Hi, All,
I have 2 litters this Spring, both born May 4th.  Genetically, they are
similar crosses, sharing so many ancestors that I'll have to treat them as
siblings next breeding season, but w/ all these shared grandparents and
g'grandparents, it is amazing how different they are in development and
behavior.
 
Litter #1- Two babies born to Dusty and Peanut.  Dusty is a Silver Panda
(DEW, now) and this is her 4th litter.  Peanut is a Cinnamon/Champaign who
just turned a year old.  The babies appear to be a Cinnamon boy and a Blaze
girl.
 
Litter #2- Ten babies born to Nosey and Bigfoot.  Nosey is a 2 yr old Sable,
and Bigfoot a Cinnamon Blaze yearling.  Most of the babies are male- 2
sables, 6 blazes, and either 4 cinnamons or 2 cinn and 2 chocolates (that
may sound like 12 kits, but 2 of the light colored ones are also blazes).
 
Each father is son to the opposite mother, and the mothers share a
grandmother.  It isn't much in-breeding at this generation (about 1/16
consanguinity), but I'll need out-crosses next time around.  So, why are the
kits so different?
 
Litter #1 hasn't opened their eyes, and never leave the box.  Litter #2 has
about 1/2 their eyes open, and were crawling thru the 1" holes in the cage
over a week ago.  The 2 babies in litter #1 are significantly larger than
those in #2, and aren't interested in supplemental milk.  Litter #2 sprints
for the cage door when I bring milk, and gnaw at their mother's dry food.
OK!  The cause is obvious- aboundant food for #1, scarce food for #2.  Both
litters are very (knockonwood) healthy.  Since it has always been an option
to move a few from mother #2 to #1 I've keep a close eye on their
development, and started providing extra food as soon as they would take it
from a saucer.  Dusty had a litter of 4 last year that out grew all the
other kits, so I expected large babies in litter #1.  But, I expected them
to walk and open their eyes about the same time as #2.  Anyone had a similar
situation?  I'm starting to think of #1 as pampered and naive, as well as
sedentary.  And #2 as aggressive, street-wise and potential gang wannabies.
Can anyone recomment a good daycare?  8^) Paul
[Posted in FML issue 1950]