Weigh In

[Dash, 5 weeks, just before he went to his new home]

The weigh in for Saturday the 25th Feb 2012:


*** Liam's Love Shack ***
Liam is 970g (gain 10g) - 47wks (11m)
Pollyanna is now 720g (same) - 17wks (4m)
Nixie is 640g (loss 30g) - 16wks (4m)


*** Malakai's Quarters ***
Malakai is 895g (gain 45g) - 30wks (7m)
Chloe is 655g (loss 65g) - 22wks (5m)


*** Tex's Condo ***
Tex is 865g (loss 5g) - 2.5yrs
Savannah is 885g (loss 5g) - 1.5yrs
Jasmine is 670g (gain 15g) - 24wks (5.5m)
Ivy is 890g (same) - 23wks (5m)



*** Girl's Mansion ***
Bella-Donna is 690g (same) - 14wks (3m)
Crumble is 870g (gain 45g) - 1.5yr
Custard is 955g (loss 5g) - 5yrs
Delilah is 980g (loss 20g) - approx 1yr
Eirwyn is 475g (gain 25g) - 10wks (2.5m)
Galaxy is 1300g (gain 105g)- 1 year old - (pregnant, due approx 24/3/12)
Gizelle is 780g (same) - 1.5yrs
Hannah is 300g (gain 40g) - 6wks (1.5m)
Indigo is 680g (loss 15g) - 26wks (6m)
Isla is 690g (loss 20g) - 26wks (6m)
Kumiko is 315g (gain 40g) - 8wks (2m)
Lacey is 465g (gain 20g) - 11wks (2.5m)
Lavender Mist is 895g (loss 95g) - 29wks (6m)- (pregnant, due approx 17/3/12)
Leilani is 905g (loss 5g) - 37wks (8m)
Millicent is 850g (gain 15g) - 30wks (7m)
Phoebe is now 960g (same) - 46wks (10.5m)
Ruby is 1250g (gain 45g) - 50wks (11.5m)
Saskia is 770g (gain 50g) - 2yrs
Sparrow is 945g (loss 15g) - 47wks (11m)
Subi is 1130g (loss 30g) - 3yrs
Tigerlily is 730g (gain 20g) - 23wks (5m)
Violet is now 725g (gain 10g) - 33wks (7m)
Xeraphina is 890g (gain 60g) 21wks (5m)
Zinnia is 950g (gain 20g) - 23wks (5m) - (pregnant, due approx 9/3/12)



***New Mums***

Molly is 710g (loss 15g) - 29wks (6m) - (nursing)
Fynn is 160g (gained 70g) - 1wk
Felice is 115g (gained 30g) - 1wk


Elodie is 710g (gain 5g) - 31wks (7m)- (nursing)
Tallulah is 150g (gain 40g) - 2wks
Taye is 130g (gain 45g) - 2wks
Theo is 150g (gain 40g) - 2wks


Alice is 680g (loss 125g) - 1yr - (nursing)
Monty is 270g (gain 50g) - 4wks
Mirella is 305g (gain 60g) - 4wks


[Fynn, 2 weeks]

So all in all a bit of an up and down week this week. Lots of little losses, some big, concerning losses and yet some good gains too (especially with the younger ones). Not sure whats going on, but I wonder if the soggy weather has stressed them a bit because they can't access the grass as freely as they have been getting used to?!


[Monty, 4 weeks. Now with his new family]

Monty (above) and Dash (very first pic) went home with their new families on Saturday. And on Friday, Peppa, Romeo, Tabitha, Twizzle, Henry, Peanut and Ginger traveled all the way up to Rockhampton to meet their new Family. And Pluto and a little visiting bub from another stud traveled up to Townsville. All in all a busy few days!


[Mirella, 4 weeks]

Lavender and Zinnia are now inside awaiting the birth of their litters. I'm a little surprised at how early Lavender's pelvis has started to open though, and am keeping an extra close eye on her. I might have gotten my dates WAY wrong, but I wasn't expecting her litter until the middle of next month. Both litters are fathered by Romeo, so will be Liam's grandchildren!



