Night Feedings??

[daniellenc]

I have searched on here and am finding different answers to this question so figured I would outright ask. My guys are 6 weeks and getting up there in weight. I have noticed at least 1 feeding a day neither is interested so even though I am attempting 6 feedings a day they are really only getting 5. So would nixing the night feeding be a way to get them eating more consistently?

[pappy1264]

What time are you feeding them? At six weeks, they should be getting 5 or even 4 feedings depending on how much they are getting (how much they weigh). If you are still doing middle of the night feedings, you can stop those. How often are you feeding and how much (and what are their weights?)

[daniellenc]

Girl is 160 grams and male 136- he is tinier though growing fast. They can eat anywhere from 6cc's-10cc's per feeding and I feed every 4-5 hours. How would you adjust this cause sleeping at night would be slightly nice:D

[pappy1264]

At 136 and 160, you should feed them both 9.5 cc's per feeding, every 4.5 hours. Put block in with them to nibble on during the night. My three are about the same age, they are actually on 4 feedings a day, they are all getting 12 cc's per feeding and do fine. I usually try to get their first feeding done as early as I can. So if you are doing five that should be plenty for them, and you may in a while be able to go to four feedings. At this age, I don't weigh every day, but when I do, I make adjustments to how much they are getting by weight. In another week, you should start trying to slowly introduce them to trying to eat out of a shallow bowl (takes a while), so they will hopefully stay on formula longer (they start to just not want the syringe or try to eat it, so you are forced to stop using them! lol) Are you putting block in with them yet? If not, you should be. (that would be 7% for the smaller one, and 6% for the bigger one, so hopefully the smaller one can catch up!)

[daniellenc]

Oh yes they have discovered their block and make me huge messes with it daily, lol but they only eat about 1/4 of a whole block per day each. I was going to say feeding is increasingly hard because they want to explore the room when out of the cage and are quite playful:D Sitting still unless they are really hungry is not happening anymore and they would much rather run off with the syringe to chew it than suckle from it, lol glad I am not crazy this is my first time. If I gently pet while feeding sometimes they are good but 4-5 feedings is all the consistency I am getting despite my lack of sleep and patience.

Do you mean a shallow drinking bowl with formula or a food food bowl for solids? At what age do you introduce a shallow water bowl because I do worry they'll get thirsty when I go down a feeding? Other than block no other solids have been introduced I want them to understand this is an important staple and have read and been told about spoiled feeders though i want to start veggies soon. Thank you for your response I was beginning to feel like I had a newborn baby:D :thankyou

[Scooterzmom]

Sounds like you are doing just great.

My little guy is also 6 weeks old now, weighing as of tonite 160gr and he takes about 12-13cc per feeding (he's a little piglet :shakehead), 4x a day - i.e. about every 6 hours. He gets his 1st one in the morning around 6:30am; then lunch at 12:30 pm, dinner at 6pm, and his last one's at midnight. He has started trying to chew on things so I, too, also leave him a Teklad block to gnaw on; I've been finding crumbs on his blankie so I know he's been tasting them at least ;) and you're right, in the meanwhile it gets him used to the taste of them. I got some little apple tree sticks too (size of a thin pencil), which I'm going to start putting in his cage tomorrow. At this point he has moved from the plastic container to a little hamster cage now and his house consists of a kleenex box turned on its side with the cellophane removed. He loves it - has his rice buddy and little blankie in there - and the heating pad is still under half of the cage. I cover the cage with a dark towel most of the day - except around the end of the afternoon when it seems it's his preferred time to play. All in all, both baby and his squammy are very happy with the arrangement :)

[pappy1264]

You can put a water bottle in, they learn very quickly. And I mean to put some formula in it (so they will drink formula longer then just using a syringe). You will still be giving the same amount by syringe, but start offering small amounts in a bowl (very small, as they tend to play in it at first. Some catch on quicker then others. Sometimes I will thicken it by adding a small amount of full fat yogurt to get them used to eating it from a bowl.)

[daniellenc]

Oh yes shallow amounts lol cause I change out their bedding daily and hubby is just now asking why we have so much laundry:D Anymore and he might actually make me do it all:crazy and that's not happening:rotfl ....I don't make him do anything else but I hate folding laundry. I run it and put it away but that pesky middle step just alludes:D I will feed every 6 hours and see how their weight is for a few days- if we're gaining good still that would be perfection, lol

[pappy1264]

Good luck!