uggh

[starleomach]

That does sound small My babies this year have ranged from 68grams biggest to 47 smallest averaging 56. even with triplest and sapphire kits in there

 

[Rickman]

It was late, and I was guessing, so I was wrong again!! [I gotta quit doing that!]
Re-figured = V-babies: average is 54 grams, largest was 63 grams, smallest was 42 grams - twice!
But no X babies yet, as I've cut back, and let everyone chill!

 

[lilchinchilla]

The average here is usually in between 50 - 70 grams, depending on the kit. I have this one recessive beige though who did used to give me some preemies (she is a pet only now - not for breeding and is happily living it up with another pet only girl here.) each time bred. I think there was only one time where she littered a nice healthy sized litter.

Another reason I tend to not handfeed when preemies - if I can help it (obviously if they are not nursing on their own, I do step in - just like any sized kit) - is I find I have really bad luck handfeeding newborn preemies.

Their lungs tend to not be mature like other full term kits, and if they get any fluid in them, they tend to aspirate/go downhill quick. Just based on my experience.

 

[CritterMom]

I had one that started at 32g. He was one of three, and I ended up supplementing and using another nursing female that had a single. He was always smaller than all of the other kits, but he made up for it in personality!

 

[Tulula]

i have triplets that are a month old now. at birth they were 36,33,35 - in a few days they were 34, 30, 31. first time mom and she kept jumping on top of her house - so i took everything she could use to get away from the kits out of the cage and started supplementing quite a few times a day. mom finally got a hang of staying still for the babies and with her and the supplementing they starting gaining.they are all doing well and today they are at 99,81,91.

 

[chinchildren]

RIP

thanks for all your posts - they did help lift my spirits.

i had been handfeeding X7. it was not going very well (she just was not interested) but i had hoped that since mom's milk did come in quickly maybe i just needed to keep her stable till she figured out the nursing thing. she was under mom all the time but never nursing. at 5 am she was looking weak and quivery and i had decided when i got back in the house that i would let her be and let nature takes it's course. when i came in at 7 she had passed. i am glad it went quickly. :tissue:

on a more positive note, her brother was up to 50 grs yesterday and i now have 6 kits in the chinchilton that are doing well (knock on wood).

 

[Cory]

Aww, sorry she didn't make it, but at least she got to sit warm under momma for the little bit she was here. Since all 6 remaining came so close together you can look forward to weaning them into cute little groups when the time comes.

 

[ABBY W.]

I'm so sorry about the poor baby! Losing a kit is so hard...at least the other babies are doing well.

I had a pair of kits born two weeks early, at 23 and 21 grams. Mom wouldn't even pay attention to them. I guess she figured their odds weren't that good. I hand fed them for two weeks, then mom decided she'd take over finally. Both are around 700 grams today, and are about 18 months old, in perfect health. I worry though about long-term health problems. Do you think that the chances are good they will stay healthy since nothing has shown itself yet? Almost all of my kits are in the 45-50 gram range at birth, so not a lot of experience with tiny kits over long periods of time.

 

[chinchildren]

thanks.

i really think there are no long term implications for kits born small and handfed if they make it. all they get from us is nourishment - it is not like human babies that are pumped full of meds, oxygen etc and have long term implications because they really were not viable (lungs under developed etc). i think if the kit makes it they are just like any other chin.

there is also no correlation (that i can tell) between birth weight and final weight. not sure why we talk about it so much. i only weight them to see that they are gaining and really find the number meaningless.

 

[tunes]

I hand fed them for two weeks, then mom decided she'd take over finally. Both are around 700 grams today, and are about 18 months old, in perfect health. I worry though about long-term health problems. Do you think that the chances are good they will stay healthy since nothing has shown itself yet?

I have 950 gm white/violet here that was hand fed because mom couldn't handle quads. I hand fed all four babies just as much as mom gave them milk.

I agree with Shelli. I don't think it makes a huge difference. It's just nourishment. In fact, I've actually noticed that in several cases the hand fed ones get larger than the ones I might leave in with mom full-time. And why wouldn't they? I use a bottle warmer and keep formula "on top" all day long. They come to the front of the carrier, I feed them. The little guys on my desk right now are going through 4-5 cc just about every hour and 15 minutes. I'm guessing that's more than they get out of mom in the same amount of time.

As far as health wise, I don't see how hand feeding would make any difference. Plenty of other species (including humans) never see breast milk. They are given either formula or cows milk and they do alright.