Molly's babies

It got all the way to Friday before I realised that I didn't post about Molly's babies - born on Monday the 13th!

She had two little cuties fathered by Malakai:




This is Fynn, he's a gold and white Peruvian who is going to end up with one hell of a coat! He weighed in at 80g.







And this is Felice, she's a cream and white sheltie. Both Malakai and Molly have sheltie in their past (Molly's mum is our gorgeous black and gold sheltie 'Crumble' and Malakai has thrown a few sheltie/coronet bubs so far, so most likely had one sheltie parent).

Weigh in

(Molly is now confirmed pregnant to Malakai! Due approx 24th Feb)



The weigh in for Saturday the 14th Jan 2012:


*** Liam's Love Shack ***
Liam is 890g (gain 10g) - 41wks (9.5m)
Tigerlily is 640g (gain 20g) - 17wks (4m)
Isla is 645g (loss 5g) - 20wks (4.5m)
Indigo is 595g (loss 15g) - 20wks (4.5m)


*** Romeo's Roost ***
Romeo is 710g (gain 40g) - 16wks (4m)
Lavender Mist is 750g (gain 15g) - 23wks (5m)
Zinnia is 695g (gain 35g) - 17wks (4m)


*** Malakai's Quarters ***
Malakai is 855g (gain 10g) - 24wks (5.5m)
Galaxy is 1100g (gain 60g)- 1 year old


*** Mr Tex ***
Tex is 950g (loss 35g) - 2.5yrs


*** Girl's Mansion ***
Alice is 1215g (gain 40g) - 50wks (11.5m)- (Pregnant, due approx 27/1/12)
Bella-Donna is 525g (gain 25g) - 8wks (1.5m)
Chloe is 620g (gain 15g) - 16wks (4m)
Crumble is 1295g (gain 35g) - 1yr - (pregnant, due approx 4th Feb 2012)
Custard is 980g (gain 25g) - 5yrs
Delilah is 915g (gain 30g) - approx 1yr
Elodie is 965g (gain 30g) - 25wks (5.5m)- (pregnant, due approx 16/2/12)
Ginger is 1060g (gain 30g)- 44wks (10m)
Ivy is 760g (gain 60g) - 17wks (4m)
Jasmine is 600g (gain 15g) - 18wks (4.5m)
Lacey is 320g (gain 30g) - 5wks (1m)
Molly is 895g (gain 50g) - 23wks (5m) - (Pregnant, due approx 24/2/12)
Nixie is 505g (gained 15g) - 10wks (2m)
Phoebe is now 885g (gain 10g) - 40wks (9m)
Pollyanna is now 590g (gained 45g) - 11wks (2.5m)
Ruby is 1145g (loss 15g) - 44wks (10m)
Savannah is 900g (loss 30g) - 1.5yrs
Sparrow is 1240g (gain 20g) - 41wks (9m) - (Pregnant, due 22/1/12)
Subi is 1175g (gain 30g) - 2.5yrs
Tabitha is 555g (gain 35g) - 12wks (2.5m)
Twizzle is 745g (gain 15g) - 17wks (4m)
Xeraphina is 700g (gain 50g) 15wks (3.5m)
Yeti is 1105g (gain 45g) - 33wks (7.5m) - (Pregnant, due approx 22/1/12)



***New Mums***

Millicent is 755g (gain 15g) - 24wks (6m)- ( nursing)
Whisper is 145g (gain 50g) 1wk
Willow is 140g (gain 50g) 1wk
Winter is 105g (same) 1wk


Violet is now 650g (gain 5g) - 27wks (6m) - (nursing)
Henry is 170g (gain 45g) - 2wk
Hamlet is 160g (gain 50g) - 2wk


Peppa is 1035g (gain 30g) - 1yr - (nursing Leilani's bubs)
Leilani is 780g (gained 15g) - 31wks (7m)- (nursing)
Pudding is 240g (gain 45g) - 3wks
Puddles is 265g (gain 65g) - 3wks
Promise is 250g (gained 50g) - 3wks
Peanut is 160g (gained 45g) - 3wks
Panda is 265g (gained 50g) - 3wks



(Puddles and Pudding hanging out while Sparrow supervises from behind!)

