My german shepherd locked, for her very first time, with a Jack Russell.  Yeah, I know, but the puppies are beautiful.  All 11 of them!  They are 3 weeks old now, and mom is down to feeding them only twice a day.  I have no idea if she feeds them during the night or not.  When I wake during the night, she's usually at my bedside. My question is, should I start weaning them, being that the litter is so large.  They have to take turns nursing, so when it's time for the ones that were waitin their turn, she's tired of them and leaves.  Altho, I have watched them nursing and it seems that they all get in a few sucks before a brother or sister nudges them out of the way.  They are definitly healthy and steadily gaining weight.  Suggestions?

Most breeders I know start introducing puppy porridge or other liquidised puppy foods at 3 weeks but you could have started earlier with such a large litter just to supplement what they SHOULD be getting from their mum.

If mum is genuinely only feeding some of them at most twice a day and for only a few sucks at a time you really will have to do something a.s.a.p.  I can only go by my own experience but my litter of 8 pups was still being regularly fed by mum during the day and also with her overnight at that age and I'd started supplementing their diet too.

Don't want to sound like I'm telling you off as you are obviously trying to do the right thing by seeking advice but I do think it's important that you know whether she's feeding them overnight or not.  Is there some reason she can't be trusted to be penned in with them overnight?  If she's happy around them then she should be at least visiting them regularly during the day to feed and clean them and then you can always let her out for a break to relieve herself, get fed, have a cuddle and play with you etc.

I don't have all the answers but personally I think these puppies should be getting a LOT more food and attention from both their mum and you.

Good luck, Teri

  

Had tried to expand on above message but darn pc wouldn't let me!  Hate the thing

Just wanted to add that she should also be with them still at night for warmth as well as milk and that although it's a good sign that puppies are gaining weight, how do you know if they are gaining enough?  With the parental size difference it's impossible to know how big or small these pups should be at maturity so no way of knowing if they should be gaining weight by a fraction of an ounce a day or several ounces :( 

Please, please get help from your vet and better still an experienced breeder on good husbandry.

Teri