milk three to 4 times a day. Sometimes she eats a lot...sometimes a little. I keep lots of fluffy, poofed up hay in their cage to keep them eating and they have been eating a lot of pellets. Just make sure as you wean them, they are very familiar with the water bottle. Good work!

greychins · Aug 13, 2010

They definetly are spunky! They act like all the other kits we've ever had. One of my friends looooves the chins but would never get some herself... she wanted to let the babies run around on the carpet last night (we don't have a room we can actually close them in, other than the bathroom, and it's too small for 2 people to squeeze in with the door closed) - they were bouncing all over the place, we could hardly catch them! They are energetic little things... so they must be eating something!

I've noticed they do seem to go straight for the orchard grass versus the Timothy (which they eat, but they're not quite as enthusiastic). I've been keeping a fluffed up pile of poofy hay (haha!, love how you worded that) in their cage and they go straight for it, so that's a good sign.

I think they're doing allright with the water bottle - for a bit of time we had the kits and mom in a separate cage to better catch/feed them every 2 hours. While in there, the water bottle would be half gone within a day... which seems a bit for just mom to drink, so I think they've figured it out. Regardless, at some point we do separate our kits from the mom and be sure that they are drinking and eating on their own, so we will watch for that...

tunes · Aug 13, 2010

Yep, that's the stuff I use. The main thing to look at is if it's loaded with antibiotics, which a lot of the replacers are.

greychins · Aug 13, 2010

Ok, so I went to Tractor Supply, found that specific Sav-a-kid, and mixed up the dry formula. I put it in their cage, and they started nibbling on it, so that's good at least! Their mom and the adults seemed interested in it as well... I assume it can't hurt them to eat some...