About to start weaning - not sure whether to give 3 or 4 meals.  Any advice please?

First day of weaning I do one meal, then gradually increase until they are on 5 a day.

Mine go on as with MarianneB but onto four, three would definitely not be enough.

Me too. By the time they leave they'll be down to four meals a day, but at about 5 weeks they need five small meals to not overload their stomachs. (They stay on 4 meals a day till they're 12 weeks.)

Five

have been given so much conflicting advice about what to give them.....having listened to it all, I was aiming towards a breakfast of weetabix and goats milk a,d then the rest of the meals naturediet puppy mushed up, gradually adding puppy complete bisc.  (Obviously working up to this.)  Does that sound reasonable and how do I know how much to give 6 pups??!!

I wouldn't waste my time with weetabix............I started my pups off on raw mince balls the size of a marble or there abouts (previously frozen) for a couple of meals a day and then when they were eating that OK, I soak puppy biscuit in water and liquidise to a porridge consistancy and feed 4 meals a day........ I feed according to how much they eat ;-)

There are many differing thoughts on what to give, but as far as amounts go I have always fed to appetite giving enough so that some is left over after each meal which Mum can clear.

My own and many other people nowadays prefer to start with a complete puppy food soaked and add some puppy formula to make a porridge.

There is no point in giving weetabix (it's a human cereal with added salt and sugar, not ideal for puppies), better to use the puppy biscuit.

At 4 weeks I give one meal a day that I call my variety meal, when they will have various meat, eggs, chicken wings to try etc.

I stick to complete for most of their meals (ON THE BASIS THAT MOST NEW OWNERS CAN'T GET THINGS WRONG WITH FEEDING  DECENET COMPLETE IN THE VITAL GROWING STAGES)and gradually stop putting the milk in it as they get older, giving that as an after meal drink.

I have just started weaning my 4 week old pups, i have been soaking complete dry kibble puppy with cooled boiled water and then blending to a smooth texture. Is it better to mix with puppy milk or the water?, as they dont seem that interested in it.

I wean my pups on Royal Canin puppy - which mum has had since being 6 weeks in whelp.  I initially soak it with a little Lactol - since using this method, pups have weaned really easily.  I obviously use less Lactol and/or water as they get older as long with variety of other foods.
The reason this appears to work may be that pups are used to taste of food through the milk and it makes the transition easier.

Like Barbara I feed to appetite, so ad lib really.

I really see no point in Weetabix, it won't benefit the pups in any way.

And I very much agree with the variety meal, I give scrambled egg, sardines, white fish, chicken etc.  as well as their puppy food.  I don't feed all complete anyway.  Mine get dry and wet food.  By the time they leave home, they are used to quite a few different tastes.

ditto what others advised re weetabix ;( mine are on 5 meals a day when being weaned, soaked baby puppy royal canin with odd spoonful of tripe or venisin or scrambled egg if reluctant eaters

Sam I have never used RC for weaning, but have quite a lot (about 30kg) of it that Inka won, so was wondering if to feed it to Mum or the pups.

It tended to make my Inka and my friends pup too rather loose?  I assume you have had no such issue when weaning?  I usually sue Ardeng Grange Pupy, but of course don't want to waste the RC.

Hi Barbara,
I use RC too and poos were lovely & firm :-)

Same here - never had runny poo using RC.

Oh that's good, then pups can have it along with their AG etc.

never had any probs since i changed all mine over to it about 6 years ago. never been better!

Barabara - I feed RC mini junior to my small breed puppies, and the poos are great.  Rather than waste that amount of RC, why not try mixing with your AG and see how it goes? 

Yep that is what I will do.

mine started weaning when their teeth came through, i just offred some soaked ag weaning food that i had mushed into a porridge consistancy, they lapped it up, as mum is still feeding them, im giving 2 meat meals and one ag, i use naturediet, again mushed with boiled water to make it easy to lap, they are getting the idea now, although are rather liking to try and climb into the middle to eat it!