Flying fox pups are born nearly fully-furred and with eyes open. Keep pups in a clean, draught-free environment at about 30°C. Success in hand-rearing greatly improves if pups receive colostrum at birth. Pups that don’t get colostrum from the mother can be fed Impact Colostrum Supplement. Commence feeding Flying Fox Milk Replacer after the initial feeds of colostrum.

Making up Milk:
To make 100mL of milk: Mix 14g of powder (2 scoops) with 90ml of warm water.

To make 1 litre of milk: Mix 140g of powder with 900ml of warm water.

Add about half of 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. contains elevated protein levels, so the milk needs to be well mixed to prevent it from separating out. An electric whisk can be used for mixing. 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 (eg 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:
Warm milk to about 35°C. Feed from either a bottle and teat or a 10mL syringe with teat pulled over the end. A F Teat is recommended, as this replicates the natural shape of a flying fox nipple. Feed 6 times per day for the first week, 5 times per day for week 2, reducing this to 4 times per day by week 3. Stimulate pups to defecate and urinate after each feed. To avoid dehydration during periods of hot weather provide drinks of pre-boiled water between feeds. Always offer drinking water once pups become mobile. Consult your veterinarian or specialist wildlife carer for particular advice about caring for flying fox pups.