Not sure what happened... I don't have exact dates (it was a spur of the moment breeding as we were heading out of town, and the does haven't been cooperative at.all so I didn't expect much), but she started nesting several days ago and usually she is a nest-then-babies in a short amount of time. For several days she was making odd noises when I was out there, kind of a grunt, squeek. I kept thinking it would be anytime now. She finally had them sometime last night or this morning. When I went out at 10 I found two fat and happy ones (pictured) in the next box. 2 puny and chilled ones outside of it (one was trapped between the nest box and wire, poor thing). They were cold, but still moving... coloring was way off. I stuck them in my shirt and cupped my hand over them while I tried to clean up the cage. One was soaking wet, it looked like it was in a puddle of fluid from birth. Both were opening and closing their mouths, like they were gasping . As they warmed up one (or maybe both) squeaked a couple of times.
I got the nest box put back together, added some hay (she had eaten it all) and got them all back together. I checked on them a little while ago and the two were still pretty wrinkly but at least warm, hopefully she'll get them fed this afternoon. This is so unlike her though! I am curious as to what in the world happened - normally her litters go off without a hitch, and she has been paired with this buck each time so that's not new either. The weather is changing, it's been warmer, but nothing awful (yet).
Here they are, as "newborns!"
I got the nest box put back together, added some hay (she had eaten it all) and got them all back together. I checked on them a little while ago and the two were still pretty wrinkly but at least warm, hopefully she'll get them fed this afternoon. This is so unlike her though! I am curious as to what in the world happened - normally her litters go off without a hitch, and she has been paired with this buck each time so that's not new either. The weather is changing, it's been warmer, but nothing awful (yet).
Here they are, as "newborns!"