Yay. Things are looking up. Not only am I getting some live kits, I'm getting color.
Baroquen x Sugardaddy dropped 3 yesterday. I thought it was 2 torts and a broken black. Today, one of the torts is broken. It's funny how the heavily marked torts don't show any white right away. Oh yeah, and I knew they were torts at birth, no mistaking it. Don't know what I was thinking when I thought Daddy's other litter was torts. Just had it in my mind that's what would happen, I guess.
So far, Daddy throws his heavier pattern. I expected some charlie-marks since Baroquen is a spot pattern, but even with her, he threw plenty of color. He's one of those very useful bucks for me. I've had some like this in the past. He's carrying goodies and it just takes a good match to get them in his litter. Broken that throws good pattern, and carries dilute and non-extension, yeah, very handy in one brood buck. Now to get blue out of him. I gave him Chevette in a fit of desperation. She IS blue and a proven good doe. I'll take solid blue at this point, but broken blue would be better. Don't really expect blue tort from Chevette.
All 3 kits are very small. That's been a problem for me with Baroquen's line. They're often too big for my taste. Daddy looks like a good match in that respect, too.
There is one thing bugging me. Why did I not get tort when I bred Daddy to the sable pt doe, but did when I bred him to the broken black who carries himi? Methinks I don't know all there is to know about how these genes work together. At least there were no himis.
Kachina failed. Found hers dead cold this morning. She was bred to Jacob the sable pt, and all 3 were torts. Looks like 2 were alive at birth. What is it with these does that get it right the very first time and can't seem to pull it off again? Got another doe like that. Of course, it doesn't help that a cold snap comes through on the nights litters are due. And this goes back to the previous question. Kachina is Daddy's daughter. Why no sable pts in this litter?
So 3 litters in the box, and 1 on the ground. 2012 is off to a pretty good start. Already looking more successful than all of last year.
54 days until Spring
tnt