[Tallulah, 2.5 weeks]

Weigh In

[Dash, looking fantastic!]


The weigh in for Saturday the 18th Feb 2012:


*** Liam's Love Shack ***
Liam is 960g (gain 40g) - 46wks (10.5m)
Pollyanna is now 720g (gained 25g) - 16wks (4m)
Nixie is 670g (gained 60g) - 15wks (3.5m)


*** Romeo's Roost ***
Romeo is 670g (gain 10g) - 21wks (5m)
Peanut is 270g (gain 45g) - 7wks (1.5m)
Henry is 305g (gain 50g) - 6wks (1m)


*** Malakai's Quarters ***
Malakai is 850g (gain 10g) - 29wks (6.5m)
Dash is 240g (gain 35g) - 3wks


*** Tex's Condo ***
Tex is 870g (gain 40g) - 2.5yrs
Savannah is 890g (gain 35g) - 1.5yrs
Jasmine is 655g (gain 30g) - 23wks (5.5m)
Ivy is 890g (gain 45g) - 22wks (5m)



*** Girl's Mansion ***
Bella-Donna is 690g (gain 40g) - 13wks (3m)
Chloe is 730g (gain 35g) - 21wks (5m)
Crumble is 825g (gain 30g) - 1.5yr
Custard is 960g (loss 30g) - 5yrs
Delilah is 1000g (gain 50g) - approx 1yr
Eirwyn is 450 (gain 25g) - 9wks (2m)
Galaxy is 1195g (gain 115g)- 1 year old - (pregnant, due approx 24/3/12)
Ginger is 1190g (gain 30g)- 49wks (11.5m)
Gizelle is 780g (gain 20g) - 1.5yrs
Hannah is 260g - 5wks (1m)
Indigo is 695g (gain 40g) - 25wks (5.5m)
Isla is 710g (gain 40g) - 25wks (5.5m)
Kumiko is 275g (gain 30g) - 7wks (1.5m)
Lacey is 445g (gain 25g) - 10wks (2.5m)
Lavender Mist is 990g (gain 60g) - 28wks (6m)- (pregnant, due approx 17/3/12)
Leilani is 910g (gained 35g) - 36wks (8m)
Millicent is 8355g (gain 40g) - 29wks (7m)
Peppa is 895g (gain 165g) - 1yr
Phoebe is now 960g (gain 30g) - 45wks (10m)
Ruby is 1205g (gain 60g) - 49wks (11.5m)
Saskia is 720g (first weigh in) - 2yrs
Subi is 1160g (gain 40g) - 3yrs
Tabitha is 625g (gain 30g) - 17wks (4m)
Tigerlily is 710g (gain 30g) - 22wks (5m)
Twizzle is 825g (gain 5g) - 22wks (5m)
Violet is now 715g (gain 15g) - 32wks (7m)
Xeraphina is 830g (gain 60g) 20wks (4.5m)
Zinnia is 930g (gain 45g) - 22wks (5m) - (pregnant, due approx 9/3/12)



***New Mums***

Molly is 735g (gave birth) - 28wks (6m) - (nursing)
Fynn is 90g (gained 10g) - newborn
Felice is 85g (lost 5g) - newborn


Elodie is 705g (gain 15g) - 30wks (6.5m)- (nursing)
Tallulah is 110g (gain 40g) - 1wk
Taye is 85g (gain 30g) - 1wk
Theo is 110g (gain 40g) - 1wk


Sparrow is 960g (gain 15g) - 46wks (10.5m) - (nursing)
Pluto is 250g (gain 85g) - 2wks


Alice is 805g (gain 10g) - 1yr - (nursing)
Monty is 220g (gain 65g) - 3wks
Mirella is 245g (gain 70g) - 3wks


So we managed another weigh in this week. Along with baths for everyone! (easier said than done!). Its incredible how some pigs will just sit there and accept the water - while others do everything in their power to GET OUT - including trying to claw up my forearm!


I am relived to see Tex and Savannah put on weight this week. Lets hope that continues. And a special mention needs to go out to little Pluto, who at only 2 weeks old already weighs that of the average 4-5week old. We do seem to breed them big around here though...

