Watch the holland lop babies grow up

[TinysMom]

Ok...let me introduce you to the major players.

First came Puck. He is a broken black otter holland lop that carries chocolate.

http://i4.photobucket.com<WBR>/albums/y139/PegFlint/bunniesMa<WBR>y2005005.jpg] [/url]
http://i4.photobucket.com<WBR>/albums/y139/PegFlint/bunniesMa<WBR>y2005001.jpg] [/url]
http://i4.photobucket.com<WBR>/albums/y139/PegFlint/425broken<WBR>blackotterh.jpg] [/url]

So many people saw him and wanted a lop for themselves....well...except for Tiny that is....that we decided to get him a wife.

So along came Milina - a chocolate doe...

whose photo I can&#39;t find for the life of me now...I&#39;ll have to upload it later.

In March of 2006, Milina and Puck had four babies. Two were peanuts and died - one of which was chocolate. The other two were a chocolate otter buck (I wanted a doe) and a broken black otter doe (which would carry chocolate). I did a stupid stupid thing and sold the buck....and of course now I&#39;m wishing I had him.

But I kept the doe....and last month I bred her back to her dad (Puck).

Here are some photos of her as a young girl..

http://i4.photobucket.com<WBR>/albums/y139/PegFlint/Puck<WBR>%20babies/6ab9d905.jpg][img<WBR>]http://i4.photobucket.com<WBR>/albums/y139/PegFlint/Puck<WBR>%20babies/th_6ab9d905.jpg[/img<WBR>][/url]

http://i4.photobucket.com<WBR>/albums/y139/PegFlint/Puck<WBR>%20babies/32c6ba71.jpg][img<WBR>]http://i4.photobucket.com<WBR>/albums/y139/PegFlint/Puck<WBR>%20babies/th_32c6ba71.jpg[/img<WBR>][/url]

http://i4.photobucket.com<WBR>/albums/y139/PegFlint/Puck<WBR>%20babies/9a2b8c8b.jpg][img<WBR>]http://i4.photobucket.com<WBR>/albums/y139/PegFlint/Puck<WBR>%20babies/th_9a2b8c8b.jpg[/img<WBR>][/url]

http://i4.photobucket.com<WBR>/albums/y139/PegFlint/Puck<WBR>%20babies/11cf9ac2.jpg][img<WBR>]http://i4.photobucket.com<WBR>/albums/y139/PegFlint/Puck<WBR>%20babies/th_11cf9ac2.jpg[/img<WBR>][/url]


Ok...so I just HAD to include her brother.....isn&#39;t he cute? Now understand why I kick myself for letting him go?

Anyway - Puckina&#39; has turned into a BUD - big ugly doe. I say that nicely - basically - she appears to have not gotten a dwarfing gene from either parent - she&#39;s bigger than them both. In a way this is good as it means I won&#39;t be having any peanuts...

So...as I type this - Puckina&#39; is pulling fur. WOO HOO! I&#39;m so excited. Since she is broken black otter (carrying chocolate) and her dad is broken black otter (carrying chocolate) - each baby has a 50% chance of being broken, 25% chance of being solid and 25% chance of being "charlie" (picture a hotot)....which means it will carry 2 broken genes.

The colors I could get are:

black otter
chocolate otter
black
chocolate

and only God knows what else more...

So - this will be the start of the "Watch the Holland Lop Babies Grow" blog. I&#39;ll post when they&#39;ve been born - should be fairly soon!

Peg

 

[TinysMom]

No photos yet - but in the last 20 minutes - she kindled SIX babies. One looks like it might be broken blue...another looks like it might be a charlie....I think I saw a couple of broken blacks...not sure about chocolate - will have to watch and wait!

Peg

 

[m.e.]

I can&#39;t wait! :bunnydance:

 

[TinysMom]

I will share photos later tonight - but the results are in...

We have:

1 charlie (may be blue or chocolate - don&#39;t think its black)

1 broken chocolate

1 broken black

3 chocolate otters


I was hoping for plain chocolate - but I will take broken chocolate or chocolate otters ANY DAY!

I&#39;m pretty psyched about this litter....and it will be a lot of fun watching them grow.

