Aren't triplets fun........

[eastcoastchins]

So on May 17 I had my first litter of triplets born to a first time mom (they are two and a half weeks old now). I suspect the littlest guy was a bit premature. His brother and sister were born at 40g and 41g respectively. He was only 35g, and he still looked a little like an alien. On the second day he dipped to 33g while his siblings remained the same. No big deal, I thought, as it's normal for them to lose weight before gaining. Day 2 comes and the other two each gained, while he remained at 33. By day 3 I was very concerned, and started rotating the kits. The two big ones came out for two hours every two hours. This worked great at first. He started gaining like a champ, and the others continued to gain. However, a few days ago all three babies plateaued. The little guy was stuck at 54g, the girl at 70g, and the bigger boy at 68g. They seemed stuck so I started supplementing with hand feeding, and continuing to rotate. I wasn't supplementing every two hours though, only a few times a day, because I know that mom's milk is the best thing for them and I wanted to make sure they were still hungry for that as well. However, they are still at a plateau (today is day 3). Today I am full time hand feeding. What I am wondering is, can a mom stop producing milk? They were gaining in the beginning, so she obviously had milk at one point. Could it be possible that it stopped coming? Should I continue just hand feeding full time, or should I try and see if mom's milk returns? She's not really too fond of being handled, especially since the babies, so I haven't been able to physically check her for milk without getting my finger nipped!

Also, is it safe to breed her again in the future? Since this is happening, could it be an issue with mom, or just be a fluke because she's a first time mom?

 

[Cuddlebug]

I would put up with getting bit by her and pick her up. Her nipples could be really sore which would cause her to not let the babies nurse. She could also be developing mastitis or have dried up. You need to know ASAP so you can do what ever is best for the babies and their mother. I would still breed her since it could still be a fluke. He next littler may go off without a hitch. If she has milk issues again, that is when I start wondering whether or not she should be bred again.

 

[TaylorMadeChinchillas]

Rachel, do you know if the dame's mother was a good milk producer? Kind of a random question but sometimes those things are hereditary. If she was, then I would check her and see if there are any issues.

 

[eastcoastchins]

I checked mom for milk yesterday and then again today - there isn't anything coming out from what I can tell. She didn't seem sore to me, so I guess it is possible that she dried up? I didn't know that could happen. Looks like I'll continue hand feeding!

Actually I do have her mother in breeding. Her mother has never had any issues, so I don't think it's hereditary.

 

[BooBoo*TheKiddo*]

Oh I thought twins were bad with the one litter I had. Couldn't imagine triplets.

How are their weights since you've been handfeeding?

 

[eastcoastchins]

The weights have gone up wonderfully. The little guy who was stuck at 54g is now up to 62g. The bigger boy who was stuck at 68g is now 75g. And the girl, who was stuck at 70g, is up to 80g!