Forecasting babies is a lot like projecting stocks. You spend lots of time trying to add up individual signs like courting, swollen bodies, hugging heat, and refusing food into a grand payoff, but in the end mother nature may leave you with nothing in the bank.
Living Gems has three females we hope will be mothers for the current season: Agate, Almandine, and Malachite. As of this past month-end, we finally got one of the middle positive indicators -- in this case, weight -- from all three girls.
Agate
Agate, a four-year-old early bullseye line, was paired with Franklin (formerly Kiel) from March 4 to July 31. Numerous courting attempts by the male were witnessed, including almost two weeks in a shared water bowl. At the start of breeding, Agate weighed 2395 grams. During breeding, she averaged 2145 grams. As of the end of breeding, however, her weight jumped up to 2241 grams -- a 71-gram increase from the prior month, and coming more than four weeks after her last meal. Here she is in three photographs taken last Wednesday, just before her monthly feeding:
Huddled in the Corner
Closeup of Her Back Half
Exploring the Side Wall
She is currently in shed.
Almandine
Almandine, a four-year-old vibrant orange/red girl with reduced head stripes, was paired with Scarface from March 4 to August 15 (in other words, I’m giving them two last weeks). So far only one cohabitation has been witnessed. At the start of breeding, Almandine weighed 2357 grams. During breeding, she averaged 2205 grams. As of the end of breeding, however, her weight jumped up to 2257 grams -- a 45-gram increase from the prior month, and coming four weeks after her last meal. Here she is in three photographs taken last Wednesday, just before her monthly feeding:
Coiled in Her Hide
Exploring the Back Wall
Moving Her Belly From Hide to Water
She too is currently in shed.
Malachite
Malachite, a four-year-old with intense color and perfect side crescents, was paired with Picasso from March 4 to May 31 (the male was pulled early due to a 250-gram weight loss; he has since recovered 120 grams). While no breeding attempts were witnessed, he had to work off that weight somehow. At the start of breeding, Malachite weighed 2407 grams. During breeding, she averaged 2338 grams. As of the end of this last month, however, her weight jumped up to 2367 grams -- a 40-gram increase from the prior month, and coming four weeks after her last meal. Here she is in two photographs taken last Wednesday, just before her monthly feeding:
Coiled in Her Hide
Exploring the Back Wall
She is the sole breeder female that is
not currently in shed.
While not definitive proof by any means, I’ll take a minor sign any day of the year. Our fingers are crossed for several late-year litters!
Thank you for reading,
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