My little joeys are just 4 wks oop today. Of course I realize they are still a little behind since they came early and haven't grown as fast. They are only at 18g each now. I have been supplementing them just once a day at night. Mom is very small and I think not producing enough milk. I am curious as to when they should be able to lap up the bml by themselves? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/nixweiss.gif" alt="" /> I have a friend whose joey was eating bml like a licky treat at 2 wks oop. My babies won't do it and I wish they would!

I had one joey lick yogurt at just a few days oop. Strange little one she is but one of my absolute sweetest. Perhaps you could try some baby food instead of the bml? Or a mix of bml and a little baby food? I bet it would be nice to have them eating on their own but unfortunately, you can't rush it to much.

Joy, you can check out Joey Growth & development. It will give you a run down on how the should be developing. Generally around 45 days oop they will start licking fruits and such!! and 60 days oop they should be completely weaned. So figure in between that time!!!

What type of babyfood would you recommend? I don't keep a lot of it on hand because I don't feed it to my gliders except for licky treats. I have Hawaiin Delight, Cherry Vanilla Pudding, Peach Cobbler, all of which have little or no food value. I think I have some sweet potatoes. Would they maybe go for some baby cereal with the fruit mixed in? I have some HPW I could make it with. Don't have any puppy milk replacer.

I've read the joey development thing a dozen times, but these babies haven't done anything in the normal time or normal way! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" /> I will just be glad to keep them surviving until they can eat on their own, which at the rate they are going will probably be around a year and half old! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/roflmao.gif" alt="" />

Eddie, I just took another look at the development link and mine would fall into the 25 to 30 day range. They don't have any fur on their tummies at all!

Mine adore sweet potatos. Maybe applesauce (the baby food one)? Something easy on the tummy. I think it might be too early for the cereal, it is kind of hard on their tummies (the fiber). Maybe water down the bml with some juice. Also, I think someone here ices the bml with ensure, that might be okay for a lickey treat for the little one.

I found some Gerber mixed fruit and yogurt, so I mixed it about 60/40 with the bml. The little girl licked it right down, but the little boy wouldn't touch it. As a matter of fact he seemed to be pretty lethargic, so I weighed him and he was back down to 16g. He had been at 18g for six days. Not good. The female is still at 18g for the third day. I gave him womberoo milk replacer but it was hard getting any in him. I am worried sick about him not making it now. They did both have fur on their tummies though. I will have to supplement him more now. I wonder if mom is already running out of milk? If so, hopefully they can lick the soft foods by themselves. I know the female can, but I don't know if the male can't or won't. At this age, how often should I try and feed him?

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Mealies are a great treat. I start my joeys on mealies right out of pouch. I break open the worm and they just lick up the guts..I know yuck. Ms. Sophia Rose ater her first mealie at 9 days out of pouch, and KC was 8 when he took his. I also give them the baby BML at a licky treat too, along with Coconut Cream Pie yougurt, a favorite at our house. With the rejected joeys though, they must eat thier baby BML before treat time..they can get so spoiled.
I would start these joeys on the baby BML every 2-3 hours per syringe (at least for the little boy) followed by plain water. I thin my baby BML with a drop of vanilla soy milk or vanilla ensure. They seem preaty small, what was the weight when oop? Cherish was very very small when she came here, I believe she was 12 grams and had hardly any fur. I know she was a preemie, but she put on weight quickly once we started feeding her. Please keep us updated on your babies.
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Angie