Birth & Breedback

The Birthing Process

Birthing usually occurs in the very early morning hours of the day. This being said, you often find babies in the cage the next day, and not actually see them born. Occasionally you will get the female who gives birth at noon, but these are the exception to the rule. Birthing times can be as little as a half hour, to upwards of 3-4 hours, depending on the number of kits born. Remember, 1-4 is a normal litter size, with documented litters reaching as high as seven!

Some symptoms that the female may be going into labor is aggression towards other cage mates (be it male or female). Oftentimes the female will be on the cage floor, and under a shelf if provided. Eating often decreases. When labor starts, the female may, stretch, bounce as her uterus contracts, make sounds of pain, and we often see the the mouth, feet and genitals wet (this is because during labor, she is constantly grooming her genitals).

At the moment of birth, the female will slowly remove the kit from her vagina. This may take a few tries and in 99% of cases, we do not need to interfere. Remember, if you are watching a birth, you need to be as quiet and still as possible and let the mother do her thing. Following the birth of a kit, the placenta can be delivered then, or at the end after all the kits are born.
The female will eat the placenta, and this is healthy and good for her!

After birth, the mother will be cleaning up herself and the kits. The kits are born fully furred, and should be eyes opened. After the mother is done grooming herself, she will tend to her kits by drying and warming them. Oftentimes you will hear squeaks as mom nips the kits. This is normal and ok.

Birthing Complications

Breeding complications can and do happen. They are rare, but the most common one to see is difficulty in delivering the kits (dystocia). This usually means the kit is too big to pass through the pelvic canal and normally means a c-section is necessary. Other complications include a kit being born breech (which may need intervention depending if the mother is able to pass the kit or not), or bacteria from the uterus geting into the bloodstream (septicimia). Milk production can also be delayed for longer than 24-48 hours, or mastitis (inflammed mammary glands) can also occur. If your female has been laboring for over 4 hours and showing no signs of progress, its definately time to call in the vet!

Post Delivery

For the first 10-14 days following labor and delivery, no dust baths for mom or for the babies. If you have not removed the father by this time, your female is likely to have a breedback. A breedback occurs immediately after the birth of a litter and the female’s estrus cycle has started over, and she is in heat. She can become pregnant immediately after giving birth. Most breeders do not recommend multiple breedbacks (at the most, one). Remember, she just spent 111 days growing these kits, and the next 2 months will be devoted to raising them. Would YOU want to be pregnant then as well?