We have a confirmed pregnancy for Galaxy, who has been keeping Malakai company for the last few months. I've estimated her due mid March. These bubs should be incredible.


[Hannah - one of our new girls]

We also got two new girls during the week - Saskia, the white/roan sheba, and Hannah (an alpaca x, with a pseudo Peruvian coat).


[Saskia, our other new girl]




I think I'm beginning to see a pattern in Peppa's weight gain/loss too. And it seems to be only when she's not pregnant/nursing, which makes me think it's related to her reproductive system. She will drop a lot of weight quite suddenly (think 100-200g in a week), seem totally fine otherwise, then just as suddenly put it all back on again the following week.

At first I thought it was my scales playing up. But I was only getting these odd results from the one pig - and weighing them All on the same scales. Then she fell pregnant, and her weight only slowly increased, as you'd expect. It stayed fairly stable while she was nursing, then went back to the drop/gain pattern this fortnight. I can't be sure what it is exactly, but it's worth keeping an eye on her, and worth mentioning to her new family who are planning to meet her next week!

RIP Dante

Dante appeared to be doing fantastically. He spent some time with my hubby and I last night and was running all over us, and so enthusiastic and just 'well' looking.

Then I found him this morning. He had passed away sometime overnight.

I don't really understand what went wrong. I have spoken to other breeders about babies that fail to thrive, and 99% of them don't survive longer than a few days/weeks.

My theory is that there was some kind of congenital issue with one of Dante's organs - maybe heart, maybe digestive system, could have been a combo even? And that despite our best efforts, his organs failed him quite suddenly, and he passed away.

I've had to break the news to his prospective new family, and that now leaves Dash as the sole survivor of that little family. But Dash is really doing very well. He is fat, and strong and not taking any supplemental feedings from me at all anymore. I think he is perfect.

I took a little video of Dante's enthusiasm at meal time on monday night, and only got around to looking at it yesterday. Here is the link if you feel up to it. It's a bit dark, and a bit blurry - but the best I got.

What's going on around here!?

No weigh in again!? What's going on...?

Broken scales! lol. This week I really wanted to get on top of the weigh in (after last week was cancelled due to not wanting to risk spreading piggy pneumonia), but alas - the scales will not work. I have given them a pretty hard run over the last 12 months though, so it's not really surprising.

But until the new set arrive, the piggies will remain un-weighed.




Which is also particularly frustrating with Yeti's boys. The last time I weighed them they had gained since they lost their mum (due to being taken in my foster-mum Crumble, and through numerous hand-feeding sessions), but Dante still seems too tiny. The boys are almost 2 weeks old now, and Dante looks like a newborn. Dash is HEAPS bigger than him now too (see pic above, taken this afternoon compared to the pic of them as newborns). But in all other aspects he's doing great. I grabbed some update pics of him drinking his milk today - it was the only way to get him to sit still! He's such a gorgeous little thing.













We also have a new arrival to mention - Sparrow delivered two gorgeous big lilac and cream babies two days ago (2nd feb), some time in the early hours of the morning. The bigger baby (130g) didn't make it. I don't know if she got stuck, or if Sparrow just didn't realise she needed to take the sack off her, or if she was busy cleaning the little boy and ignored the girl...? Who knows. It just seems to be something we're getting a lot of at the moment - perfect, gorgeous little babies not surviving birth.



The little man who did survive is just stunning though. A funky mix of cream and lilac, with a big white crest. Malakai is the daddy (I put Sparrow in with him as a last ditch effort to allow her to have a litter before her window of opportunity closed due to age - and he obviously did what Liam wasn't able to!).





I've called him 'Pluto', and he just seems to have the most gentle little spirit. I have a hunch that he may end up with a coat more like his dad's (long) than his mum's classic short coat. I do know that Sparrow's brother produced a baby that now has a coat like a sheltie, so there is definitely some longer-haired genetics in their past. It would not surprise me to see this little guy with a very unusual coat if it does get long, as he has a strange rosette placement that makes him appear to have a ridge back. It almost looks like I've fluffed him up - but this is just how his hair sits (this pics were taken today and he's 2 days old).



