When I palpated my does, both Liz (Rose Arbor's Liz) and Breezy (Keica's KR30M) palpated as bred; Classy (Jake's XD02) did not. I assumed Classy missed, and since she had a bit of a health scare I decided not to immediately re-breed her; I was planning to wait until late August to try for another litter of Champagnes. Well...Liz either missed and I palpated incorrectly or she re-absorbed the litter, because she never did kindle. Breezy did, though!!!
Breezy did great. On July 31st, she delivered five kits; two were peanuts, and two were very large and stillborn. The fifth kit was a real shocker though!!! I'd bred her to Jack (The Don's Black Jack) and I was expecting 100% black-carrying-blue kits. However, one of the peanuts and the lone survivor were...TORTS!!! I had no idea either Breezy or Jack carried non-extension! I'm frankly both shocked and very pleased; I've always like the tort variety but, as with other varieties, I didn't want to add more rabbits to my herd and thus chose not to "get into" torts. Now I can have torts and still maintain my small herd! I believe the tort is a buck but its so unbelievably tiny I'm just not sure yet. Buck or doe, thanks to the unexpected nature of it's coloration, it will be named Heathertoft's Wild Card...though since it's such a small kit, we've tacked the nickname Runt onto it.
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| Heathertoft's Wild Card, mere hours after being born. |
The day after Runt (Heathertoft's Wild Card) was born, I was preparing to head out of town for a four-day trip...and as I was going over who-gets-what-and-when with my rabbit-sitter, I noticed Classy was pulling fur. Concerned, I tossed a flake of hay into her cage, and she IMMEDIATELY grabbed a bunch in the classic "hay-stache" way and began carrying it around. Apparently when I palpated her as having missed, I was wrong, and she was preparing to kindle!!! I grabbed a box for her to use and gave my rabbit-sitter a bunch of extra instructions.
The day after I left (August 2nd), Classy kindled four kits...though for some reason she did so on the wire. One of the kits was stillborn. After talking to me on the phone about it, we made the decision to foster Classy's kits over to Breezy; Classy is still recovering from a health issue and Breezy honestly needs a few more to care for if Runt is to stay warm enough to survive. My rabbit sitter reported the next morning that the rather lethargic, often-cold Runt was a LOT more active, had a rounder tummy and just seemed healthier after the introduction of his newborn Champagne "sisters!"
I was gone til Sunday night; the drive was long and due to issues at the Canadian border and lots of construction on the highway, I arrived home a lot later than I expected to. However, I couldn't sleep until I'd met my new kits!!! It's a good thing I checked them when I did, because after my rabbit-sitter had last checked them, Breezy had urinated all over the kits and hadn't nursed them in a while; when I found them, they were soaking wet with urine, very cold and very lethargic. Their poor tummies were so shriveled and wrinkled! Turns out Breezy had come down with a UTI; she's on the mend already.
After rushing the kits inside, I got them warm and cleaned up. Breezy wouldn't nurse them that night so I ran all over town to get the necessary supplies for a makeshift formula. All the kits were so weak! I really didn't think Runt would make it through the night, and I was pretty sure the Champagnes would just all fade and die in the morning...but after getting some warm formula into them, they seemed a bit better. Breezy nursed them the following morning, and they've come round perfectly!!! All four are healthy and thriving!!!
The day after I left (August 2nd), Classy kindled four kits...though for some reason she did so on the wire. One of the kits was stillborn. After talking to me on the phone about it, we made the decision to foster Classy's kits over to Breezy; Classy is still recovering from a health issue and Breezy honestly needs a few more to care for if Runt is to stay warm enough to survive. My rabbit sitter reported the next morning that the rather lethargic, often-cold Runt was a LOT more active, had a rounder tummy and just seemed healthier after the introduction of his newborn Champagne "sisters!"
I was gone til Sunday night; the drive was long and due to issues at the Canadian border and lots of construction on the highway, I arrived home a lot later than I expected to. However, I couldn't sleep until I'd met my new kits!!! It's a good thing I checked them when I did, because after my rabbit-sitter had last checked them, Breezy had urinated all over the kits and hadn't nursed them in a while; when I found them, they were soaking wet with urine, very cold and very lethargic. Their poor tummies were so shriveled and wrinkled! Turns out Breezy had come down with a UTI; she's on the mend already.
After rushing the kits inside, I got them warm and cleaned up. Breezy wouldn't nurse them that night so I ran all over town to get the necessary supplies for a makeshift formula. All the kits were so weak! I really didn't think Runt would make it through the night, and I was pretty sure the Champagnes would just all fade and die in the morning...but after getting some warm formula into them, they seemed a bit better. Breezy nursed them the following morning, and they've come round perfectly!!! All four are healthy and thriving!!!
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| Three Champagnes and one little tort Mini Rex! |
Even though he's only about half the size of each Champagne kit, Runt is a pretty vigorous little kit! He always gets his share at the milk bar now that Breezy is recovering, and he fiercely burrows under his "sisters" when they're all napping together, using them as pillows and blankets.
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| Tort Runt says "this is how I roll." |
Meanwhile, the two kits Nellie (Doyle's KT16) kindled are thriving!!! Born July 16th, they are now three weeks old and SUPER-active! They run all over the place and have begun to eat solid foods. They are especially fond of tossing compressed alfalfa cubes around!!! I am definitely going to be keeping the little otter doe kit, whom I've named Heathertoft's Poker Face; the black buck kit (Heathertoft's Dry Ace), though, will probably be for sale when he's older. As sweet and adorable as he is, I can't justify another black buck that doesn't carry dilute. However, I'm sure he'll make either an excellent pet or, if he keeps developing as he has been, a great show rabbit for someone!!!
Some updated pictures of the pair!
Once Breezy is fully recovered from her UTI, I plan to breed her and Nellie to Dumbledork (Keica's KR46M), while I wait for Pokerface and Runt to grow up for a while. I'm still debating about re-breeding Liz or simply removing her from my herd...she has a great coat, nice density, and good type...but she's yet to have a kit survive and I admit I'm not fond of her temperament. I'm still unsure if it's due to her upbringing or her basic genetic personality though, so we'll see.
Also, in the coming weeks I'll be tearing down my lean-to, power-washing my larger cages and then re-organizing a little bit. Much of my rabbitry got shuffled around when a pipe underground under my cages had to be dug up (I had no idea it was even there!!!) and it has made me a little frustrated with my setup. Big job though, so it may have to wait until after my final exams.
Also, in the coming weeks I'll be tearing down my lean-to, power-washing my larger cages and then re-organizing a little bit. Much of my rabbitry got shuffled around when a pipe underground under my cages had to be dug up (I had no idea it was even there!!!) and it has made me a little frustrated with my setup. Big job though, so it may have to wait until after my final exams.
