Milk substitute for echidna young (puggles) less than 30 days of age. Also suitable for young platypus.
Puggles at this stage are normally contained within the mother’s skin fold. They have pinkish-grey skin, with eyes closed to just open. Faeces liquid to custard consistency.
Key Features
- Specifically formulated to match the composition of early lactation echidna milk.
- High energy (fat) content to cater for infrequent feeding intervals.
- High in protein content with elevated levels of sulphur-containing amino acids (cysteine & methionine) for the onset of hair & spine growth.
- Low in carbohydrate to avoid digestive upset and fermentation of milk in the gut.
Ingredients
Whole milk solids (low lactose), whey protein, casein, glucose, vegetable oils, omega-3 & 6 fatty acids, vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B9, B12, C, D3, E, K, biotin, choline, inositol, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, magnesium, zinc, iron, manganese, copper, iodine, selenium.
Typical Analysis
| Protein |
34% |
| Fat |
38% |
| Ash |
4% |
| Moisture |
3% |
| Energy (ME) |
24 MJ/kg |
Pack Size
210g (makes 1 litre)
Use Echidna Milk Replacer Early Lactation for unfurred puggles, when they would normally be carried in the mother's skin fold (less than 30 days of age). Juveniles at this age are prone to disease and mortality and should only be attempted by experienced carers.
Impact Colostrum Supplement may be fed to enhance the immune system.
Making up Milk
To make 100mL of milk: Mix 21g of powder (3 scoops) to 85ml of warm water.
To make 1 litre of milk: Mix 210g of powder to 850ml of warm water.
Add about half the water to the powder first and mix to a paste. Then add the remaining water and mix thoroughly. Pre-boil the water to ensure that it is sterilised. If the water is too hot it can cause the milk to curdle. If it is too cold then it will be difficult to disperse the powder. An electric whisk can be used for mixing larger quantities. Milk can be stored in the fridge for a day or can be frozen for up to two weeks. It is useful to make up milk in larger quantities and store it frozen in small portions (e.g. ice cube trays), so that the required daily feed volumes can be easily thawed out. Once thawed out, discard any unused milk, and wash feeding utensils thoroughly.
Feeding Guide
Warm milk to about 30°C and feed from the palm of the hand or a shallow rubber bowl. Thorough washing of hands and wearing of powder-free disposable rubber gloves may reduce the risk of contamination with micro-organisms. Very young echidnas may not suckle well and could require tube feeding if they have not ingested sufficient milk after three days in care. Digestion of milk is slow, so the contents of the stomach need to be fully emptied before the next feed. We recommend to feed at 36 hour intervals for early lactation echidnas. This time frame may be further extended as the animal gets older. Note that the above Feeding guidelines give average daily feed volumes, so multiply this by the number of days between each feed.
If the young is showing signs of dehydration (e.g. during hot weather), give extra drinks of water between feeds. Echidnas dehydrate rapidly if not maintained under optimum husbandry conditions. In particular, carers often keep echidnas at too high a temperature, which can cause dehydration. It is important to provide housing where temperatures do not exceed 30°C. Consult your veterinarian or specialist wildlife carer for further information about husbandry and feeding of young echidnas.
Growth
Refer to the Echidna Growth Chart. Weigh young regularly (before feeding) to verify weight gains and determine the volume of milk to feed. Overfeeding milk can cause diarrhoea so feed the suggested volumes in our tables.
Transitioning from Early to Late Lactation milk
Milk transition refers to when the young is changed from the early lactation milk stage to the late lactation stage. It is important to transition young at the correct age to ensure they are getting the proper nutrition for their stage of development. Gradually transition milk at 30 days of age by mixing decreasing amounts of Early Lactation with increasing amounts of Late Lactation over 2 to 3 weeks. This transition occurs just before the emergence of spines and begins when body length is approximately 115mm and body weight around 90g, although body weight may be highly variable at this time. This is outlined in the Echidna growth chart.