So not too bad of a week at all. I was a little concerned that Winter didn't gain anything in her first week, especially as her siblings did... that being said though, she is the cheekiest, most active little newborn I've ever had here. The first night she was in the big cage with everyone, I opened the door to add some extra veg scraps left over from dinner and she came running out! She bumbled along the perimeter area while I watched to see which way she'd go - then she just popped right through the fence and was off for a stroll! Thankfully she wasn't moving very fast, and our yard is fully enclosed... but still! I've never had a baby just decide to run out the door like that before. So I think I can put the weight down to her preferring to run with the bigger babies (while her siblings snooze with mum!). We;ll see how this week goes, and if she'll need supplemental feeding.

Just waiting on Yeti and Sparrow's babies now... fingers crossed for some safe deliveries.

Grass Time!

I sat with the girls while they had some time on the grass yesterday. I find that the more grass time I can give them, the less messy they make the mansion! Win-win situation really. We haven't had to mow in months either!


This was little Rafia saying hello. She was one of the foster girls I got in last month. Her hair is growing back beautifully, and her skin is all cleared up - but now her belly is starting to swell. If she is pregnant, she must have only gotten pregnant in the last few days before we collected her. The father will either be one of her siblings, or her own dad - all who were housed together. We should know in a week or two if the swelling is babies - or just a bit of overindulgence!



And this was Galaxy, now baby-free and enjoying her time back in the adult girls-pen, rather than being constantly hassled for milk. It's amazing to see her behaviour chance now that the responsibility of motherhood has passed. When the boys were still around she never went upstairs, even though she could have if she wanted some time away from them. Now, she spends nearly all day up there lazing about on the cushions!



And Violet is just looking more and more 'cotton ball' like every day. The good thing about this shot is that you can't see her rear end... super soft, super long white curls do not mix well with an animal that is cms from the ground at all times! She's due for another trim soon, as she'll be hopefully having a rendezvous with a pedigree texel stud I'm bring in specifically for her. Fingers crossed it all goes to plan!



And here we have Alba caught 'popcorning' - usually a behaviour the babies do when they're excited and have too much energy: they pop around the cage like they're walking on hot coals. Very cute, and very funny. It's nice to see the adults do it occasionally as well. Alba has just come back from a visit with Liam. She is now past her window of opportunity to get pregnant, so if this visit didn't work there will be no babies for Miss Alba. As much as guinea pigs can breed quite profusely if allowed to co-mingle, sometimes they can be really difficult to get to pair up when you want them too!


And lastly - Miss Molly. Good golly Miss Molly. She's only 10 weeks old, and is already a super star! She leaves me speechless!

Good Golly Miss Molly!

I just can't get enough of this little lady. Here are her progress photos updated:


(Newborn)



(1 week)



(2 weeks)



(3 weeks)



(4 weeks)



(5 weeks)



(7 weeks)

Weekly weigh in

[Ben and Mika together]

Here's this weeks weigh in, for Sunday the 25th September 2011:


*** Liam's Love Shack ***
Liam is 890g (gain 10g) - 24wks (6m)
Ginger is 945g (loss 5g) - 27wks (6.5m)
Alba is 805g (same) - 30wks (7.5m)


*** Sprout's Pad ***
Sprout is 865g (gained 45g) - 25wks (6m)
Subi is 1160g (lost 25g) - 2.5yrs


*** Malakai's Baby-Sitting Service***
Malakai is 440g (gained 55g) - 8wks (2m)
Mika is 395g (gained 65g) - 6wks (1.5m)
Ben is 350g (gained 70g) - 4wks (1m)


