>My five pups opened their eyes yesterday. They will be three
>weeks tomorrow. I was planning on weaning them away from
>Mom when they were 5 weeks and then
They are already being weaned. You mean you're going to
remove them from their mother at five weeks?
>a week after that putting them off into their own same sex tanks.
You can do that when you remove them at five weeks.
>Anyway, I picked up my pair and the female was already
>pregnant from her brother and therefore produced a litter
>earlier than expected. My concern now is the new arrivals
>that should be making their appearance any day now since
>I saw Jack and Jill breeding right after the pups were born.
>24 days is the proper gestation period is it not?
Bottom end, for first litter. 24-28 days is the range and
it's usually right at 28....an older female that is not lactating
at the time she becomes pregnant AND is an experienced
female, can go 24.
Because your female has a litter she has been feeding,
her gestation period is probably extended; which is common.
Figure 33-42 days, around 35-38 is usual.
You can have the older pups and the new litter together,
she will kick the older ones away so the new litter can
nurse.
If you want to stop her having so many litters, when this next
one is born, remove the male with the older litter...except
for a daughter. Leave her in with the mother to help raise
the new litter, and the one mom will have after this. Leave
a male pup with the father, and separate the rest by sex.
>Will the mother be able to handle both litters?
Yes.
>I mean the pups won't be quite 4 weeks old yet.
I seriously doubt she will have the new litter at day 24.
>Is it safe to leave one of the girls with the mom and
>pull the dad out next week just before the new pups
>come?
Four weeks is too soon to pull a litter from a female.
They aren't fully weaned yet and need to stay there.
Your best bet is to prepare three tanks; and wait until
at least five weeks OR you see signs she's delivering
(devoting a lot of energy to frantic nest building, kicking
him out of the nest, etc) or you find a new pup(s).
Then remove dad and a son to one tank, and the rest
of the litter except for a daughter to their same-sex
tanks you've prepared. If you end up with only one of
a sex after giving a male to dad and a female to mom,
then you can 'double up' by leaving that one also with
the respective parent.
And if your female has another litter after the impending
one, that will be her last litter. <g>
Deb
Rebel's Rodent Ranch
