Past about 50 days a puggle is finely furred, with spines from just emerging to fully grown, and would normally have been left in a burrow rather than carried. Wombaroo Echidna Milk Replacer Late Lactation is the formula for that stage, and Wombaroo lists it as suitable for platypus as well. It is the richer of the two echidna powders: very high in fat to suit the long gaps between feeds, high in protein to coincide with peak growth, and low in carbohydrate to avoid digestive upset and fermentation in the gut. The analysis is 32% protein, 42% fat and 25 MJ/kg. It is also mixed thicker than most of the range — 36g of powder to 70 millilitres of water makes 100 millilitres of milk. PeekAPaw has the 1.25kg pack available. Echidna rearing is specialised; a licensed wildlife carer or vet should be involved.
Reading this stage
Puggles at this stage are finely-furred with spines just emerging to fully-spined. Faeces: toothpaste consistency to soft then firm pellets.
Key Features
- Specifically formulated to match the composition of later lactation echidna milk.
- Very high energy (fat) content milk to cater for infrequent feeding intervals.
- High in protein to coincide with peak growth rate.
- 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 | 32% |
| Fat | 42% |
| Ash | 4% |
| Moisture | 3% |
| Energy (ME) | 25 MJ/kg |
Feeding Guidelines
Use Echidna Milk Replacer Late Lactation for older puggles, when they would normally be deposited in the burrow (greater than 50 days of age). At this stage they are finely furred with spines emerging.
Making Up Milk
To make 100mL of milk: Mix 36g of powder (5 scoops) with 70mL of warm water.
To make 700mL of milk: Mix 250g of powder with 500mL 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 2 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.
