April Showers Bring May Litters

Maybe that's not exactly how the old saying goes but that is what it seems. May is off to a jump start with three litters being born into the herd thus far. Small litters at that but beggars can't be choosers. The largest of the three consists of two fat and sassy little kits born to Trio's Abby- a solid chestnut doe who gained a single leg for a class win before veering in the direction of brood doe. The sire is Ivy Crescent Brando, pictured on the home page for some time.

The other two litters were both singletons so I put them together to keep each other warm.

Once the babies arrive I prefer to leave the nest boxes out of the cages at all times. Twice a day I bring the does to their individual box to feed and then return them to their cage. This takes place in the evening when I feed and in the morning when I hay. It has been my experience that left to their own devices my does get themselves into trouble by over mothering the kits or the polar opposite which is neglect. By "over mothering" I mean always hopping in and out of the box resulting in scattered kits. As many HL breeders can vouch for the fact that there are enough hurdles to overcome in raising this breed. It is my goal to eliminate as many potential risks as possible. Usually by 2 1/2 weeks when the eyes have fully opened and the fur has come in I will leave the box in with mom. By this time they are becoming curious about their environment and often times beginning to venture out of the box to explore. I hope to see these kits at that milestone in the coming weeks.