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© Lothlórien Caviary
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 Litters
At the end of a pregnancy, the expecting mother, if she has a need for rest and isolation (which can be seen with experience and observing), is put away from the herd in her own 'maternity cage'. Should she remain calm and at ease to the end of her pregnancy, she can also be allowed to have her litter with a sow-friend. As she finally gives birth after a 10 week long pregnancy, a busy but mostly very exciting time starts for her and us!
 What do we do in Lothlórien with litters?
- As soon as possible after birth, mother and pups are checked out to see whether they made it through the birthing process unscathed. Wet wood shavings are removed as quickly as possible for hygiene reasons.
- The pups are weighed immediately, so we can check whether they gain weight in the first few days, and in the last few days of their stay whether they're heavy enough to leave the nest. And while we've got them away from the nest for a moment, we can't resist the temptation to check the pups gender and colouring!
- Then we leave them alone for a day. They need to recover from their efforts.
- Then the fun starts: After that they get daily attention, a task my daughters love to fulfil. When the pups are nearly old enough to move, they will get brushed every now and then, so they will recognise this later in life, when brushing is really necessary.
- Mother and pups get unlimited hay and pelletfood, frequently some hard and dried bread, and a decent portion of greens daily. And every now and then we spoil them with a little extra...
- All pups may leave Lothlórien when they have reached a minimum age of 4 weeks and a minimum weight of 300 grams. All boars that may not have been sold or picked up will be separated from their mother and sisters before they reach sexual maturity.
Have a look on our maternity ward!
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Awaiting the first solid silveragouti coronetlitters to be born... |
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