Jobshare on Planet Guinea

New arrivals on Planet Guinea mean that a jobshare has been created 🙂 Krystal and Gem are both excellent mothers doing a fine job at the local Kid Zone. Between them they look after 3 pups who move around the hutch in a trio and from sow to sow in a trio.

On arriving home Molly, Forest and Gale had been born along with their sister who was asleep and still in her sack, despite breaking the sack and warming her up Big sister did not survive 😦

At this time Gem was obviously straining and had been so for nearly 30 minutes which is far too long. On picking her up it was apparent she was giving birth to a pup that was breech, a twist of the hand, and the force of gravity Bigger baby sister was out, but very dead 😦 A very definite lump that wasn’t moving meant that another pup was inside and needed to come out fast.

A call to the local Guinea Cab Service had us going over the speed bumps up to the surgery and not long before arrival the pup was born. Mum didn’t remove the sack but seemed interested in what was going on, I did it for her and handed her back the pup but further examination in the surgery showed no heartbeat and eyes that were glassy 😦

She was put back in with Gem and Gale and came back to Planet Guinea.

The smallest pup was Gale at 99g, then Forest at 103g and Molly was 106g.

Life is for living, eating, feeding from whoever’s on duty and learning about the world around them 🙂

Karen (not making a drama out of a crisis 🙂 )

5 August 2009: These cheeky little girls are still trying to drink from their Mums at 5 weeks of age despite being told to ‘get lost’ in no uncertain guinea pig terms. Yesterday they were introcuded to Heath a young castrated boar who is much more playful than Krystal and Gem who are enjoying their well earned break 🙂