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[Sweetnessheart]

In reading everything,,,,I see and have heard kits will loose weight after birth.
What is a safe weight loss and when should a person intervene with supplements?

[Jo Ann]

If I remember right it's 10%, but it should gain it back within a day or two. Weight can fluctuate as much as 5 grams if a kit has just pee-peed or just nursed.   If it continues to loose weight, you have a problem.   I always supplement the larger kit/kits ... I feel the little ones are the ones that need mom's natural milk the most.  If a kit's weight drops 2 or 3 times in a row, without gaining any back, it's usually in trouble.

 
Jo Ann

[Debbie.nl.ca]

I do what Jo Ann does, and take out the biggest kit, leaving the smaller/s to nurse from Mom.
I keep a feel on their tummies through out the day.If all bellies are round full, and warm for the most part I don't try to hand feed.
If one seems not as full, take the fullest one out and put him with Dad for a while.An hour or so won't hurt.
I have to tell you this one,
my very first litter from my very first pair, got left in with Dad for a whole night when they were just 3 days old.Yes I mixed up Mom and Dad :blush2:and put the babies in with the wrong parent. First thing next morning I looked in the cage thinking hmmmm Teasers droppings are some small, looks just like Pokies' :doh:they were pokie's.
Mom was some glad to get the kits back, but Dad did just fine keeping them warm.
I've always wondered how long did they try to nurse from him before they gave up.
I still have them all.

[Jo Ann]

Hi Debbie, 

   Something similar happened with me, but the one kit was about 2 weeks old and got left with daddy ... he stayed a week!  (next cage change)  I had to find out how it stayed alive ... to my surprise ... I saw daddy chewing food and giving it to the baby mushy!  Like a bird would do.    Needless to say ... if his instincts were that strong to keep the kit alive ... he needed to be with the kit, so the whole family was reunited. The cages were side by side and there was a 'baby boom' going on.  Mom was happy to have daddy and her other kit back home. 

 
Jo Ann

[Debbie.nl.ca]

week!  (next cage change)  I had to find out how it stayed alive ... to my surprise ... I saw daddy chewing food and giving it to the baby mushy

Now that's amazing Jo Ann, I never would have thought they'd do that.
That's one fine father.

[Jo Ann]

Hi Debbie,

    I would not have believed it if I had not seen it with my own eyes.  But, there he stood, chewing the pellets I had just given him and here comes the little one, chirping, begging and goes up to her daddy's mouth and he lets her get some out of the side of his mouth.  It was unreal!   

    After the whole family was reunited, she nursed momma, but continued to get food from daddy on occasions and she stayed under daddy instead of momma after nursing.  Needless to say, I kept her and she will go into breeding about Thanksgiving this year.

 
Jo Ann