New Californian litter...possible problem?

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wendymac

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I went down this morning to feed, and Twila had 5 babies. 1 was in the box, but not in the nest, and was dead. The other 4 look okay, except the one. There's a big sore on its back, so she either bit it or licked it or something. Should I remove all the babies? Put anything on the sore? Or just let her tend to them? It's her first litter, if that matters. Here's a picture of them:

426799_3490908157166_1405356771_3326591_1298589084_n.jpg
 
Hm do they all look fed and taken care of? I'm not sure if I would remove them or not. Does she seem stressed? Was the one out of the box hurt or did it look fine?

Maybe watch her more closely.
 
Yes, they all have pudgy tummies, so they're eating. The one that was out of the box looked fine...no injuries or deformities or injuries. It was almost like she had it first then thought, "Darn, the nest." and had the rest where she should have. Much like Adeline did, but I was there in time and could warm that one up and put it back.

She doesn't act stressed, and she's spends a lot of time sitting in the box with them. She could use some nest building tips from Adeline, because I think she was a little stingy with the blankets. But they're all warm, and the abrasion/scrape doesn't look worse than it did when I first found them. Because it's getting really cold tonight, and windy, I dug out more old horse blankets to make sure her cage was covered, too. It's a good thing I never got around to throwing them away!

Should I try putting some Neosporin on it, or would the doe just lick it off, making things worse?
 
Maybe she accidentally scratched the kit as she was jumping out. If it's not safe to eat i wouldn't put anything on it. If you find something that is safe in case she licks it off. You can always take the baby out after feeding or during the middle of the day and put it on it and keep it out for a little. Then wipe off the excess and put it back.
 
The sore on the little kit looks much better, already. I think I'll just let it alone and keep my eye on it. They're nice and plump, so getting plenty to eat.

Thanks for the help!
 
Newborns recover quickly from scratches or scrapes even accidental bites if they are not severe. If it is looking better, I wouldn't mess with it. All the babies in the picture look healthy. Being a first time mom, I would let her have her babies and get used to you poking around so next time she completely has the idea.

By the way...Congratulations on another nice litter!!!
 
Thanks so much, Corely! I lucked out with both new moms, for sure. I just wish she had used more hair. When I went down this morning, they weren't even covered up. I think maybe the doe was feeding them, saw me, and ran over to the feeder to get her oatmeal. They were warm, but all over the place. LOL
 
I think I'm going to do that now. They have a very thin layer, but it's still getting cold at night. I think Adeline pulls fur every day, because they always have a HUGE pile on top of them, and it's all nice and soft and fluffy. Wonder if the Cali would mind if I gave her babies some of Ad's?
 
Probably not. If our does don't pull enough we have hair from other litters that's saved And use that
 
Sorry things got crazy and I didn't get Houdini wool out to you. I will package it up and get to the post office tomorrow. It's soft, fluffy and extremely warm.
 

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