*** Girl's Mansion ***
Alice is 1030g (gained 65g) - 32wks (8m) (Heavily pregnant, due approx 1/10/11)
Beeno is 910g (gained 20g) - 30wks (7.5m)
Bonnie is 870g (lost 10g) - 17wks (4m)
Crumble is 945g (gained 25g) - 43wks (10m)
Custard is 925g (lost 50g) - 4.5yrs
Eloide is 430g (gained 60) - 8wks (2m)
Kobe is 990g (same) - 30wks (7m) (Heavily Pregnant, due early October)
Lavender Mist is 385g (gained 40g) - 6wks (1.5m)
Leilani is 710g (first weigh in) - 14wks (3m)
Millicent is 400g (gained 50g) - 8wks (2m)
Molly is 380g (gained 35g) - 6wks (1.5m)
Peppa is 940g (first weigh in) - 1yr
Phoebe is 755g (first weigh in) - 23wks (5.5m)
Ruby is 1260g (gained 60g) - 27wks (6.5m) - (Heavily pregnant, revised due date now end of September/early October)
Sheba is 770g (gain 30g) - 35wks (8.5m)
Sparrow is 910g (gained 5g) - 24wks (6m)
Violet is 460g (first weigh in) - 10 wks (2m)
Yeti is 695g (gained 25g) - 17wks (4m)


Petal is 420g (first weigh in) - 14wks (3m)
Pixie is 655g (first weigh in) - 28wks (7m)


Galaxy was 1300g before delivery, now weighs 890g (loss of 410g, 375g of that was baby!)- 38wks (9m) - nursing
Jethro is 100g (newborn)
Jonah is 75g (newborn)
Jax is 105g (newborn)
Jarvis is 95g (newborn)


[Molly at 6 weeks]

Wow - we now have 33 guinea pig residents. That's more than I ever imagined having here at any one time. Purely due to the recent re-homing pigs, new additions, babies waiting to go to their new homes and babies just born. Good thing we've got lots of space, lots of food and lots of time for cuddles.

Another good week of weight gains for all the young ones. Even Sheba gained this week - finally! We will not be breeding with her again. She did not seem to handle the whole experience very well, and will probably need many months to recover. Some girls take it in their stride (Galaxy is doing so well!), yet others struggle. Very much like human mum's too (I struggled, and won't be doing that again!). I think it's important as a breeder to know your animals, and know when enough is enough. That being said, she did do an excellent job of raising her boys, who are just the sweetest little men. Bear and Bodie are settling into their new home, and Ben will be going to his new home with Mika next week.

We're now just waiting on the last three heavily pregnant ladies to deliver. I'm actually not sure who is going to go first!


[Lavender Mist on the grass]

Spoilt Piggies

I let the girls have some time in the puppy pen on Wednesday, thinking they would enjoy the super lush grass that's grown in since we had all the rain last week. After all, it doesn't get much yummier than fresh grass for a piggy.

There were many happy mutters and grunts for the first little while, but as the afternoon shadows got longer I noticed the girls were getting a bit homesick. They all lined up along the side of the pen closest to the mansion cage trying to chew their way through! They wanted to go back home!

I think it says a lot for the fact that they're pretty happy in the mansion. Which makes me pretty happy too.




(the cheeky white piggy in these photos is Beeno. She'd just had a bath and was looking particularly lovely! I just love Molly's little head popping out from underneath the Thomas the tank engine cubby house too. The piggies get more use out of it then my kids do!)

Watching Molly Grow

Crumble's babies were three weeks old on Sunday, how time flies! The boys have moved into the bachelor pad to keep Malakai company (they were also being a little naughty, and harassing the ladies in the mansion with their practice-horny-dance!). So now Molly gets mum all to herself! I think Crumble is tiring of being a milk machine though, and I wouldn't be surprised to see the suckling fizzle out over the next few days.

I thought I'd do a progress photo chart of Molly's hair growth to date. This little lady is starting to turn into a real puffball! She is gong to be a magnificent little creature!

(Newborn)



(1 week)



(2 weeks)



(3 weeks)

Weighing in 22 guinea pigs!

