First question:
I bought a FlemishX doe less than a week ago and not a day later she kindled (Feb. 25th). The results where 2 agouti, 2 white, and 7 spotted. One agouti died within a day of birth, he ended up out of the warmth of his brothers and sisters
. I didn't mess with the litter until the second day.
Despite the size of the litter, she's handling it well and the kits are all warm, fed, and active when touched or held.
My question is:
1. Can a doe be bred by two different bucks and have kits from both fathers?
2. Is there any possible way to tell if the kits are lops?
The whites are BIG kits, the agoutis are also a good size. The spotted are smaller, but not peanuts. I assumed when I got her that she had been bred to their New Zealand but I have doubts that a NZ bred to a Grey could produce spots.
The previous owners also had a pair of lops, however.
Case of two different kit daddys? xD
I'll be e-mailing the previous owners to see if she was possibly bred by their lop buck.
Second question:
Last Friday I bought a Checkered Giant buck at an auction. Because he was in a rather tightly closed cage, I couldn't examine him to well before sale.
But, I thought he was just adorable so I bought him and took him home thinking 'Yes! A handsome herdsire!'
When I brought him home, I found that he's five pounds underweight with sore hocks on his hind feet.
I set up a special cage for him, no wire, with burlap padding, hay, and wood shavings. I've also been cleaning the sores with peroxide and alcohol (he's such a good sport about it, poor boy! ) and applying Triple Antibiotic Ointment and over that, Lanolin Ointment which waterproofs and really helps with inflammation and swelling. Also promotes new hair growth. I've used it on both my dog and my horses with great results.
The feet are then padded and wrapped to keep him from getting dirt in the ointment, and to help relive the pain.
Is there anything else I can do for his hocks? He's happy and eager enough to work, I had him with my does while getting his cage set up. He got the wrong side occasionally but for the most part he was OK.
I'm feeding him free-choice 17% Protein Rabbit feed, oats, beet pulp, and alfalfa cubes. And, of course, 24/7 access to as much water as he can drink.
NOTE: I also bought four does from the same seller as the buck. All does are VERY healthy and at a perfect weight. My guess would be that they bought him and just weren't comfortable with his medical problems. He is rehabbing well, though!
I bought a FlemishX doe less than a week ago and not a day later she kindled (Feb. 25th). The results where 2 agouti, 2 white, and 7 spotted. One agouti died within a day of birth, he ended up out of the warmth of his brothers and sisters
. I didn't mess with the litter until the second day. Despite the size of the litter, she's handling it well and the kits are all warm, fed, and active when touched or held.
My question is:
1. Can a doe be bred by two different bucks and have kits from both fathers?
2. Is there any possible way to tell if the kits are lops?
The whites are BIG kits, the agoutis are also a good size. The spotted are smaller, but not peanuts. I assumed when I got her that she had been bred to their New Zealand but I have doubts that a NZ bred to a Grey could produce spots.
The previous owners also had a pair of lops, however.
Case of two different kit daddys? xD
I'll be e-mailing the previous owners to see if she was possibly bred by their lop buck.
Second question:
Last Friday I bought a Checkered Giant buck at an auction. Because he was in a rather tightly closed cage, I couldn't examine him to well before sale.
But, I thought he was just adorable so I bought him and took him home thinking 'Yes! A handsome herdsire!'
When I brought him home, I found that he's five pounds underweight with sore hocks on his hind feet.
I set up a special cage for him, no wire, with burlap padding, hay, and wood shavings. I've also been cleaning the sores with peroxide and alcohol (he's such a good sport about it, poor boy!
) and applying Triple Antibiotic Ointment and over that, Lanolin Ointment which waterproofs and really helps with inflammation and swelling. Also promotes new hair growth. I've used it on both my dog and my horses with great results. The feet are then padded and wrapped to keep him from getting dirt in the ointment, and to help relive the pain.
Is there anything else I can do for his hocks? He's happy and eager enough to work, I had him with my does while getting his cage set up. He got the wrong side occasionally but for the most part he was OK.
I'm feeding him free-choice 17% Protein Rabbit feed, oats, beet pulp, and alfalfa cubes. And, of course, 24/7 access to as much water as he can drink.
NOTE: I also bought four does from the same seller as the buck. All does are VERY healthy and at a perfect weight. My guess would be that they bought him and just weren't comfortable with his medical problems. He is rehabbing well, though!
