I have one little litter. Just one. 4 does were due this week, but only one was successful. Foxy Lady x Smith's DA has 1 black and 1 blue. Yay! It's been a while since I got a live dilute. Even better, they're selfs. I would have been ok with agouti, but I learned that plan could go off track when I got the otter in the agouti litter. The agoutis were brought in for type, but the plan was always to keep more selfs. Oh and the only broken in Foxy's litter was a DOA dilute peanut. Figures.
The does that failed went back out to the Summer House, and Foxy has the fan all to herself. She was really antsy at first, which is unusual for her. She didn't pull much fur so I added some from the stash. That was probably a mistake but I wasn't thinking. I should have waited a bit before giving the box back to her. She immediately began pulling it out. I heard furious squeaking and hurried to see what had happened to the kits. She had pulled the blue out with a mouthful of fur! Yikes. The kit seems ok. She settled down the 2nd day and the neighbor doe being gone might have helped. The kits are fed and clean. They've been migrating to the front of the box (probably because of the heat), and what fur is left is bonded to the shavings. I've removed more shavings so they don't bounce out of the box off the thick mattress. Hmmm, maybe Foxy knew it was too hot for fur.
I have no other does bred. It's just too hot so I'm letting it go for now. Besides, even though I've never had a case of heat sterility, it could happen this year. It hasn't been below 85 for more than a day in weeks. I promised to breed a sold doe, but I'll have to warn the buyer it'll be a crap shoot. The buck is going through a rough molt, too. That's said to be a bad time to breed.
Of dogs and cats and guineas:
My routine has been to feed the dog and cats in the morning when I go out to feed the rabbits. Whipper gets his in a dish on the porch. The cats' food goes in a dish in a plastic pet carrier on my work bench. This is to keep the dog out of it. I guess due to the heat, Whipper hasn't been eating in the morning. He just leaves it till evening. I hate that because it gets infested with ants. In the past, I've tried to force him to eat when I give it to him by taking it away if he doesn't. He goes hungry till the next morning. Didn't like doing that because he's not a fat dog, but it did work. I might give him a cookie which he'll eat anytime to hold him over. The cats mob me whenever I rattle the carrier so it doesn't really matter when they get theirs.
Cogburn learned dog food is tasty and comes up to snatch tidbits out of the dish. At first Whipper would nudge him away, but he gave up and ignores the bird now. I didn't mind that. It was funny to watch, and it's not like the roo eats that much.
Then come the guineas. Grrrr. The 7 older keets charge up on the porch when I feed the 4-foots and mob the dog's dish. I've been trying to teach Whipper it's ok to chase them away, and he kinda gets it. Yesterday had me running back and forth and it was way too hot for that! I'm out tending the bunnies, and there the keets go up on the porch. A lot of scrambling and noise as they furiously grab beakfuls and Whipper tries to get them away. I go running back, grab the broom to shoo them off the porch. I must have looked like a crazy woman! This happened several times in the time I was trying to feed and water the rabbits, and I was way sweatier than necessary. I even tossed out the corn for the birds which should have kept them busy, but it didn't for long. Dog food is better. Not only do I not like the guineas on the porch, I can't have them eating all the dog and cat food. Oh forgot to mention. Cogburn also discovered the cat food and goes in the carrier to get it. So of course, the guineas do, too.
Ok fine. New routine. I'm waiting until dark to put out dog and cat food. The birds have gone to roost by then. I just have to remember that's the new routine so I don't forget to feed them.
I'm going to turn out the 4 keets still in the Summer House as soon as I cut the grass. Probably today. I like to mow at least once before I turn them loose so they aren't so startled by the lawn mower. The older guineas aren't concerned.
tnt
