can they get pregnant while they're still nursing?

ok, thanks for the advice guys.

is it ok for me to take them out to change the bedding?

I've been reluctant to do so because I wasn't sure if they'd eat the babies if I handled them.

Go for it. I've never had a problem with mothers eating their babies after I touched them, not with ASFs.

well, I looked in on them today, and 3 more were dead , and 1 almost dead.

one was partially eaten.

the eighth one I was looking for was found dead also. I was starting to think I was going to get a full batch to wean , but not so.

so I went ahead and changed the bedding and put the last 3 back in. I was going to take them out , but I don't think they're quite ready yet. 2 of them looked like they could be strong enough but the last one still kinda struggles to move around.

I still gotta figure out how I'm going to provide the water for them, since they're so small I don't think they'll be able to reach the water bottle.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by pliskin

well, I looked in on them today, and 3 more were dead , and 1 almost dead.

one was partially eaten.

the eighth one I was looking for was found dead also. I was starting to think I was going to get a full batch to wean , but not so.

so I went ahead and changed the bedding and put the last 3 back in. I was going to take them out , but I don't think they're quite ready yet. 2 of them looked like they could be strong enough but the last one still kinda struggles to move around.

---

Yikes :( Were they low on food or water? Mine don't cannibalize their pups anymore, and it was a combination of making sure waters were ALWAYS full, weaners were always weaned on time (before mom had the next litter), and food was always available. I fed off any ASFs that had cannibalized before, and started new groups. Haven't had a problem in a long, long time.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by pliskin

I still gotta figure out how I'm going to provide the water for them, since they're so small I don't think they'll be able to reach the water bottle.

---

Toss in a block of 2x4 or something they can stand on and push up to the water spout so they can reach it.

food and water were plentiful.

as of yesterday they were fine , I went in to check on them today and that's when I discovered that some of them were dead. the adults were lying on top of them, which wasn't out of the ordinary since they were doing that from day 1, but at a closer look I saw that some of them weren't moving .

at least my little pastel had a snack anyways, so it wasn't a total loss. I just hope the few that were left survive.

I think the momma's going to give birth again soon.

It happens. I just lost a whole litter to cannibalism. Not much you can do. If it keeps happening, start a new colony and feed off the cannibalistic one.

the same mother is having another litter right now.

I just hope they survive this time.

If the babies die again, feed everything off and start over.

so far so good, got my fingers crossed.

they all look pretty healthy at the moment, but this is about as far as I got the last time.
I think they look a bit fatter than the first litter though, and the litter is larger this time.

I think I counted 14 , whereas the first litter was only 8.