Joey check!

[on:]

After another joey check this morning I am pretty positive I have 4 more joeys on the way. Woohoo! That will be the most ever but I am totally ready for the challenge.

[Reply #1 on:]

Wow, that's pretty exciting!  Congratulations on them and I hope they all stay healthy.

[Reply #2 on:]

4 from one female!!!
or 2 different females.

I've only known one to have 4 joeys and they didn't make it out of pouch.

[Reply #3 on:]

LOL... definitely 2 different females here.

I've heard of triplets surviving rarely - females have two wombs. So even though they usually have two joeys, they aren't twins. Technically, "triplets" are just twins with another fraternal sibling.

To have 4 joeys - that would mean two sets of twins. Which is extremely rare, and I'm certain they would not survive without a miracle. Momma only has enough milk for two babies as it's meant to be... sometimes, not even enough for that.

[Reply #4 on:]

peggy had them... i don't think milk supply was the problem...,
pouch size was...the babies dried out so mom pulled them

[Reply #5 on:]

Mom will pull for several reasons. Most of the time, it is milk supply. I can imagine that indeed the babies did not have enough room in her pouch... if you've ever had joeys, you know how bulgy momma gets even with just two!! Haha! By weeks 7-8, the babies are practically falling out in every direction. Legs, tails, butts...

There are also health issues as well. Mom and dad will "cull" any joeys that show weakness, such as heart or lung problems, etc... they're very good at detecting things such as that.

All in all, I reinforce my stand on milk supply, because simply put, gliders are built to raise two joeys at a time. They have a total of four teats - two to feed out of pouch joeys, and two to feed in-pouch joeys. (So technically yes they can raise four joeys at a time BUT in different stages/cycles). The nipples all provide milk of course, but different "types" of milk to sustain the joeys in their different stages of life.

[Reply #6 on:]

it could have been milk supply..
but the pouch couldn't hold 4 peanuts..it was stretched and the opening was drying out the babies..
that was obvious.

[Reply #7 on:]

Oooh...

sound painful 

For both momma and babies