Two weeks...

[ladysown]

ago, before I went on holidays I had seven kits all about the same size growing up with mom.

Today I pulled them out to give them a good look over and wow...HUGE difference in size. Pulled out the four big ones stuck them in their own cage and pulled out the three big ones from another litter similar aged. But the differences in the harlequin litter I found simply astounding.

I'll try to get pics up of them later so you can see the difference.

Kinda wondering if they got stinted somehow by improper care from my vacation care people. hopefully they will pick up!<br /><br />__________ Tue Jul 26, 2011 4:12 pm __________<br /><br />well...not improper care. It's poor teeth. Won't repeat this breeding....

 

[BoxerMom]

Can you explain how "poor teeth" affected it?

 

[ladysown]

eight kits in this litter. four are right where I expect them to be. Four are most definitively not.

Thought it odd.

Had a gal over who is looking into breeding rabbits so I thought I'd go into teaching mode. Pulled out the eight kits and said.. so.. four are good, four are not. which ones are not? She very quickly pulled out the four good ones. Set them aside.

Then I said, Okay. i haven't had a chance to figure out why they are doing poorly. When you were here and I wasn't.. did they always have food? did they always have water? yes to the first, no to the second, but they always had water daily.

so then we looked at body, eyes, head etc and then teeth. and the four little ones all had something off with their teeth. Butting teeth, crooked teeth, teeth that met incorrectly (under instead of over) and such like. Basically not a good set.

The other four are perfect.

 

[MaggieJ]

It's too bad about the teeth, but you used the situation to good advantage. :goodjob:

 

[Brody]

amazing how build can affect performance no matter the species - hope you had a great holiday!

 

[Cattle Cait]

Can you explain how "poor teeth" affected it?

If their teeth are bad they can't eat properly. Not eating properly = not growing properly.