Puppies are due in 3 1/2 weeks. I have several people say to me I shouldn't feed her too much or the puppies will be big and harder to deliver. I have also been told that I shouldn't give her too many bones. (She is on a raw diet) as it makes the puppies bones harder and again therefore harder to deliver.
How true is all this?
If I remember correctly  in people at least, what the mother eats does not really affect the baby as the body gives the baby priority  as far as nutrients go, so even a mother in a famine gives birth to a baby of a reasonable weight even if she is starving. Is this the same in dogs? if so I would expect the puppies to get the right amount of calcium etc what ever the mother is fed.

I've only ever changed to puppy food in the last 2-3 weeks, when the bitch is eating less anyway.   Never had a 'normal' litter - the pups have always been about 2x breed average weight and size and really lusty  

Personally, I think if her breeding produces bigger pups then she's more likely ;)  - that's how it worked when I bred cats.

I wouldn't feed 'extra' calcium as it could predispose towards eclampsia, but don't know about too many bones - how many is too many??

As pups bones aren't fully 'finished' I doubt that extra bones eaten by mum would make the pup harder to deliver, I'd be more worried about the balance between the bones and the rest of her diet, as I understand it that's more important than 'how many'

Hopefully someone who Breeds and Barfs will be along soon to put us both right ;)

thanks, I am keeping her diet the same at the moment. Just increased the quantities a bit as she seems so hungry.10+ pups must take some feeding. She normally gets a bone type meal every other day. Chicken wings, turkey necks etc. Does anyone know if this is OK? too much? not enough?

i feed raw and i feed what i think is best and until i get it wrong ill carry on.i have large breed dogs and i honestly dont think your doing anything wrong,my bitch had 8 her first litter and 6 the last time both deliverys went fine and i continued all throughout to feed raw chicken turkey necks and raw  chicken wings.along with suppliments!i think the delivery will depend on your bitches health at the time and how fit she is.dogs cope better than you'd think.my first litter were nice sized pups and the second litter all but one were double the size they should be,she delivered fine.i was with her all the way as im sure you will be.
i think if your bitch is happy with her diet dont change it.people who feed dried tend to change the food(I ASSUME)to help the bitch and pups in what way i cant remember but if you feed raw it would mean changing her diet im not sure that would benefit her,but someone eles who knows best will advise you theyre really good on here with knowledge.
i also fed my pups on raw diet(WHEN THE TIME WAS RIGHT OF COURSE).she may go off her food towards the end anyway so dont panic just giving you a heads up.if your bitch looks healthy and is happy dont change nothing.as long as your feeding a bit more than you normally would then its fine.

If you read 'Grow Your Pups With Bones' by Ian Billinghurst, you'll see that a BARF diet is ideal for Puppies and Mum.  It has everything from the basic BARF diet through 'feeding for breeding' - 'the pregnant bitch' and weaning the pups. A really good book.  I used it for my last litter with great results.

thanks will get this book.

thanks, very reassuring. I had planned to carry on as I was doing but was getting worried bout the conflicting advice I was getting. I plan to rear the babies on raw too.

A friend of mine feeds her Spanish raw, she had a litter of Spanish recently big litter of pups, her first litter at 4 years of age and had a great birth.  I've seen one of the pups who is stunning, I belive that the others are just as good and I don't think I've ever seen a mother look so fantastic 8 weeks after having the litter. 

I would say carry on with what your doing.  I feed kibble but I didn't change my bitches diet, she stayed on the same high quality food she has always had and just increased quantities as she wanted.  The birth was easy with chunky healthy pups.  Some people would have changed to a puppy food but I don't see why, maybe thats the difference of when a bitch will eat as much as possible to a bitch who gets picky.  Ours never went off her food, not even after giving birth.

I can't see how too much bone would affect the pups aslong as when feeding raw you do the same as always to make sure the bitch is getting a balanced diet of what she needs.