There's 2 new litters and I'm very pleased with the results.
Chevelle (himi) x Whiskey Mac (tort) has 5! 3 Blacks, 2 Torts. Cool, she carries non-extension. I thought she might but couldn't say so until she tossed it. All fat and sassy. Yeah, they really are sassy...noisy, bouncy. This also proves Mac. I wasn't sure he was old enough. She kindled during the terrible wind storm we had 2/2 and I worried it would affect the success of kindles. She's a pro!
Dreamcatcher (broken black) x Whiskey Mac had 4 on 2/4. 1 was near cold death at the front of the box with 2 DOAs, and 1 was tucked in the fur at the back of the box, warm and viable. I revived the cold one in the heat wrap. Both are nicely broken blacks. No sign of tort in this litter so I guess Dreamcatcher doesn't carry. Oh well. These kits will get me to broken tort.
I had a decision to make. How to rearrange the litters to ensure the survival of the ones most important to me. Chevelle is a very calm doe and taking fine care of her 5. Dreamcatcher is a good doe, too, but because she can't be counted on for the kindle, I don't trust her as much. For a minute I thought about giving them all to Chevelle so I could rebreed Dreamcatcher to the new black buck. Then realized that's 7 kits. No, that's asking too much. So I gave Chevelle's 2 biggest blacks to Dreamcatcher. The brokens are with Chevelle's warm wiggly torts and smaller black. I thought about giving all the blacks to Dreamcatcher, but they carry himi and I can use the small black that way.
Teat-sexed and it looks like not as many does as I would have liked. I think a tort and a black are does for sure. The others were ? so I'll see how that goes. I'll look again today to see if I can make a better prediction.
Flashdance x LB92 failed. 4 DOA. Darn. There was a broken in this litter, too. LB is leaving soon (he's sold) and I could repeat it before he goes, but I don't think I will. Tiny Flashdance was able to kindle his kits live the first time, but maybe that was just dumb luck. I'll give her to the new black who's a bit smaller than LB. Or maybe Mac who's even smaller than that. Yeah, that's probably the better plan.
Next round is due around the 23rd.
There's a couple open does. Lady Blaque has been waiting on this round and she'll get the new black. I was going to breed Honeycomb (tort) to Mac, but now that I have several torts in litters, I think she'll get Dot.com. Can't remember if I ever got non-extension from Dot. I should really record these things for the bucks. Dot hasn't been used in a while, and I need to preserve his clean spot pattern.
About records. I keep written breeding records for the does. It tells me when and how she kindled, how many times she's been bred, and what colors occurred. These serve as records for the bucks as well, but I don't keep old breeding records. I can't go back to see what colors a buck threw if the doe's record has been purged. I should start recording this in the pedigree program. There's a place for comments in each rabbit's data sheet. A good place to record what they carry.
It's getting close to time to move Lady Blaque and Dreamcatcher on. I don't want to hold them too much longer or they'll be up there in age for brood doe sale. But I have to wait a bit for the younger broken does before I make that decision. Probably one more litter out of each and then put them up for sale.
I really need to set up a photo shoot. It's been a long time, and I have jrs that need pix for the website. Need updated pix for others, too. Like Mac. I have to make a rabbit delivery run today, so I'll try to get on it tomorrow.
42 days until Spring
tnt