Peg

 

[Michaela]

Yay another one!!:colors:

How exciting I can&#39;t wait for the pictures!

I adore this picture!

http://i4.photobucket.com<WBR>/albums/y139/PegFlint/bunniesMa<WBR>y2005001.jpg] [/url]

 

[TinysMom]

And here we go with new baby pictures.....(feel like I&#39;m pulling out my wallet and let photos fall all the way to the floor or something)..

http://i4.photobucket.com<WBR>/albums/y139/PegFlint/Puckinas<WBR>%20Jan%202007%20litter/Puckinas<WBR>Litter003.jpg] [/url]
The very pinky one near the top is the charlie - the one on the bottom right is the broken chocolate
http://i4.photobucket.com<WBR>/albums/y139/PegFlint/Puckinas<WBR>%20Jan%202007%20litter/Puckinas<WBR>Litter002.jpg] [/url]
Can you see the chocolate otter right here on the bottom?
http://i4.photobucket.com<WBR>/albums/y139/PegFlint/Puckinas<WBR>%20Jan%202007%20litter/Puckinas<WBR>Litter001.jpg] [/url]
And now for a better look at the pinky one (Charlie) and the broken black.

The Charlie one will either be named Charlie (buck) or Charlene or something like that if it is a doe.

If I keep the Charlie and use it for breeding - every rabbit in the litter will be brokens...

Peg

 

[Michaela]

Beau-ti-ful!:bunnyheart

 

[TinysMom]

I want to start out by saying that being a breeder isn&#39;t always fun. This is one of those times.

The mama has rejected the litter. Its a long story - but I think she went in and knocked over her nestbox by mistake and they scattered. Some actually got out of the cage....(we have flashing in the cage to block escape but she had moved it around while she was pregnant and there was just enough room for them to escape).

So she sat and grieved for a few hours - I saw her grieving when I came into the rabbitry to check on everyone.

Well - the babies survived - but she thought they were dead and now she wants nothing to do with them. I&#39;ve taken her to them several times....

.....so last night I tried having her nurse them once again but they were cold and not doing well. I cried and cried.

I decided to put them in with Romance&#39;s litter of five lionheads to see if she&#39;ll foster them. When I did this - I noticed that two of them looked like they had been fed by ONE of the two mamas when I&#39;d tried to get either mama to feed them. Another one or two looked like maybe they had a chance....

I checked this morning. THe broken black (which had gotten out onto the floor and a bit damaged) - was dead. So was one of the chocolate otters.

The charlie looks healthy....as does one other. The two remaining .... could go either way. Right now they&#39;re staying warm and I will try taking Puckina to them later today. If I can keep her producing milk, I may foster a couple of other stronger babies to her and let these ones stay with Romance who appears as though she may take care of them. I don&#39;t know - decisions like this are hard to make. I want her to be a mother so I can see if she will be a good mother.

Anyway - you see the life of a breeder here. It isn&#39;t all fun and babies. Sometimes its heartbreaking....losing a litter (or part of it)....

I will continue to update y&#39;all on the litter as long as they are all with us. Hopefully - some of them will survive....

Peg

 

[JadeIcing]

Aww. That is sad.

 

[Michaela]

Poor babies, binky free little ones:rainbow:

I hope the rest of the litter pull throughray:

 

[TinysMom]

Well, it looks like we&#39;ve lost all but one and that one probably won&#39;t make it through the night.

I wish I hadn&#39;t started this thread - I&#39;d so hoped to share this litter with y&#39;all.

Oh well....I&#39;m heartbroken as I&#39;d looked forward to this litter.

I&#39;ll let y&#39;all know what happens to the litter - maybe someone who does more with lops can someday do a "watch the litter grow" thread. I&#39;d heard they could be harder to raise than lionheads and now I understand.

Peg

 

[JadeIcing]

:hug2:

 

[naturestee]

I&#39;m so sorry Peg. :hug2:

 

[TinysMom]

Well...the last one passed away too.

I&#39;ll live....I just have to go cry again.

But I know I did all I could....and that is what matters.

Peg

 

[JadeIcing]

In the end that is all we can do.