View Full Version : Can I feed them every four hours now?
skarabrae
04-14-2012, 01:28 PM
The little squirts are, I guess, about 4.5 weeks now. I've had them for a week. They started eating 4-6 cc every feed on Monday and I've still been feeding them every 3 hours... their poop seems fine, still yellow and firm. Their bellies seem pretty bulgy after a feeding (but still soft) but go down quickly before their next feeding.
Do you think I could start feeding them every 4 hours, or should I still be on a three hour schedule? Should I even be feeding so much? The two girls sometimes still root around and seem hungry even after they're done 6cc - but they're little heifers and super-suck the stuff down in seconds. The boys need more coaxing, are smaller, and are totally satisfied with 5 or 6cc.
Thoughts?
ETA: My social life would definitely benefit from them being fed every 4 hours :P
Rhapsody
04-14-2012, 02:07 PM
Yes, at 4-6 weeks old you can start to feed the babies every four hours and the amount of formula you feed is determine by body weight....... we here at TSB recommend you feed 5-7% of their body weight at each feeding.
....... by six weeks old you can skip their night feeding.
skarabrae
04-14-2012, 02:41 PM
Oh god, I've never given them a night feeding... I'm so sleep deprived as it is, I don't think I'd make it. LOL! I feed them for the last time at 11pm and feed them when I wake up at 6am and darnit that's got to be good enough. They seem pretty healthy, so I haven't been too worried about it. :)
ETA: Since I'm NOT feeding them at night, should I stick to a 3 hour routine?
island rehabber
04-14-2012, 02:58 PM
If you are feeding Fox Valley you can go 4 -4.5hrs in between now. The no-overnight thing is fine, so long as they are fine with it and not dehydrated in the morning. I do the same, because I am not a night person and would rather get up at 6am then have to stay awake past 11 :shakehead. If you are feeding a formula other than FV you may need to stick with the 3hrs...
skarabrae
04-14-2012, 03:33 PM
I ordered some FV 20/50 a few days ago, but since I'm in Canada it might take a little while to receive. Right now I'm using Esbilac fortified with cream & yogurt.
I think I'll stick to the 3-3.5 hours for now, they're doing fine on it and I'm still in the "feeding them is fun" phase so it's not such a big deal. :D
Scooterzmom
04-14-2012, 03:58 PM
I ordered some FV 20/50 a few days ago, but since I'm in Canada it might take a little while to receive. Right now I'm using Esbilac fortified with cream & yogurt.
I think I'll stick to the 3-3.5 hours for now, they're doing fine on it and I'm still in the "feeding them is fun" phase so it's not such a big deal. :D
If you have not received your order within 5 days at the mosts, then call Nick back. Sometimes we have trouble with the delivery up here, nobody's figured out why but sometimes the order is held back at customs or such. If you have not receiv ed it within a reasonable amount of time though Nick will manage something for you, he's very good about it.
As long as your babies don't have any issues with the Esbilac (many of them develop diarrhea with it, unfortunately) and cream/yogurt then do stick to the 3 hours. The Esbilac mixture even with cream and yogurt is not as rich as the FV, so they need the nourishment.
skarabrae
04-14-2012, 06:31 PM
Thanks! Yeah, they're doing well on our current schedule so I'm hesitant to mess it up. I'll change things around a bit once the FV comes. He called me back on Tuesday, I believe, for my cc info., so I'll give it until next Tuesday before I start harassing him.
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