At what age should u feed rat pups solid food?

[devilsofdarkness]

Hi all at what age is it best to start feeding rat kittens solid food and whats best to feed them......Ive heard of egg food mixed with kitten milk???

Is this right and what else should i be giving???

Nibbler is almost 2 weeks old and mum is still feeding her wonderfully but I wondered when I should start to introduce the solid food to baby?

Thanks all
Debi

[Anthea.xx]

Nursing does require a diet that is rich in protein, carbohydrate, minerals (especially calcium, magnesium and phosphorus) and vitamins. It's important that a nursing doe is given the necessary nutrition to enable her to cope with the high demands of her kittens, otherwise she will raid her own skeleton and body tissues in an effort to supply her offspring.

Good foods for young kittens include - Daily (large) portion of curly kale, clover or young dandelion leaves, broccoli, carrot, chicken (whole wings and drumsticks provide the higher protein flesh and the benefits of mineral rich bones to chew on), egg (scrambled, boiled and chopped, mixed into porridge or soaked into wholemeal bread and cooked in a touch of olive oil), fish – especially oily varieties (cooked and tinned [lowest salt] acceptable), also shellfish. Lactol (bottled or made into porridge or over wholemeal bread), Nature Diet moist puppy food, High Life chicken and turkey cat food sachets, banana and avocado pear.

The weaning period is from around 14-18 days onward.

As the babies grow it's good to add high carbohydrate foods such as cooked wholegrain rice, pasta, noodles, potato, sweet potato, cous cous, barley and buckwheat alongside the foods listed above. Over this period you will need to provide at least two meals a day.

If you have any other questions I'll try my best to answer them.

[Esarosa]

Hehe someone else has The Scuttling Gourmet. Fantastic book isn't it?

[Marinam2]

Surely their mother wil decide for them when the best time to wean is??

Marina

[saxon]

I use most of the foods listed above but I give that to the nursing doe, during and after pregnancy, so the young will automatically take it when they are ready.
I also place the food near the nest so the young dont' have to go far to find it.

I've had some babies that would take solids before their eyes open.
I find larger litters will take longer to wean than a smaller litter of 5 or 6.

I also find advice that is first hand experience a lot more helpful as the 'scuttling gourmet' isn't always the right way.
Young rats are just like human babies and can differ between litters.