He seems to be enjoying hanging out with Alice's 3 bubs in the big cage, and will quite possibly be joined with some new babies from Elodie shortly, who appears to be going to deliver a little earlier than I estimated.

No weigh in this week.

After last week's drama's with three births, and multiple deaths, it was decided that the less contact I had with the main group of girls (especially while hand-feeding/medicating Yeti's boys every few hours) the better. I can't risk transferring pneumonia to the mansion cage - the girls would be wiped out within weeks. At the moment it's strictly feeding via sterilised containers and no lap time/cuddles. A bit sad, but I'm not risking it!

So far so good with little Dante and Dash. I've seen them both suckling from Crumble (shown above having a snooze with little Safari), but Dante still thinks I am his mum.

I've never seen anything quite like it. All I have to do is walk into the room and he's standing on his back legs, nose in the air, squeaking like a maniac and following my every move. I sit next to his enclosure and pull back the cover and he comes sprinting, squeaking all the way and just about tumbling over himself in his hurry to get to me. Usually I'll pop my hand in to give him a boost, and he'll launch himself into my lap. But yesterday he managed to scale the side of the cage on his own and flop head-first into my skirt! It didn't even slow him down... he was frantically chomping on the syringe within seconds.

He has come such a long way from the sleepy, still, dehydrated little baby of a few days ago. I don't know why Dash doesn't do the same behaviour, as he's getting the same amount of contact with me - but he does the normal 'run away' thing when I attempt to scoop him out for a feed.

All I can say is that little Dante has stolen a piece of my heart. I'll try and capture his enthusiasm on film to show you if I can. In all my years I have never witnessed this kind of behaviour from a guinea pig before in my life... he's more like a teeny, tiny little puppy dog!

RIP Yeti and Simba

RIP Little Simba (26/1/12 - 28/1/12)

I woke this morning to firstly find that Simba had been trampled on by his mummy Crumble (she has just been really silly lately, and I think he was just too tiny to get out of her way). So that was a more than crappy start to the day. Yeti was still alive though, so there was some hope. I called the vet and we got her in for an emergency visit.


(Yeti as a little bub)

Sadly it was just too late, and she didn't survive long enough to even have an X-ray. The vet thinks it was a pneumonia, which could have been bought on by our disgustingly soggy weather for the last 2-3 weeks, the stress of birth (she may have been a carrier of the bug, and the stress/lowered immunity from the pregnancy/birth may have been enough to allow it to take hold), and/or the change of bedding for a few days this week when I ran out of dry fleece (used supposedly dust-free wood shavings).

Her boys are now fighting for their life as well. The vet didn't think their prognosis was good as they are so young, and have been exposed to Yeti. But I weighed them both this afternoon, and little Dante is now 65g (up 10g in 24hrs!) and Dash is a decent 110g (up 20g since birth on monday). So I'm trying to remain optimistic. I have antibiotics for them both, critical care and milk... and they're eating fantastically... all we can do from this point on is try.



RIP Yeti - May 2011 to Jan 2012.

Yeti's Baby Boys

*** PLEASE NOTE THAT BOTH BABIES HAVE BEEN CLAIMED/ADOPTED ***


Yeti delivered three beautiful babies this morning at approx 5am. I found them just after 6am and the biggest one (a little 105g girl) was already gone. She was still warm and Yeti was still trying desperately to clean her/dry her, but it was too late. I don't know what happened, if Yeti didn't get the sack off in time, or if she came too fast? It's hard to say, but it is very sad as she was so perfect. The exact replica of her brother 'Dante', shown below.



'Dash'

This little man was the only one with a hint of white up his nose, and some cute little white toes. He weighed in at 90g. Both boys have the most incredibly dense, super curly fur. It reminds me of a steel-wool! It's a lot denser and a lot more course than we've had born here before. And I think that is Yeti's genetic contribution. Both boys look to have their mum's rosette placement too, meaning they'll most likely end up with alpaca coats (long, thick curls sweeping over the face).






'Dante'

Little Dante was the runt at only 75g. He's very strong and doing fine though. You can see the craziness of the curls better in the pictures of him. These boys will be spectacular adults.