# First Litter!  Almost missed the nest box!



## rickerra (May 12, 2011)

So I welcomed my first litter today!  Very exciting!  

And boy did I almost mess it up big time!

The PO told me what he thought was the date he mated the doe... but his memory was off by a few days.  So I was expecting a doe to kindle this weekend. 

To make matters worse, my 2 does are sisters and very similar looking... and I got them mixed up when I brought them home.  They both were mated prior to purchase... about a week apart... but because of the mixup,  I didn't know which one was due first!  D'oh!

So I made two nest boxes and was just going to give one to each.  But I didn't have enough wire for the nest box bottoms... so I had to wait a few days to get to the store.  Got the wire yesterday and finished the boxes last evening.  Gave one to each with some hay in them and immediately my one doe (not the one I thought was due first) was all up in it and squealing and pulling a ton of fur.  It was a very interesting sight... for a first timer like me.

Thankfully, my does are experienced and have kindled a number of litters previously... so she knew what to do... even if I did not!  haha.

This morning I checked her nest box and sure enough... a wiggling pile of fur.  I gave her a carrot and pulled the box out and parted the fur and counted 8 wigglers.  Very cool!

In hind sight.  That doe has been oddly taking mouthfuls of hay and going into the corner of the cage and pawing it... been doing this for the past week.  I dumbly thought that was just how she liked to eat it.  But now can see how this was her nesting instinct kicking in.  And I didn't get her a nest box until the evening of the kindle.  Close call!

Just this morning, my 2nd doe greeted me at the cage door with a mouthful of hay.  Haha!  I think she's trying to tell me something!  

Cheers!


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## Tracey (May 12, 2011)

Congratulations! Gotta love the little wigglers


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## dewey (May 12, 2011)

You've good reason to be excited -- congrats!    

Magic marker can be used inside the ear (on the skin) for temporary ID marks.  It'll eventually wear off so don't count on it for very long.


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## brentr (May 12, 2011)

Congratulations!  I'm expecting my first litter any day now.  What is the parentage of your litter (purebreds or crosses)?


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## rickerra (May 13, 2011)

Thanks!

My does are sisters... and are American Chinchilla / Creme D'Argent crosses.
My buck is a Champagne D'Argent / Black NZ cross.

So the offspring is one ole' mutt!

All the wigglers from this first litter are identical greyish looking.  Should be interesting to see what develops!

Good luck with yours!


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## Lizzie098 (May 13, 2011)

Awww,   Congrats!!  Any pictures?


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## flemish lops (May 13, 2011)

congratulations! Im glad every thing went well! :bun


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## hoodat (May 15, 2011)

rickerra said:
			
		

> So I welcomed my first litter today!  Very exciting!
> 
> And boy did I almost mess it up big time!
> 
> ...


We call that a hay mustache and it's almost a sure sign of a succesful breeding. One of my does starts building nests ten or so days after being bred but then she'll tear it apart and kick all the hay out to redo it three or four times before she's satisfied with it.


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