This is a first for me... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shakehead.gif" alt="" />
Yesterday morning I was watching my gliders play when Cooki caught my eye.. She was hanging at the top of the cage by her hind legs and licking/eating? something that looked like nothing that I had given them.. Just to make sure that she didn't have something that could harm her I opened the cage door and tapped the side of the cage so that she would drop whatever she had into my hands...
To my shock it was a joey... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> A joey about the size of a dime, it was SO tiny, I had never seen such a thing.. Of course I was heartbroken and a little shaken to see a dead little baby but at the same time I was glad that its life came to an end before I even knew that it was there.. It would have been so much worse if it would have been a completely developed or OOP joey...
Anyway, I am not sure why she even had this joey.. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/nixweiss.gif" alt="" /> She has 2 joeys that are nursing still so I was surprised to see a 3rd baby..
The joey was curled up and it's mouth was in an "o" shape as if it were still nursing.
The joey was not eaten, it didn't look like it was killed or attacked and I do not think that she pulled it out and killed it or there probably would have been nothing left of it and it wouldn't have been curled up like it was.
I am thinking that it died ITP, and possibly because of one of the other 2 joeys that are nursing off of her but I am really not sure at all.
I could not tell if the joey was a boy or a girl, because that was the part of it that was missing, its belly.. I think that one of her current joeys bit it and it died in her pouch and then she pulled it out... She wasn't harming the joey and she sure wasn't in attack mode.
...Here are the photos that I took of it. I feel bad for taking these, but I've never seen a joey so small or at this stage and we can learn from every experience. I thought that some of you may be interested in seeing how quickly joeys do develop and how tiny they are.
RIP little one. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/heartpump.gif" alt="" />
Linda
A Lost Joey **Warning: Graphic Photos**
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#56060 08/28/0503:47 AM08/28/0503:47 AM
Little one may have been pulled off a teat by the other more developed babies. I really think this happens much more than what we are aware of since most pairs will rebreed within a few days of joeys coming oop. Shame in a way... as the wee one looked very healthy.
By the way... the photos were great as to the showing the developement of the tiny one. Thank you for sharing them.
May he/she rest in pease. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/gliderangel.gif" alt="" />
I am sorry for your loss. The pictures however were/are very educational for those of us who have never seen or had little ones IP. Thank you for sharing. My condolences and prayers are with you!
Re: A Lost Joey **Warning: Graphic Photos**
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#56065 08/28/0502:03 PM08/28/0502:03 PM
The pics are wonderful - I'm sorry for your loss also, but you still have two little baby joeys - it might have been more stress on mom to have those just weened and have another one oop. The pics are very great though, how ever did you get such a detailed picture of something so tiny!
Re: A Lost Joey **Warning: Graphic Photos**
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#56067 08/28/0504:04 PM08/28/0504:04 PM
Linda, thanks for sharing the pictures. I think Judie is right and if you think about it, she will be a healthier mom and less stressed. She probably bred the first week that the others were oop and she didn't hold this one back but let it form.
Such a sweet little angel:o( I always felt this way when I had chicken eggs that were fully developed but never hatched. You always wish they could have come into the world, so you could share your life with them. I am sorry for your loss, but please celebrate the 2 healthy joeys you do have! And thanks for sharing the pictures. Although he is so young, he is still very precious, and the pictures show us what our own suggies once looked like:o)
Re: A Lost Joey **Warning: Graphic Photos**
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#56072 09/04/0503:54 AM09/04/0503:54 AM
I am sorry that you lost the joey. Do you still have the joey? Would you be able to take measurements? Do you know when they last mated or do you have an estimate of the age? This is great to show the deveolpment.
Re: A Lost Joey **Warning: Graphic Photos**
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#56073 09/04/0504:15 AM09/04/0504:15 AM