Mumma - our 'Tlalli' (above), and Daddy - our 'Sylvester' (below) welcomed 4 little cherubs into the world on monday the 5th August at about 10:30am while I had playgroup here at the house. I noticed some movement and found the bubs freshly delivered and cleaned, but still wet.
Everyone looked good, bar one - a little boar who we found tucked in the corner and very cold. I actually thought he was dead, but he moved one little hand when i picked him up. We held him in the sun and vigourously rubbed him dry until he was able to sit up a bit, and didnt feel so cold to the touch, then put him back with mum. My daughter called him 'Jimmy' (you can see his photos further down the page).
The babies were looking ok the next day, but were all still very trembly and sleepy. Normal newborn cavies are up and walking around confidently within a few hours of birth. This shakiness was a red flag that told me something wasn't right. And sure enough, over the course of the next 5-7 days we lost 3 of the 4 babies as they simply failed to thrive.
The only little survivor was Jemima - pictured below. She is still at petite 70g today at her 1week weigh in, but she's strong. She was never trembly and was up and about following her mum like she needed to. I even witnessed her drinking from the water bottle at 4 days old! She's still definitely not out of the woods yet - I think I'll stress a little less once I see that weight get over the 100g mark, but she has a fighting spirit.
Sirocco Jemima
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Sirocco Jimmy - RIP
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Sirocco Jafar - RIP
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Sirocco Jarah - RIP
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