From: Dawn <angorawoolwitch@...>
To: Englishangoraonly@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Thursday, July 16, 2009 10:51:22 AM
Subject: [Englishangoraonly] Re: Questions about possible pregnancy
--- In Englishangoraonly@ yahoogroups. com, Sharon Imler <imler_sharon@ ...> wrote:
>
> Had him neutered. When it had been about 5 weeks since his neutering, they were out together. He mounted her several times....the first time afterwards he fell over, which I read somewhere means something, don't know what.
--- In Englishangoraonly@ yahoogroups. com, Sharon Imler <imler_sharon@ ...> wrote:
> When it had been about 5 weeks since his neutering, they were out together. He mounted her several times....the first time afterwards he fell over, which I read somewhere means something, don't know what.
Sharon, a buck will often
fall over after ejaculating. He probably wasn't fertile after five weeks, but just in case...
twenty eight days after the "breeding" date, give your doe a nestbox. That's any box just big enough for her to hop into and turn around. For an EA, a large shoebox would probably work. Use zip ties and fasten it to a corner of her cage--NOT her potty corner. A covered box is ideal, but sometimes we just have to make-do. Put a nice layer of grass hay in it and also give her a big bunch of hay to arrange as she wants. Leave it in there until 35 days after she was with the buck. Normal gestation is 30-32 days, but I've had does go 35 days and kindle successfully.
You don't need to give her additional food during gestation. Becoming obese is a real hazard as it can hinder birth and encourages ketosis. However, if you're feeding a low-calorie diet, such as timothy-based pellets, you'll need to supplement after kits are born. Lactation takes a lot of
energy.
The most noticeable sign of pregnancy is carrying hay. :) The doe will gather up as much hay as she can stuff in her mouth and carry it to the nestbox. She may also pull fur and pack it into the box.
Oh, and if she's not sheared down, now would be the time. You want her coat to be no more than a couple of inches long. Kits can get caught and tangled into a long coat of wool. :(
Good luck!
Dawn
Fluff N Furr Angora