Mostly Ready

Today was I've-got-to-be-ready-on-a-moment's-notice day. During the three years since the last litter I have given away or re-purposed most of my whelping supplies. They are now found, cleaned, purchased and assembled.

The whelping box took a bit more effort than I anticipated to put together. I had forgotten - and of course not marked - that there was only one way it could go together for all the bolt holes to match the brackets. I put the box itself together. Then the pig rail but instantly knew there was something wrong with the pig rail when I went to put it in. So, I took it apart and re-sorted the boards and brackets. That done, it still did not work which meant I had the box boards together incorrectly. They then all came apart and were re-assembled. Alas I could finally get the pig rail in and attached to the box. Then came the seats. Even they had a specific placement. Because of warping do to three years of storage in an open attic poor Dave had to sit on each seat to un-warp while I crawled in upside down into the box and bolted away. But alas, I have my beautiful whelping box ready to go.

Koyuk is more than ready to make use of it. The whelps are easy to see moving about, banging heads and testing their legs.

Her belly is hanging so low, she can barely make it into the whelping box without scraping.

Dinner in the whelping box

Her mom Cedar checking on her status. I wish Cedar could speak and tell me when she thinks the pups will whelp.

Cedar seems to be letting Koyuk know or maybe giving advice. Trask is "outta there".

 Trask sneaking back for a chat of his own with his mom.

Both Trask and Cedar are sticking close - then again maybe it is only her dinner they are interested in...

then again, neither Trask or Cedar have left Koyuk's side today...

then again being near her brings the possibility of extra treats.

Only a couple more days until expected whelping. If only Cedar and Koyuk could tell me exactly when labor will begin.