I went out to feed the animals last night and found a brand new litter of five cold and still in the nest. There seemed to be no movement but I brought the nest box inside and put the kits in a plastic container with a small heating pad. There was just a flicker of movement and they were stone cold but not frozen. After a few minutes they started moving so slowly and soon were moving around a bit. When they were wiggling around pretty good I put them back in the nestbox with the heating pad on top of them and kept them in for the night.
This morning I turned on the heating pad again for a few minutes in the nest box to make sure everything was nice and warm and took it outside and put it back in the colony. They were squirming around pretty good and when I put the nest box down the doe was right in there and started fussing around in there.
When I came out tonight to feed the animals, I checked on the litter. They seemed ok and the doe jumped in the nest box again and I watched her nurse and lick them. When she jumped out, I took each of them out quickly and checked them. They all seemed to have taken lots of milk and had tight bellies. They seemed nice and warm and I tucked a little more fur around them before I came inside.
It's supposed to be fairly warm tonight and tomorrow so I think they have a pretty good chance. Fingers crossed!
This morning I turned on the heating pad again for a few minutes in the nest box to make sure everything was nice and warm and took it outside and put it back in the colony. They were squirming around pretty good and when I put the nest box down the doe was right in there and started fussing around in there.
When I came out tonight to feed the animals, I checked on the litter. They seemed ok and the doe jumped in the nest box again and I watched her nurse and lick them. When she jumped out, I took each of them out quickly and checked them. They all seemed to have taken lots of milk and had tight bellies. They seemed nice and warm and I tucked a little more fur around them before I came inside.
It's supposed to be fairly warm tonight and tomorrow so I think they have a pretty good chance. Fingers crossed!