Morticia & Boartus' first litter!
Morticia and Boartus, our American Guinea Hogs had their first litter on March 7th, 2020. Morticia had 7 babies. Four beautiful girls and three strong boys! The runt of the litter was the first born, we named her "Rita the Runt". She wasn't walking right in fact she was wiggling around on her front knuckles, for the first few hours I didn't think it was a problem but by hour 3 she still hadn't gotten the strength to walk on her front legs correctly and therefore had now been able to get to a teat for her first meal. So I brought her inside got her colostrum and when she perked up I took her back out to mom and put her on a nipple which she took right away. I still didn't think much of her front legs and thought oh shell start walking any second as soon as she gets a little more food in her belly shell get stronger and shell be ripping and running with her siblings in no time. Well by bedtime that night she was looking weak and obviously couldn't fight her siblings to get to a nipple and still hadn't stood on her front legs so in the house she went to be a bottle baby. I massaged her front legs that first night and fed her and went to bed with her box at my bedside. By the next morning her feet were still very curled under and she could only run in place as her little front legs were so curled under they had no traction. I have been putting linement on her tendons and massaging her legs but as of today, day three she still hadn't walked. So Jimmy and I put her front legs in little splints and she's been ripping and running ever since! She's so happy to be able to get around and explore the house and chase the dogs I love her little oinks and snorts!