(2 week old Mika posed next to brand-new little Bodie, only hours old)

Here's this weeks weigh in, for Sunday the 28th August 2011:
(I've just popped on the age of the pigs in months (in brackets) for my own ease of keeping track of the as yet un-mated females)

*** Liam's Love Shack ***
Liam is 885g (gained 20g) - 21wks (5m)
Ruby is 985g (gained 85g) - 23wks (6m)


*** Sprout's Pad ***
Sprout is 740g (gained 35g) - 20wks (5m)
Kobe is 800g (gained 15g) - 26wks (6m)


*** Girl's Mansion ***
Alba is 805g (gained 65g) - 26wks (6m)
Alice is 865g (gained 40g) - 28wks (7m)
Beeno is 820g (same) - 26wks (6m)
Bonnie is 790g (gained 50g) - 13wks (3m)
Custard is 950g (gained 5g) - 4.5yrs
Galaxy is 1030g (gained 105g) - 34wks (8m) (pregnant, due approx 23/9/11)
Ginger is 925g (gained 75g) - 23wks (6m)
Sparrow is 860g (gained 40g) - 20wks (5m)
Subi is 1115g (gained 45g) - 2.5yrs
Yeti is 520g (gained 35g) - 13wks (3m)

Crumble is 850g (same) - 39wks (10m)(nursing)
Molly is 195g (gained 60g) - 2 weeks
Mason is 210g (gained 65g) - 2 weeks
Mika is 200g (gained 65g) - 2 weeks

Sheba was 1200g (gained 100g) - gave birth, now 820g (loss of 380g - of which 335g was baby) 31wks (8m)(nursing)
Bear is 125g (newborn)
Bodie is 100g (newborn)
Ben is 110g (newborn)

A pretty good effort by everyone this week with a total piggy weight of 14.7kg! No wonder we go through SO much food!!!

We also have a confirmed pregnancy for Galaxy, and possible pregnancies for Alice and Ginger, but's its a bit too early to say for sure yet. The girls are big and chunky and healthy anyway, so I won't class it as confirmed until I feel actual movement.




Crumble's babies are doing SO well! I am loving watching them get braver and faster and more cheeky each day. Their hair is really starting the lengthen now too. It's a bit tricky to see on the boys because they have smooth coats, but you can see it on Molly due to the rosettes that make her hair stick up. The boy's have hair this length too. Considering they're only 2 weeks old, this is a pretty good sign of some beautiful coats to come!



(trying to show the length of Mason's fur... he didn't want to play the taking-photo-game. He wanted to nibble my finger!)

Crumble's Babies - 1.5weeks

Piggy updates and a new bale of hay

The bubs are doing so well. I wasn't sure if they'd be a bit daunted by all the big girls in the mansion cage, but they love it! The popcorn around the place, darting in and out of all the soft hidey houses and tunnels. For the most part the other girls ignore them, but Custard and Yeti have taken a particular interest in them. I knew about Custard's affinity for babies, but Yeti surprised me. She kind of treats them like a bossy older sister - ordering them around to different locations in the cage.




I took a couple of pics of Molly at 4 days old too. You can see the little ginger spot right on her bottom! So cute (and practical!). Ginger joined in for some of the photos, as a fellow 'ginger' coloured piggy. I don't think she was particularly impressed at being taken away from the feast in the cage though and didn't cooperate for long.





It was piggy-food-shopping-day today too, so I headed off to the produce place to buy some more hay. I learnt my lesson about hay-buying earlier in the year, so now I always inspect the hay out in the hay shed before going to the cash register. They didn't have any prime Lucerne available (my personal preference because most of my girls are still young/suckling young/possibly preg etc. and Lucerne has higher calcium content. And it's just so nice and soft with no sharp bits for damaging eyes!), so the next best thing was Barley Hay. I'd never used this before, but the girls love it! It's like sweet-smelling, soft, green straw. Hopefully there aren't any sharp shards hiding in the strands. But so far so good. I pulled a chunk from the middle of the bale to check it out, and the girls LOVE it! I suppose it's nice for them to have something a bit different to munch on too.

