YIKES! I rate all the puppies at "level 5" for fighting the entire process! #2 was the quietest this time, but the rest of them truly were NOT impressed!
This morning, Tap went on an hour hike through the snowy woods and she truly enjoyed being back with the pack. I think she was embarrassed to only be going on the "old dog walks" and was happily racing through the trees with Blaze. Don't worry, I have upped her food intake to keep up with the "energy out" so she can keep producing plenty for the puppies! She is eating about 3 lbs a day right now, and I expect that to increase to about 4 lbs. when puppies reach their biggest, hungriest, most demanding stage - just prior to weaning. I'd better place another order at the butcher - now that he is "getting used to me" and my "weird way of feeding dogs" he is saving me more and more stuff he would normally toss. I hear I'm getting a boat load of veal neck bones in addition to the usual fare. Yippee!
I spent quite a bit of time this morning curled up in the middle of the whelping box (as Tap stretched out on the cool tiles) and stroked the puppies - each had a wonderful tickle/scratch response when I gently scratched their necks - right about where a collar would be if they were wearing one! So I guess all dogs are born with that "itchy neck" and rear foot tick :)
Here are the photos of the day. Sorry - no cute poses - I am in and out of the barn today dealing with the most sets of twin lambs we've had in years! It is all mass confusion in the "nursery" pen - with lambs getting milk from whomever is available and willing! I had to "foster" one lamb to another ewe - so now she has 3 to take care of! Doesn't seem to bother her though! The lamb's own mom seemed to forget she had had 2 lambs and wanted nothing to do with her 2nd born.
Above: Pups enjoy a snooze while mom cools off (below) 
Girl #1 (1 lb at 6 am)
Girl #2 (15 ounces at 6 am - or therabouts, she was rolling around a lot!)
Boy #3 (1 lb, 1 ounce at 6 am)
Boy #4 (1 lb at 6 am)
Boy #5 (1 lb, 1 ounce at 6 am)
2 comments:
No apologies necessary- this is great stuff! Thank you so much for taking the time to keep us posted.
I take the ENS results to mean that the pups are full of healthy vigor. #2 has already shown her vigor in the little photo shoot escape, so maybe she just feels extra content in your hands. :)
I can sympthasize with the puppies' desire not have their brainwaves engaged!
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