This is a doe that I really had a fondness for.
She was the first mini rex of my own breeding that said "WOW" to. Yes, she was bigger than she should have been (but smaller than what I had been producing). Her sister went on to produce show winners.
As a youngster she refined in her bone and she hit 4 lbs at six months, so technically where she should have been. She through big litters (11 was her largest) and she mothered them all.
As an adult she was just a soft, sweet, easy to handle girlie. But as a teenager she gave 3.5 months of grief oh my but... then she settled, and she was auntie to so many young buns, even when she stopped being a producer. Just a good solid, well mannered doe.
She produce butt ugly kits most of the time, but when bred castor... gave such pretty babies.
For the past week or so she's been niggling at me. Couldn't say why. She was eating, drinking, pooping, peeing but she was not right. I just couldn't put my finger on it...something was off.
I weighed a bunch of the does two weeks back just so see where they were at.. she came in at 5 1/2 lbs, tonight she was not even 4 1/2 lbs. So it was like.. WHY is she losing weight? Why is she acting like she's really not okay? I don't know, but she's lived a good life here. She's been pet, shown off, admired by many, she's shown her age, but now she's gone.
She will be missed.
She was a stalwart old gal. And I am sad. That's all I can say. I'm sad.