Quote:
Originally Posted by Ladyhawk  Sounds to me like it may be time to reevaluate your breeding stock. If you are obtaining too many tinies and are loosing them you may want to add a larger bitch to your stock who comes from a closely linebred established line. OUtcrossing can add vitality to your line if done carefully. I have seen evidence that while breeding them down in size we are weakening them as well. It may be time to head in the opposite direction a bit. |
My studs are brothers but not littermates. I had two unrelated females I was breeding to the older brother until the younger got old enough to breed. The older female got a ruptured uterus last December. My other female is nearly 7# and she and the older male throw the tiny babies. From 2.3ozs to just over 4ozs, in the same litter.
I bred her to the younger brother and while they produced big babies, the babies by this pair are around 5ozs when they are born, they grow up to be under 4 1/2#.
I am thinking that possibly the coccidia was causing a lot of the problems and I am hoping that the next litters will be stronger, healthier and when I breed her back to the older male the babies will be a bit bigger and all of them will be able to survive. Sylvia