Cuddle Sack Market Night

Some of you are probably already well aware that I sew. I actually have a WHOLE other life where I design and make one of a kind teddy bears for the international designer market. So this means that I know my way around a piece of fabric and a sewing machine. And it also means that I've gotten pretty damn efficient at whipping up cuddle sacks for guinea pigs to keep warm during our up and coming winter!

I've already held two market nights over the last month on my Sirocco Cavy Stud facebook page to sell some of the sacks I've been whipping up. Both times we were sold out within half an hour. So this time I've made sure there are going to be PLENTY to go around!

This is just some of our current sacks, all nicely sewn and stacked, waiting to be photographed before the Market Night this Wednesday (2nd May, at 8pm local Brisbane time (EST)) I will be stating the quantity of each design/colour under each photo uploaded to facebook on Wednesday evening, and it will simply be a matter of the first people to comment 'sold' getting that particular sack. There is a limited amount of each design (a maximum of 6 sacks per colour, sometimes much less), so if you've spotted one you like you will need to be quick.

They cost $15 each, and postage is a flat rate of $5 Australia wide (contact me for international postage prices - eleb2000@hotmail.com). Purchase 6 or more and postage will be free. Purchase 10 or more, get free postage and a free sack.

This is my old girl Custard modeling the sack for you! It consists of two layers - an outer print layer and an inner solid colour lining. There is also a swatch of 100% cotton toweling sewing into the lining to aid in absorbency. This makes the sacks great for having extended lap-time with your pig as well as for keeping their bellies dry while they snooze. The more you use/wash the sack, the better the fleece will get at wicking away the moisture, and the more absorbent the toweling will get.

All raw edges are hidden so there's no loose threads for curious piggies to chew on. The lining can be pulled right out to help flick out any deposits in the end, and also to help make washing and drying faster.

If you think your piggy might like one of these sacks this winter, feel free to check out our market night this Wednesday. We might even have a few other little piggy related goodies for sale too :)

Ruby's second litter to Liam = gorgeousness x 3!

I had been obsessively checking Ruby all day yesterday (Friday). I just had a feeling. She wasn't acting any different, but she was on day 69 of her pregnancy, and she just seemed ready. I walked past the cage at about 10:50pm, and noticed a lot of licking behaviour - and spotted a soggy little bundle of curls! I rushed to her compartment and got to see the delivery of the last placenta.

Three not-so-little bubs had already been safely delivered into the world by a very competent mumma.







This is Zeus, the bigger boy at 100g. He is a mix of white, cream and 'cream agouti', but with much more white. He will look spectacular if his coat grows out like daddy (Liam). ('True' cream agouti is a chocolate base colour with a cream tip. These guys have a black base with a cream tip. So it's probably more of a dilute gold agouti, but that just sounds confusing!).






And this is Zachary. The smallest of the litter at 95g. He too is white, cream and 'cream agouti'.





This is the only little lady of the litter - Miss Zoey. She weighed in at a healthy 100g and is a 'cream agouti' and white.




And these are two of the boys born in Ruby and Liam's first litter back in October 2011 (they're 3-4 weeks old in the first pic). They're now 7 months old and have grown full texel coats. It really is just a genetic lucky dip though. These babies all have a 50/50 chance of inheriting Ruby's short 'rex' gene, or her long 'texel' gene. Liam only has texel genes to pass on - so the babies will either end up genetically rex/texel or texel/texel. Only time will tell!

Sirocco Mariella Maeve

[Jasmine]

English Rose Jasmine and Lavender Vale Tex welcomed their first daughter into the world on Monday the 16th April 2012.

[Tex]

Little Sirocco Mariella Maeve is a self lemon agouti pedigree texel, weighing in at 100g. An excellent weight for an only bub.



She is our first pedigree female for 2012, and will be staying here. I cannot wait to watch her grow up and have that beautiful coat grow as glorious as her daddy's!

April Updates

I've been a little CRAZY busy lately, and this poor blog has been neglected in favour of my facebook page because of it. So even though it's nearly midnight, I thought I'd share some random photos I snapped over the course of today.

Above is my 14month old chewing on a branch (!?) while Galaxy looks on from the safety of the yellow rocker!



And I couldn't resist this shot - Pollyanna after munching down on a celery stalk while I felt her babies move! (yes, I can confirm she is pregnant to Liam, due approx 6/5/12). I turned her around to look at her little face and found bright green celery juice dripping in a puddle at her feet! She made a right mess of my table! But how cute is that pose - foot on the stalk like she's making sure I know it's hers!




And this is what became of the rest of the celery! lol





This was Ruby at her weigh in. She is the first female pig I've had pass the 1.5kg mark! Granted she is in the last week/s of her pregnancy... but still, this is one BIG girl!


And lastly, the exploring trio - Cherub, Pollyanna again and Crumble. The girls never used to venture as far as the patio, but now that the tower cage is there they're constantly walking over to say hello! So cute. And so brave!

When babysitting one pig becomes babysitting 5!

I've been babysitting the gorgeous 'Flick' from Clover Cavies for the last fortnight or so while her owners are interstate. She was in the last stages of her pregnancy, and getting bigger and bigger each day.

Then, sometimes during the early hours of friday morning, she delivered 4 gorgeous, healthy little girls! The father of this litter was my boy 'Jonah'. Born here last year to Liam and Galaxy. Sadly Jonah passed away suddenly last month to sun stroke, so these bubs are his last legacy.




We got one little lady just like mum (below), one throw back in black and buff (above and two just like daddy (bottom pictures). The new family are staying here for another fortnight yet, so I'm so excited to watch them grow, and to see if their coats end up more like mum or dad!