Weekly weigh in - now with 19 guinea pigs!

This is just a little video I took of Crumble's babies following her around in the 'birthing cage' (which is actually our bath tub!) yesterday morning before they upgraded to the mansion. I just love how wobbly and fast the babies walk. It's like they have to sprint to keep up with mum!

Here's this weeks weight in, for Sunday the 14th August 2011:

Sprout is 610g (lost 5g) - 18wks
Sparrow is 800g (gained 15g) - 18wks
Liam is 825g (gained 50g) - 19wks
Ruby is 865g (lost 15g) - 21wks
Ginger is 855g (gained 20g) - 21wks
Kobe is 775g (same) - 24wks
Alice is 800g (gained 15g) - 26wks
Beeno is 815g (gained 10g) - 24wks
Alba is 735g (lost 30g) - 24wks
Custard is 945g (same) - 4.5yrs
Subi is 1.085kg (gained 10g) - 2.5yrs
Bonnie is 720g (gained 25g) - 11wks
Galaxy is 840g (lost 5g) - 33wks
Sheba is 955g (gained 65g) - 29wks (pregnant)
Crumble was 1250g (gained 75g), then gave birth, now 940g (lost 310g) - 37wks
Yeti is 410g (lost 15g) - 11wks

Molly born at 105g
Mason born at 105g
Mika born at 85g (total of 295g of baby!)

Total weight for all 19 guinea pigs is 13.335kg - gain of 200g over the week.

Not the best week with weight gain this week... quite a few pigs have dropped slightly or stayed the same. This does tend to happen though I've noticed. If one has a bad week, its likely that they all will. I wonder if something scared them, or they don't like the vegy selection as much or something... who knows! No worrying drops though, so we'll just see how this next week pans out.

Crumble's new babies!

Crumble FINALLY had her bubs! It always feels like it takes so long right at the end - which is my fault really for bringing her inside so early. I was just a little concerned this time round as Sheba is quite heavily pregnant as well, but her pelvic bone hasn't started to open yet which means she still has a few weeks to go. What can happen when two guinea pigs are pregnant at the same time, but a few weeks apart is that when the first one delivers, the smell/hormones/helping lick clean the babies induces premature delivery in the other guinea pig. So I wanted Crumble far away from Sheba for this week. I even predicted last sunday that she'd deliver in the next 7 days - and she did. She just wanted to make it right on 7 days!



There are two black and gold boys (Mason and Mika) and a little white and ginger girl (Molly). I've popped some close up's of the babies in some other posts below.



Crumble has handled birth and instant motherhood really well so far. She is a very protective mum, but not too over the top. I relocated her new little family out into the mansion this morning to allow Crumble to show the bubs around while the rest of the girls have time on the grass in the puppy pen. I left Custard in the cage though, as she showed a surprising interest in baby Bonnie a few months ago. And true to form, Custard was right in there with the bubs cleaning them up, and cuddling in next to them. Crumble didn't even seem to mind the interference either. I think Custard would have made a wonderfully mummy. But she's WAY past baby-rearing age now. She'll just have to content herself to honorary Grandma duty!

Crumble's Baby Girl - Molly

This is little Molly, daughter of Crumble and an unknown dad. Crumble has been living with us for 63 days, so little Molly could possibly be the daughter of Liam - but I would place my bets otherwise.

Molly is a surprisingly big baby, weighing in at 105g. She was born sometime in the early hours of Sunday the 14th August and has two brothers - Mika and Mason.



I'm a little thrown by Molly's colouring. If I didn't know better, I would have thought Sheba was her mummy! (But Crumble was in her birthing cage all by herself!). Molly will most probably end up with Peruvian hair, or somewhere half way between Peruvian and Abyssinian. It really depends on what her daddy looked like - which is a mystery! I am in love with her sweet ginger and white patches though - what a heart breaker! So far she's the most boisterous out of the three bubs. She did NOT want to sit still for her photos!