Careful Culling Peanuts

I usually cull my peanuts at birth. I just can't see jeopardizing the entire litter by letting it pass away in the nestbox.

Usually, the difference between a peanut is immediately obvious. However, in my list litter of woolies I had a surprise.

The doe had a litter of 5, which was fantastic for a first time doe. She had two regulars and what I thought were three peanuts. As I gathered up the three skinny babies, I looked closer at the solid black one. It was thin, unlike the two normal siblings. It was smaller than they were, but a little bit bigger than the peanuts. At first glance, it looked like a peanut, but when I really compared, I just wasn't sure. So I put it back in the nestbox, determined to keep an eye on it.

The next day, the baby was a little fatter. Nothing like what the two normals were and it was still smaller, but it was active.

Now, that baby is the same size as it's siblings. It's eyes are open and it's chasing Mama around the cage.

I'm SO glad I double checked when I started to take it away with the two peanuts. If you're going to cull them immediately, you have to be careful. Sometimes babies are born a little different, or just don't get as much of that first meal as others. This little guy will have to have a special name to reflect how lucky he is.

-Kristen
Keep's Rabbitry