Sorting out the plans

Ophelia weighed in at 48 g last night which is a 6 g gain in 24 hours...nuts! Her time is very very close. So I'm just sorting out the culling plans (most of you might remember how difficult a time I had the first time) as I know it'll be easier to work on autopilot. Second guessing in the midst of it is the worst.

I won't be freezing this time. I believe I'm going for an very old fashioned blunt force trauma (Frizzle's method of choice I think). That will help a little as I like knowing it's instant.

Like last time, I'll cull down the males. I'll need to be prepared for kinked tails too. The runt of my previous litter had a couple of kinks that nearly straightened out by the time she was culled on Day 3 so going on the assumption it's genetic, and I'm breeding daughter to father, I need to assume I could see more. Am I right in thinking kinked tails should be culled? What if, worst case, they all have them? (perhaps that's paranoia)

In the instance that I have more than six females, knowing that this is an unknown line with an inbreeding thus morally need to think twice before adopting out, I simply cull the smallest, right?

Sorry to return with the rambles.

Are you going for any particular color? You might want to select for or against a certain eye color, and by day three you'll have some indication of which are darker/lighter.

If they all have kinked tails, I'd leave mom with two and cull the whole lot. I'd also put a stop on the whole line. That said, I'm trying to breed to one line to show standards and the other to pet quality, so tail kinks are totally out for me either way.

Not really, I really should be seeing what they carry since I had to cull 5/8 in the original pairing. Another test breeding if you will.

I'm guessing the tail kinks indicate a spinal deformity? I searched FMB but it seemed to be more puzzlement than breeders knowing what was going on. And by the whole line you mean starting over entirely with a new buck and doe? Gosh. Getting nervous to see what happens.

Odd thing happened last night...she dropped from 48 g to 44 g. I just weighed her now (roughly 18 hours later) and she's 45 g. I suppose she lost a baby or two?

Thank you for your post!